Getting started in nursing research and tips for success

AORN Journal, Dec, 2000 by Suzanne Beyea

Many clinicians express an interest in becoming more involved in research or in using evidence in their practice. The two primary challenges that clinical researchers face in doing this include

* identifying a topic or problem of clinical importance, and

* choosing a research problem of compelling interest.

The researcher's interest in the topic and commitment to finding answers provide the necessary drive to see any project completed. Undertaking a research project because "it needs to be done" or "my instructor is interested in this issue" may not provide adequate motivation for a researcher.

IDENTIFYING RESEARCH PROBLEMS

Nurses and other health care practitioners encounter clinical problems every day. Clinicians may not translate these clinical issues into research problems or questions; however, these clinical problems provide the basis for most research questions. Perhaps you are a perioperative nurse interested in research but do not know where to begin. To get started, think about your daily practice and encounters with patients and family members. Think about processes you have observed or problems you have encountered.

For example, a pediatric perioperative nurse may have noticed that parents experience high levels of anxiety when separated from their child. Additionally, the nurse may have observed that the child begins crying and becomes more difficult to comfort at this time. The nurse may wonder if having parents present for induction would comfort the child and minimize distress but is worded that parents might not understand or be helpful during induction, thus increasing the child's distress. Each of these observations is a potential research question, and together, these questions may provide the foundation for a research project.

Another example of a vexing clinical practice issue is whether patients who have not been sedated should be walked into the OR or placed on a stretcher for transfer. Many clinicians argue about this clinical practice. Some say walking is beneficial as it promotes independence and autonomy. Other clinicians insist that it is too distressing for patients to walk in and see all the equipment, and it is better if they are transferred on a stretcher. Some clinicians believe the reason patients are walked is because anesthesia care providers do not want to wait for a stretcher. Here is another excellent opportunity for clinical research. This is an issue that needs to be researched in a systematic manner to determine which method truly is best for the patient.

Exploring a hunch or an observation is another way to identify potential research ideas. As a clinical nurse, you may have observed that when certain types of music are played in the OR, everything seems to run more efficiently, and patients seem more relaxed before induction. You believe that new age music calms both clinicians and patients. You may want to learn more about this topic and find out whether your observations are coincidental or based on fact. This is another clinical issue appropriate for further investigation.

Clinicians also should pay special attention to situations that produce negative outcomes. These situations may suggest a need for research or further investigation to explore the events leading to these types of outcomes. Clinicians need to be prepared to ask, "What is going on here?" If clinicians had not been willing to question the high incidence of latex allergy when powdered latex gloves were used, widespread use of these gloves might have continued.

Clinicians should recognize a research opportunity when the unexpected occurs. Many medical discoveries were incidental findings, such as the use of surgical gloves. Originally designed to protect nurses' and physicians' hands from carbolic acid, widespread glove use resulted in a precipitous drop in infection rates after surgery. Today, we would not consider performing surgery without using sterile gloves.

Reading journal articles or scientific reports is another way to identify researchable problems. Most research articles include a section that identifies areas for further research. Skimming this section provides the reader with many opportunities to identify potential research topics. You also can replicate a research project and determine whether the previous findings are consistent with a new group of subjects in a different setting and locale. Most research projects need to be replicated, and sometimes the original design can be improved, enhancing the quality of the project. Ideally, one research idea or project should generate many more. No one study is definitive or successful in answering all the questions a researcher might have regarding a particular subject.

ENSURING SUCCESS

For a researcher to successfully complete a research project, that individual must have a strong interest in the topic and findings. By the time most research projects have been completed, the researcher has spent endless hours thinking, reading, and writing about the topic. If the topic is uninteresting or boring to the researcher, commitment to the project may suffer. An individual could have all the requisite skills and time to conduct the research; however, if the topic is not of interest, the research probably will not be completed. Just like our work, research should be meaningful and interesting.