Study Guide for Essentials of Nursing Research: Appraising Evidence for Nursing Practice

The study guide provides students with opportunities to reinforce the acquisition of basic research skills through systematic learning exercises-some of which are designed to be fun. Another important feature is that the appendices include multiple research reports in their entirety. The authors have deliberately selected some studies that are directly relevant to evidence-based practice (EBP), such as a study on the results of an EBP implementation project, and two systematic reviews. There are activities in each chapter of the Study Guide (the Application Exercises) geared around these studies. The Study Guide consists of 18 chapters-one chapter corresponding to every chapter in the textbook. Each of the 18 chapters (with a few exceptions) consists of the following content: - Fill in the Blanks. Terms and concepts presented in the textbook are reinforced by having you complete each sentence. All answers are in the back of the book for easy reference and cross-checking. - Matching Exercises. Further reinforcement for key new terms is offered in a matching exercise, which often involves matching the concrete (for example, an actual research hypothesis) with the abstract (e.g., the term for a specific type of hypothesis). Again, answers are in the back of the book. - Study Questions. Each chapter contains two to five short individual exercises relevant to the materials in the textbook. The answers to select study questions are in the back of the book. - Application Exercises. These exercises are geared specifically to helping the student to read, comprehend, and critique nursing studies. In each chapter, the application exercises focus on two of the studies in the appendices, and for each study there are two sets of questions-Questions of Fact and Questions for Discussion. - Questions of Fact will help the student to read the report and find specific types of information related to the content covered in the textbook. For these questions, there are "right" answers, which we provide at the back of the book (Appendix I). For example, a question might ask: How many people participated in this study? - Questions for Discussion, by contrast, require an assessment of the merits of various features of the study. For example, a question might ask: Were there enough people participating in this study? The second set of questions can be the basis for classroom discussions.

Table of Contents:
Part I Overview of Nursing Research and Its Role in Evidence-Based Practice Chapter 1         Introducing Nursing Research for Evidence-Based Practice Chapter 2         Understanding Key Concepts and Steps in Quantitative and Qualitative Research Chapter 3         Reading and Critically Appraising Research Articles  Chapter 4         Attending to Ethics in Research   Part 2 Preliminary Steps in Qualitative and Quantitative Research Chapter 5         Identifying Research Problems, Research Questions, and Hypotheses Chapter 6         Finding and Reviewing Research Evidence in the Literature Chapter 7         Understanding Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks   Part 3 Designs and Methods for Qualitative and Quantitative Nursing Research  Chapter 8         Appraising Quantitative Research Design Chapter 9         Appraising Sampling and Data Collection in Quantitative Studies  Chapter 10        Appraising Qualitative Designs and Approaches Chapter 11        Appraising Sampling and Data Collection in Qualitative Studies Chapter 12        Understanding Mixed Methods Research, Quality Improvement, and Other Special Types of Research   Part 4 Analysis, Interpretation, and Application of Nursing Research Chapter 13        Understanding Statistical Analysis of Quantitative Data Chapter 14        Interpreting Quantitative Findings and Evaluating Clinical Significance  Chapter 15        Understanding the Analysis of Qualitative Data Chapter 16        Appraising Trustworthiness and Integrity in Qualitative Research Chapter 17        Learning from Systematic Reviews Chapter 18        Putting Research Evidence into Practice: Evidence-Based Practice and Practice-Based Evidence    Appendix A: Stephens et al., Smartphone Technology and Text Messaging for Weight Loss in Young Adults Appendix B: Ottosen et al., An Ethnography of Parents' Perceptions of Patient Safety in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Appendix C: Saqe-Rockoff et al., Improving Thermoregulation for Trauma Patients in the Emergency Department Appendix D: Eckhardt et al., Fatigue in the Presence of Coronary Heart Disease Appendix E: Langegard et al., The Art of Living with Symptoms Appendix F: Hountz et al., Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening Using A Quality Improvement Approach in a Nurse-Managed Clinic  Appendix G: Chase et al., The Effectiveness of Medication Adherence Interventions Among Patients With Coronary Artery Disease Appendix H: Carr et al., Patient Information Needs and Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy Appendix I: Answers to Selected Study Guide Exercises