In order to successfully address the issue of injuries associated with the falls among the elderly, a systematic approach needs to be maintained throughout the project. The following paper describes the process of project implementation. The areas covered in the paper are the detailed description of project phases, the allocated timeframe, the equipment required for the process, and the possible expenses along with the intended funding sources.
Implementation Process
The implementation phase consists of four steps. During the first step, the interviews will be designed. Since the interviews present an opportunity for the researcher to obtain relatively uniform answers to a question from all participants, the clearly formulated research goals will assist the design process (Gerrish & Lacey, 2015). Some of the questions can be fairly straightforward and will narrow down the possible answers. They will include the assessment of perceived consistency behind the participants’ knowledge of fall prevention. Such approach will contribute to the clarity of results during the next phase. The second category of questions will allow for a detailed account of the individual experience. They will cover the specific examples of the fall prevention methods. All questions will also be tested during this phase to determine whether they are clearly formulated and generate the responses with necessary information. The criteria for inclusion of the papers serving as a baseline for the retrieved information will also be developed and tested at this stage. Finally, since the latter stages require data processing using the specific software tools as well as specialized transcribing equipment and text decoding solutions, the design step also includes the search for resources provided by affiliated organizations (Parahoo, 2014).
The second step is data collection. During it, the participants that fit the criteria of minimal years of experience and specialization will be selected. The sampling process will be conducted with the assistance and permission of the administration of participating organizations. The expected number of the involved participants is above 30, although larger numbers may be achieved, which will benefit the reliability of the results. Once the necessary number of participants is reached, the interviews will be administered on the individual basis. The replies will be recorded and documented using the transcribing software and digitally stored (Kuckartz, 2014). Simultaneously, the articles will be chosen using a range of criteria, including the reliability of the presented material, relevance of the data to the research project, and the availability of the quantitative data that would allow for easier application of the findings to the research questions. The relevant results will be located and converted to the acceptable format.
During the third step, the obtained data will be processed. The responses from the participants will be coded using the specialized software in order to identify similar answers and group them into distinct categories. The responses limited to definite answers will allow assessing the perceived knowledge on the matter among the staff that may be used later to identify the reason behind the unsatisfactory safety rates in the facility. The descriptions of the methods used to prevent the occurrence of falls will be categorized with respect to the prevailing themes and approaches utilized by the nurses. Once the dataset is processed in this way, it will be possible to conduct a statistical analysis of the results in order to identify the preferred methods and their correlation with the efficiency as specified by the participants. Next, the data from the available literature will be aggregated to obtain an overview of the most effective intervention methods supported by the evidence. The positive outcomes of the interventions will be used as a reference point but will not be incorporated in the analysis. The data obtained from the interviews will then be viewed against the results from the academic literature to identify the possible gaps in knowledge and existing methodical shortcomings of the nursing staff.
The final step will require disseminating the findings in order to raise awareness of the current state of the issue and clarify the necessity of change. The results will be formulated in a clear and approachable way to increase understanding. The summary and the most important highlights will be printed out in the form of handouts. An event dedicated to the project will be organized in which the project team will be able to present their findings and voice recommendations on the further course of actions. While the project is aimed primarily at research rather than promotion, this step will facilitate the necessary level of awareness and create a foundation for future development in the identified direction.
Allocated Time Frame
The first phase of the project is expected to require two months for implementation, with the initial week allocated for staff recruitment, team formation, and organizational issues. During the second and third week, the necessary collaborations and partnerships with the administration of the target organizations will be established, and all emerging issues settled. The design and testing of the interviews, as well as formulation of the criteria for the involved articles, will occur for the course of the remaining six weeks. The data collection phase will require two weeks for the interviewing the participants and one month for reviewing the literature. However, since the activities can be performed simultaneously, the total time required will not exceed one month. The third step (data analysis) is the most resource-heavy and requires the involvement of complex and time-consuming instruments, hence the longest time period of three months, with the processing of the original data taking up the first six weeks and the statistical analysis and pattern detection requiring an equal time period. Finally, the dissemination of the findings will consist of one week of preparation of materials, one week dedicated to the production of printed media necessary for communicating the results, and four weeks allocated for informative events and discussion sessions. The timeframe of the entire project is, therefore, eight months.
Required Resources and Tools
The most resource-heavy stage of the project is data analysis, which requires at least two tools – software for transcribing and coding the data, and a platform for conducting a statistical analysis. Both will be available for use by the project team once the project goals and benefits are clearly formulated. The dissemination stage would require space equipped with means of auditory and visual presentation (e.g. speakers, projector, or display). The team is expecting to gain permission for the use of conference room free of charge for educational purposes. Finally, personal devices can be used to record the participants’ responses during the interview, as their capabilities are sufficient for the purpose.
Budget
The design, testing, and administration of the interviews will be done by the team members recruited from the students on the voluntary basis and in their free time. Therefore, no funds will be allocated for salaries. The research will be conducted using open access databases and the access provided by the educational institution. Both the tools for statistical analysis and the room and equipment necessary for the organization of the activities of the third and fourth step are expected to be provided by the academic initiatives supporting non-profit educational projects (Parahoo, 2014). Therefore, the most likely source of expenses will be the phase of production of printed materials intended to disseminate the findings of the project. However, the local scale of the event and the reliance on the discussion panels (which allow using digital media) minimize the costs of the expenses to the estimated $300. Another likely area that may require funding is the data handling assistance of professional researchers in the case when the project team fails to find a participant with relevant skills. Their services are only necessary during the third phase and have an estimated cost of $1400.
Conclusion
The described project is expected to identify the most common reasons behind the high rate of falls among the elderly, locate and evaluate the most feasible strategies and methods of decreasing the amount of incidents, and raise awareness about the issue among the nursing personnel. Due to the fact that the project is largely voluntary, the expenses associated with it are minimal, and rate of participant involvement is high. Therefore, it is also expected to enhance commitment and motivation among the staff, provide the team with valuable experience, and lay the foundation for future projects in the same area.
References
Gerrish, K., & Lacey, A. (2015). The research process in nursing. Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons.
Kuckartz, U. (2014). Qualitative text analysis: A guide to methods, practice and using software. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Parahoo, K. (2014). Nursing research: principles, process and issues. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.