NURS 40085-Inquiry & Research

This course provides an introduction to clinical inquiry and research for the beginning professional nurse. Within this course, theoretical frameworks appropriate to nursing are used in the development of a research proposal. This is a writing-intensive course.

Course objectives:

• Understanding the role of inquiry and research in nursing
• Understanding the scientific approach to clinical nursing practice
• Understanding the research process in nursing
• Ability to formulate researchable problems in nursing
• Ability to critique research studies in nursing with understanding and comprehension

• Develop a better understanding of what inquiry and research is. This goal was accomplished through completing the weekly readings and discussions. The final at the end of the semester also helped show me what I learned throughout the course.
• Apply what this RN learned in the class to work environment. This goal was accomplished through the article critique. This RN picked an area of interest which applied to her current work position. What this RN learned through the article and this class is something she will be pursuing in the future.
• Be able to participate in research studies at the end of this class. This class sparked this RN’s interest in nursing studies. Currently, she is not in any research studies. However, this is something that this RN will think of pursuing once she receives her BSN.

Course assignments include weekly discussions, written assignments, article summary & critique, group research project, and a final quiz. The weekly discussions are based on the weekly reading assigned to the students. Students are required to not only answer the question for the discussion but also respond to other students’ discussions as well. It provides good conversations between classmates as this is an online class. The written assignments allow students to use critical thinking to answer questions related to the weekly readings.

The article & summary critique allows the student to choose an article relevant to their area of research interest. The students are required to write a paper summarizing the article, followed by criticizing it. Students are either required to point out the areas the researchers did not use proper measures or highlight the strength of the article. The article summary this RN chose was based off the following research question: Would fewer deaths occur during a code if the med-surg nurses were ACLS certified?

The group research project is a Power Point presentation which requires students to actively work together to review scientific nursing literature. Students are able to choose an area of similar interest. The topic of choice for our group was the following question: In surgical patients, what is the effect of non-blood alternatives in comparison to using blood transfusions during surgery on recovery time postoperatively?

The final quiz tests the student’s knowledge of this course at the end of the semester.