Introduction
Nurses use qualitative and quantitative methods when conducting research and equally trust both methods when implementing evidence-based practices. Choosing the appropriate method for conducting research is important because the method determines the approach to data analysis and therefore significantly affects the results and conclusions. This paper aims to discuss the study design categories and present the type of research and design that will help study the standards of care for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
Quantitative and Qualitative Research
Qualitative and quantitative methods are used in nursing research and have proven their effectiveness. The first way that helped me to understand how the methods differ was determining the focus of each research type. Qualitative studies usually examine the relationships between health professionals and patients and colleagues, the effectiveness of certain communication-based practices, or provide feedback from patients. These studies are useful for expanding ideas about a certain problem and obtaining new ideas regarding its solution. Quantitative methods are more targeted and focused on specific outcomes and are better suited to determining the effectiveness of new drugs or treatment plans. In other words, quantitative methods are better suited for the stages of re-evaluation of effectiveness than for the stages of development. The second way to understand the difference between the methods is by emphasizing the type of data gathered for analysis. The qualitative methods use language-based data on the input and output stages, and quantitative studies are usually operating with numbers.
Quasi-Experimental Design
A quasi-experimental study is one interesting category of study design. The experimental approach works by producing experimental and control groups that are similar. The researcher provides the treatment to the first group and measures all the factors that determine the difference (Gray et al., 2017). The results for the experimental group are expected to vary from the control group, which determines the success of the experiment. The quasi-experimental design differs in that it lacks one of the important experiment elements – research-controlled manipulation, which is an independent variable (1), control group – may use no control group or use factors as their controls (2), or random assignment of subjects to groups (3) (Gray et al., 2017). The quasi-experimental design is widely appreciated as it provides a high level of internal validity (Yazici et al., 2022). It can be effectively applied to study nursing problems with actual patients as it refers to practical problems and studies the details and variances in treatment.
Applying Research and Design Types to Actual Study
The topic of my future study is determined by the PICOT question. The future study estimates the standards of care for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). It compares the VAP bundle and the additional use of nonabsorbable antibiotic agents along with chlorhexidine to decrease gram-negative bacteria, thereby decreasing mortality rates and lengths of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) population. This will be a comparative or cause-and-effect study type, that will utilize the applied clinical research study design. Using the comparative, cause and effect approach is the only way to determine the more and less effective interventions. Applied clinical research is the only possible approach to gather data from the patients who go through the VAP bundle treatment. No less importantly, this type of design allows for attentive observation of patients’ needs, and their reactions to treatment.
Conclusion
Thus, the study design categories were discussed, and the type of research and design that will help study the standards of care for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) was presented. Quantitative and qualitative methods are both widely used in nursing research, with the former focusing on data and the latter emphasizing communication and feedback. The comparative cause and effect study is the best way to improve the existing standards of VAP treatments. The applied clinical research design type is handy for this purpose, while the quasi-experimental study design can also be used to determine the treatment effectiveness.
References
Gray, J. R., Grove, S. K., & Sutherland, S. (2017). The practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence. Elsevier.
Yazici, G., Bulut, H., Kahraman, B. B., & Palteki, T. (2022). Analysis of the efficiency and cost of a care bundle for prevention of common infections in an intensive care unit: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design study. Konuralp Medical Journal, 14(2), 398-405.