Designs – A Plan to Study for the Truth

Discussion Reply

I really enjoyed the table in our book that compared quantitative and qualitative research back to back. It was helpful to have these comparisons for me to truly see how different, yet important each are when it comes to research. I learned that quantitative research is objectively measurable, highly controlled, and is used to study larger populations (Houser, 2021). Whereas qualitative research is individualized, adaptable, and highly personable. It is also much easier to break down the words into quality and quantity, as others have suggested, to be able to decipher between the two words and understand the difference between them. 

I found phenomenology very interesting in that it only pertains to a group of individuals who have had the same experience. For this reason, the population may not be as large; however, studying the subject will still be able to make a difference for this particular group of people (Houser, 2021). Also, it incorporates qualitative research by identifying an individual’s feelings and thoughts about whatever their experience was. Not only are the results helpful for others in the future, but also for the individual to share their true feelings and feel heard. Charlick et al. (2017) share that phenomenology is a wonderful way for healthcare professionals to conduct their own research to aid others in the future. Personally, I found the way that this article laid out the process of conducting a phenomenological study very helpful. I learned that this type of study has a very small sample size, but it includes having deep conversations with the subjects and truly listening to their concerns. It is a very personal study that I feel is very appropriate for nurses to conduct because we do build rapport with our patients and can easily conduct this type of interview.  

The nursing problem that I chose to research about is nonpharmacological pain interventions for preterm babies in the NICU, specifically when labs are being drawn and a heel stick must be done on the infant. I found that swaddling is one of the most effective ways to reduce the pain that they feel during these procedures. This study would need to have quantitative research due to the fact that babies cannot speak and share exactly what they are feeling. However, we do use several different pain scales to attempt to determine their pain levels. I would gather information by using these scales to determine if swaddling truly does decrease the pain that a baby may feel. The study design I would use is a cross-sectional study due to the fact that there is only one way to swaddle a baby and that would not change over time, and I believe that I would gain enough information by conducting this study during one specific time frame.  

 ( Camille )

References 

Charlick, S. J., McKellar, L., Fielder, A., & Pincombe, J. (2017). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Implementing research to influence breastfeeding education. International Journal of Childbirth Education, 30(2). https://web-s-ebscohost-com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=55ce6331-8255-47a6-9afc-04c823ecc47f%40redis 

Houser, J. (2021). Nursing Research: Reading, Using, and Creating Evidence (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning. 
https://ambassadored.vitalsource.com/books/9781284254730Links to an external site.