I frequently emphasize in this blog that to use research and evidence in practice the nurse must be able to critically appraise a research study to ensure that the research methods were strong so, therefore, the results can be trusted. Threats to internal validity can erode confidence in the research
This Quick Tip explains how to remember the difference between the independent and dependent variable in quantitative research studies. To read the in-depth post, click HERE. Independent and dependent variables are concepts with which many nursing students struggle. Hey, I did, too! But don’t give up! You’ll get better at
This deep dive post explains the concepts of single and multiple research variables and, importantly, how to identify the independent and dependent variable in quantitative research studies.  Practice examples are included! Independent and dependent variables are concepts with which many nursing students struggle. Hey, I did, too! But don’t give up! You’ll
Undergraduate and graduate nursing students learn about the research process and research design. The purpose of learning about research is so that the professional nurse can evaluate and interpret the importance and meaning of research findings to their individual practices. This post reviews the steps of the research process and
It’s not too hard to come up with questions about our clinical or professional practice if you put your mind to it; many come from our day-to-day observations. In fact, asking questions is a minimal expectation of a nurse, regardless of nursing degree. For undergraduate or graduate nursing students, a course
This month’s posts have all been about the existence and persistence of the research-practice gap in nursing — that is, the gap between the publication or dissemination of research and the use of those findings in practice. In this post, I’ll discuss some of the ways that the research-practice gap
You learn about statistical conclusion errors in every basic nursing research class and are expected to understand what these errors mean. Wait! Did I learn about this, you ask? Yes, yes, you did. Remember Type I and Type II errors? Those are statistical conclusion errors. But I’ll tell you that
There are two types of significance used to interpret research studies – statistical significance and clinical significance. They are not the same thing. One answers the question, Are the statistical results due to random chance? and the other answers the question, So what? Will the results matter to our patients?
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This podcast discusses the data quality concepts of reliability and validity of research tools/instruments. Definitions and examples of methods of reliability (stability, internal consistency, equivalence measures) and validity testing (content validity, concurrent and predictive validity, criterion-related validity, convergent and divergent validity, mixed method/multimethod approach, hypothesis testing, factor analysis) and how
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This podcast provides an introduction to data quality, which emphasizes the importance of reliability and validity of research tools and instruments. The nature of data, forms of data, and a brief overview of data measurement are presented, including a description of random and systematic error. Click on the Podcast Player to get