Nursing Research Value of Research to Nursing Essay

Nursing Research

Value of Research to Nursing

Nursing is different from other health care professions. It has a large scope for practicing therefore it is necessary to understand theory in order to provide a strong framework for understanding of this profession. The daily practice of nursing contributes to a nursing practice theory, which can be empirically tested. A quantitative nursing research has three levels such as descriptive, co-relational and experimental. Therefore nurses are encouraged to consider all the virtues of experimental designs very carefully. They have to present an evidence-based practice as they have to plan a future research. This essay describes value of research to the nursing profession and also the contribution of a key theorist to the nursing research.

Value of Research to Nursing

Every nursing practice theory should be at a level where it can be tested empirically. Today nurses are expected to work on evidence-based practice (EBP). The nursing literature has three different kinds and each has its own uses. The first kind of the nursing literature is the summary books that present a variety of theories. The second is the books or articles that present a particular theory and third is the research articles. These research articles are based on theories and have references and brief interpretations of other theories. This essay is about value of nursing research, its perspectives and highlights a key nursing theory as well.

"Nursing is a little different from most health-care professions in that it is theory based.Our first nursing theorist was Florence Nightingale. Nightingale used theory to explain what is and is not nursing, and this is a tradition that continues in nursing to this day" (Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona 2010).There are specific characteristics of the problems that merit research by nurses. These characteristics include involvement of gathering existing and new data from the sources. The research is directed towards the right solution of a specific problem. A nursing research is analytical and it has procedures that are carefully designed in order to collect data. Nursing researches emphasize on development of principles, generalizations and theories that are helpful in future. A nursing research has to be empirical; it means that it should be based on demands and direct experience of an accurate observation. "For results to be meaningful, it is essential that reliable and validated outcome measures are used" (Getliffe 1998).

According to me a nursing research requires innovative approaches. It is reported and recorded carefully. A nurse researcher is enabled to achieve comprehensive and valid through the replication of a nursing research. It has to be logical; it can be applied to any possible test for validation. The researcher has to be prepared adequately to undertake any behavior as the research requires expertise.….....