Description
I need a reply on this 2 discussions:
1. Quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in the field of nursing are utilized as complimentary strategies for comprehending intricate healthcare issues. Both techniques share the common goal of enhancing patient care, although they diverge in terms of their objectives, methodologies, and resulting outcomes.
Similarities
According to Díaz Agea et al., (2019)Both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in the field of nursing are driven by a common overriding goal, which is to generate evidence-based recommendations that can effectively improve the quality of patient care. Díaz Agea et al.,(2019) further state that both methodologies demonstrate an equal level of dedication in adhering to rigorous ethical principles, which encompasses safeguarding the welfare and confidentiality of participants, as well as upholding the study’s integrity.
Differences
There are notable distinctions between quantitative and qualitative research methodologies within the field of nursing. Quantitative research is predicated upon the utilization of numerical data and employs systematic procedures such as experiments, surveys, and statistical analyses to examine hypotheses and formulate predictions. In contrast, qualitative research places emphasis on the collection of narrative data using methods such as interviews, observations, and content analysis. Its primary objective is to delve deeply into events and gain a comprehensive understanding of the context and perspectives of the individuals involved. Quantitative research endeavors to produce results that may be applied to broader populations, aiming for generalizability. Conversely, qualitative research generates context-specific findings that provide intricate understandings of specific circumstances or experiences.
Application in nursing
As argued by Sanchez et al., (2022) quantitative research holds immense value in the field of nursing since it enables the assessment of the effectiveness of novel interventions or medications through extensive statistical analyses, thereby frequently informing hospital policy and establishing optimal approaches. An illustrative instance involves the utilization of a randomized control trial to evaluate the comparative efficacy of a novel wound dressing in expediting the healing process in comparison to conventional approaches. Conversely, Dickerson et al., (2020) argues that, qualitative research assumes a pivotal function in comprehending the experiences, beliefs, and cultural backgrounds of patients, so enhancing the provision of patient-centered treatment. This type of research has the potential to explore the intricacies of nurse-patient interactions, hence enhancing communication tactics. For example, interviews could be employed as a means to investigate the subjective perceptions of individuals suffering from chronic illnesses regarding their quality of life. Collectively, these research methodologies provide a full comprehension of the intricacies inside the healthcare domain
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Quantitative and Qualitative Nursing Research
Some similarities between both quantitative and qualitative nursing research is how they are directly associated with a logical and repeatable process. Part of the most significant concepts that drive the determination for both research methods include the problem being evaluated, the gap, the purpose, and the respective research questions. Both research methods are used in nursing to assess patients through the identification of specific clinical problems. The methods are also used in nursing to ask patients about relevant questions, assess the evidence collected, apply the same evidence to maintain patient care and evaluate the patients. Nurses can also utilize critical review, which allows them to evaluate further the research participants as part of maintaining accuracy in their outcomes and achieving quality results.
However, quantitative and qualitative research methods still differ in different cases. First, quantitative research involves standardized outcomes, which can be used in measuring health and well-being, any health-related behaviors, and determining psycho-social interactions. There are a variety of ways through which nurses can utilize quantitative research. It is worth noting that nurses make various calculations that contribute to their patients’ life or death. Nurses make calculations on medication dosages depending on various factors, including laboratory values (Rutberg & Bouikidis, 2018). Therefore, quantitative nursing research provides nurses with unbiased estimates of interested parameters of the general population based on samples that are collected randomly.
On the other hand, qualitative research relies on semi-structured interviews, which play a significant role in exploring the perspectives of participants. Additionally, qualitative research in nursing is directly associated with lived experiences concerning both the nurses and patients. For example, qualitative research plays a critical role in the field of chronic illness in determining some processes associated with what chronically ill patients have to undergo. Therefore, qualitative research helps nurses understand the patterns concerning health behaviors, design health interventions, and develop health theories that can benefit the nurses (Rutberg & Bouikidis, 2018). The most critical strength of qualitative research is because of how it remains rich in data.