Analysis of qualitative research study
Problem
The problem to be discussed in this article is surgical care improvement project whereby a percentage of patients whose prophylactic antibiotics were discontinued within 24 hours after anesthesia end time (Enzler, Berbari, & Osmon, 2011).
Why is the problem an important one for nursing to study?
This problem is an important one in nursing study because it tackles on the importance of infection prevention through the use of infection prevention and it also touches on the need for nursed to translate what they have learnt into practice. Antibiotic administration in surgical patients takes a collaborative between the physicians and the nurses and therefore care should be taken on how they coordinate this administration. The recommendations for administration of prophylaxis antibiotics should be followed so as to prevent the spread of drug-resistant infection that are very difficult to treat (Enzler, Berbari, & Osmon, 2011).
Study Purpose
The purpose of this study is to ensure that the life and health of surgical patients are not compromised and that the risk for this is reduced to as little as possible. This study helps the nurses know that there is no reason to extend antibiotics beyond 48 hours and also identifies situations where intravenous re-dosing of antibiotics may be needed for example for long operations (Enzler, Berbari, & Osmon, 2011).
Research Questions
The research question for this study is: is it necessary to extend the periods for prophylaxis antibiotics and if necessary, on what conditions (Enzler, Berbari, & Osmon, 2011).
Are the questions stated broadly enough for a qualitative study?
The research question is stated openly and open. This is because the question can be researched from different angles on the administration of prophylaxis antibiotics. The study can be carried out to involve different aspects of prophylaxis antibiotics in the wide surgery field (Enzler, Berbari, & Osmon, 2011).
Study Design
What specific qualitative method is used?
The qualitative method used in this study is case study. Case studies are conducted through involving the nurses and patients and also collecting data from records in hospitals (Enzler, Berbari, & Osmon, 2011).
Provide a clear description of the qualitative method utilized
The case studies carried out provide a deep description of the results of the use of antibiotics for extra hours than the recommended time. This method utilized data sources such as administrative data and medical records and also interviewing the patients and nurses (Holloway, 2009).
In what way is the method used an appropriate one for this study?
This method used is appropriate for this study because it provides data that is exists about prophylaxis antibiotics in the hospitals. This makes the data more factual and therefore providing quality information for the study. Moreover, the people who are involved in the study are the nursing practitioners themselves and the patients (Holloway, 2009).
Identify the philosophical/theoretical basis of the study.
The theoretical basis for this study is that use of extra doses of prophylaxic antibiotics has an effect on the health of the patients and they have been proven to lead to drug-resistant infections. They have no additional benefit to the patient and this gives them the chances of producing negative effect in the patient’s body. This is the reason as to why the study uses retrospective data sources to bring out quality of the study and to ensure that data collected is of high quality (Holloway, 2009).
Describe/discuss the references cited to support the philosophical or theoretical approach used.
The references cited for this study include reports from hospitals and nursing journals that contain data on the reactions of extra dosage of prophylactic antibiotics on patients who have undergone surgery (Holloway, 2009).
Is the philosophical or theoretical basis of the study clearly linked with
the study assumptions, data collection procedures and analytical and interpretative approach?
The theoretical basis of the study is linked to the study assumptions of the study, data collection procedures and analytical and interpretive approach. This is through use of data from the hospital records and the patients to test and analyze the assumptions that are there that the extra antibiotics can lead to development of diseases in the patient (Holloway, 2009).
How is the framework related to the body of knowledge in *nursing*?
The framework of this study is related to the knowledge in nursing in that it uses an objectivism approach in the research. The experimental methodologies and qualitative methods used in this study have pursuit to the scientific truth about use of antibiotics in surgery patients. The research carried out contained varied data about the effects of the antibiotics on the human body (Holloway, 2009).
Review of the Related Literature
Are the articles relevant with previous studies and theories described?
The articles used in this research are relevant with the previous studies because they provide recent information about antibiotics in surgical patients and makes great advancements in the results of the studies carried out in the past (Holloway, 2009).
What is the number of sources within past five years?
At least three sources used in this study are within the past five years making the data more reliable because the information contained is not very old (Holloway, 2009).
Describe the current knowledge about the research problem.
The current knowledge about the research problem is that re-dosing of antibiotics after surgery does more harm than good by exposing and causing diseases in the patients. The prolonged administration increases the risk of Closridium difficile infection and the development of antimicrobial resistant pathogens in the patients (Holloway, 2009).
Specify the gap in the literature that justifies the need for the research.
The gap that justifies the need for the research is the “within 24 hours” discontinue of antibiotics after surgery. 24 hours is the maximum period that it should be continued but it should not exceed this (Holloway, 2009).
Subjects and Setting
describe the subjects and the setting.
The subjects used in this study are the nurses and the selected surgical patients. For the patients, it is ensured that there is no evidence on prior infection.
In what way is the method of obtaining subjects appropriate?
The method of obtaining subjects is through selection of some surgical patients and this ensures that the health history is known for accuracy of results (Polit, & Beck, 2012).
In what way is the size of the sample used adequate?
The size of the sample used is adequate because from it enough data can be acquired and it is neither too big nor too small. It ensures that adequate attention is paid to each subject and therefore enough information is collected (Polit, & Beck, 2012).
In what way was the *setting *in which data were collected an appropriate one for this study? Why?
The setting used is a medical one making it possible to acquire quality data that is not tampered with (Polit, & Beck, 2012).
Indicate the type of consent obtained and institutional review board approval.
The type of consent obtained was informed in that the subjects had been informed in detail about the study. The institutional review board approval offered documents of consent that were approved and acceptable for the research (Polit, & Beck, 2012).
In what way were the steps taken to protect the rights of subjects adequate
The rights of the subjects were protected by the researchers to ensure that the study did not go against the ethical standards of the people and the medical research ethics (Polit, & Beck, 2012).
Data Collection Procedure and Appropriateness of Data Analysis Methods
Identify the data collection procedures used and provide a description of ho
w the data was collected.
The data collection procedures used in the study included an interview of the nurses and patients, administration of the overdose of the antibiotic to see the effects and use of medical record to collect more data. Sampling was also used to acquire extra data.
In what way were the data collection procedures used consistent with the purpose of the qualitative approach selected
The data collection methods used ensured that they provide validity and quality data for the research by ensuring fairness (Polit, & Beck, 2012).
Define data saturation.
Data saturation is a point whereby is no longer getting any new information for the study. This is possible through analyzing data through put the study and not waiting till the end of the study (Polit, & Beck, 2012).
What evidence is there that data saturation was achieved? Describe fully.
Data saturation was achieved due to the fact that at some point, all the information acquired in the research was the same. This shows that there was no new research in the study (Polit, & Beck, 2012).
Specific Data Analysis Procedures Used
The data analysis procedures used was inductive methods in the study (Polit, & Beck, 2012).
Identify the qualitative data analysis procedures used to examine the data
The procedures used were hermeneutic, semiotics and narrative and metaphor (Polit, & Beck, 2012).
Define the qualitative data analysis procedures used.
The inductive data analysis method used in this method was statistical procedures in coming up with a conclusive result on the data (Polit, & Beck, 2012).
In what way(s) are the data analysis procedures appropriate for the data collected?
These data analysis procedures are appropriate for the data because they allow manipulation of data to get the exact result of the data ensuring accuracy of the final results (Polit, & Beck, 2012).
In what way(s) is the data analysis procedures consistent with the qualitative method used
The data analysis methods are consistent with the qualitative methods in that data can be analyzed from different angles and therefore the results are accurate (Polit, & Beck, 2012).
Evidence of Auditability/Decision Trail/Member checks
Define *decision trail*
Decision trail is the procedure that allows a researcher to use another researcher’s data as in replication of data and provides an audit for the data (Speziale, Streubert, & Carpenter, 2011).
Was a decision trail developed? Was it reported in sufficient detail? Clearly justify your answer.
A decision trail was developed and sufficient detail provided because of the use of citations and references to indicate that another researcher’s work was used in this research (Speziale, Streubert, & Carpenter, 2011).
Specific Results obtained
what are the outcomes of the study? What did the study reveal?
The study shows that use of antibiotics for longer that the recommended time has negative effects on the life of the patient and it leads to the development of resistant diseases. Moreover, overdosing is acceptable only in situations where the surgery takes long hours. This is the main situation where this kind of dosing of prophylaxic is acceptable (Kim et al, 2012).
Strengths and Limitation
What are two major strengths of the scientific merit of this study
This kind of research is credible in that it provides quality data that is valid and one that is reliable. The other advantage is conformability since it does not go against the ethical standards in the field of nursing and its requirements are easy to meet (Kim et al, 2012).
What are two major limitations of the scientific merit of this study?
One, information or data can easily be biased. Two, collection of data takes a long time and therefore time can limit the amount of data that is collected (Kim et al, 2012).
To what extent are the study findings valid?
The findings are valid because of the use of use of valid and reliable sources of data such as records from administration of hospitals (Kim et al, 2012).
Implications/Recommendations
How did the researcher generalize the findings? Where in nursing can the results be applied?
The researcher generalized the findings that they can be used in different surgical operations for different patients. The results can be applied by nurses in surgery rooms and also when attending to patients who have effects of use antibiotics for longer than the recommended time (Kim et al, 2012).
What suggestions for further study were identified?
The suggestions identified in this study were that study be done on the extent of the effects of the antibiotics on individuals.
Is the description of the study sufficiently clear for replication?
The description of the study is sufficient for replication because it is clear and precise and the data contained is quality and valid (Kim et al, 2012).
Reflection
The method used for data collection and analysis is appropriate for the nursing period and it ensures that the process follows all the set standards of research. It also points out areas that should be improved in the American nursing so as to improve the quality of nursing care (Kim et al, 2012).
References
Enzler, M. J., Berbari, E., & Osmon, D. R. (2011, July). Antimicrobial prophylaxis in adults. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 86, No. 7, pp. 686-701). Elsevier.
Holloway, I. (2009). Qualitative research in nursing and healthcare. Wiley. com.
Ingraham, A. M., Cohen, M. E., Bilimoria, K. Y., Dimick, J. B., Richards, K. E., Raval, M. V., … & Ko, C. Y. (2010). Association of surgical care improvement project infection-related process measure compliance with risk-adjusted outcomes: implications for quality measurement. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 211(6), 705-714.
Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2012). Resource manual for nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice. Wolters Kluwer Health/lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Speziale, H. S., Streubert, H. J. S., & Carpenter, D. R. (2011). Qualitative research in nursing: Advancing the humanistic imperative. Wolters Kluwer health.
Kim, E. S., Park, S. W., Lee, C. S., Gyung Kwak, Y., Moon, C., & Kim, B. N. (2012). Impact of a national hospital evaluation program using clinical performance indicators on the use of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis in Korea. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 16(3), e187-e192.
