Theories & Conceptual Models

Evaluate theories and conceptual models from nursing and related fields for use in advanced nursing practice.

**Assignment Requirements***

• Should be at least 500 words, formatted and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources/references within past 5 years. Reviewed on TURNITIN, no repeat work.

Critical Research Appraisal Assignment

Goal:

You will critically appraise a research design

Content Requirements: 

You will select one research report with a qualitative design and one with quantitative design and answer the following questions regarding the following categories:

1. Discuss what is meant by the term Qualitative Research
   • Briefly, describe the characteristics of qualitative research and identify nursing issues/phenomena that lend themselves to a qualitative research approach.
   • Compare and contrast three different qualitative research methodologies.
   • Briefly, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative research evidence for informing nursing practice.
   • Communicate how this research design used in research.
2. The study, sampling, data collection, analysis, rigor, findings and limitations
   • Identify the purpose of the study.
   • Briefly, describe the design of the study and explain why you think it is either appropriate or inappropriate to meet the purpose.
   • Identify ethical issues related to the study and how they were/were not addressed.
   • Identify the sampling method and recruitment strategy that was used.
   • Discuss whether sampling and recruitment were appropriate to the aims of the research.
   • Identify the data collection method(s) and discuss whether the method(s) is/are appropriate to the aims of the study.
   • Identify how the data was analyzed and discuss whether the method(s) of analysis is/are appropriate to the aims of the study.
   • Identify four (4) criteria by which the rigor of a qualitative project can be judged.
   • Discuss the rigor of this study using the four criteria. 
   • Briefly, describe the findings of the study and identify any limitations.
   • Use the information that you have gained from your critique of the study to discuss the trustworthiness and applicability of the study. Include in your discussion any implications for the discipline of nursing.
3. Discuss what you understand by the term Quantitative Research – Use the following dot points to guide your discussion (give reasons for your argument and support with references):
   • Describe the characteristics of quantitative research.
   • Identify nursing issues/phenomena that lend themselves to a quantitative research approach
   • Differentiate between observational and interventional research designs and also between experimental and quasi-experimental designs.
   • Briefly, outline the difference between inferential and descriptive statistics and their relationship to levels of measurement.
   • Communicate how this research design used in research.
4. Critique the Quantitative Research Report – Use the following headings to guide your critique (in all discussions and explanations give reasons for your argument and support with references):
   • The study
     • Identify the purpose and design of the study.
     • Explain what is meant by ‘blinding’ and ‘randomization’ and discuss how these were addressed in the design of the study.
     • Identify ethical issues related to the study and how they were/were not addressed.
   •  Sampling
     • Explain the sampling method and recruitment strategy that was used.
     • Discuss how the sample size was determined – include in your discussion an explanation of terms used.
   • Data collection
     • Briefly, outline how the data was collected and identify any data collection instrument(s).
     • Define the terms validity and reliability and discuss how the validity & reliability of the instruments were/were not addressed in this study and why this is important.
   • Data analysis
     • Outline how the data were analyzed.
     • Identify the statistics used and the level of measurement of the data described by each statistical test – include in your discussion an explanation of terms used.
   • Findings and limitations
     • Briefly, outline the findings and identify any limitations of the study
     • Use the information that you have gained from your critique of the study to briefly discuss the trustworthiness and applicability of the study. Include in your discussion an explanation of the term statistical significance and name the tests of statistical significance used in this study.

Submission Instructions:

• Clear and concise, no improper grammar, punctuation and misspelling.
• Formatted per current APA and 4-5 pages in length, excluding the title, abstract and references page.
• Incorporate a minimum of 3 current (published within last five years) scholarly journal articles  or primary legal sources (statutes, court opinions) within your work.

Post an explanation of at least two strategies for including academic activities and accomplishments into your professional development goals. Then, explain how those goals may align with the University’s emphasis on social change. Be specific and provide examples.

 

For this assignment, you will work on setting goals for yourself using the SMART method. You will find an explanation of this method in the module that will guide you in your goal-setting process. You will list a minimum of five professional goals that you would like to accomplish during the clinical experience in this term. For each goal, you must provide an explanation of how the goal is representative of each of the SMART characteristics: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely. Be sure to answer the following questions for each goal summary: Can you measure it? Is it attainable? Is it realistic? What is the time frame you have set for completing that goal?  

Format: Each goal summary should be at least 100 words – totaling 500 words for this assignment (added to the speaker notes). The presentation is original work and logically organized, formatted, and cited in the current APA style, including citation of references.  The presentation should consist of 10-15 slides (excluding the introduction and reference page).