Introduction
The article chosen for this assignment as the example of quantitative nursing research was written by Rejnö, Nordin, Forsgren, Sundell, and Rudolfsson (2017). There are several reasons why this study is rendered as quantitative. First, the researchers, who are educators and health care research professionals, identify their study as quantitative. The second reason is the aim of the article, which was to assess the effects of a specific phenomenon on a large group of participants in a certain aspect. The third reason is the use of several variables such as attendance, pass/fail ratio, and age group (Rejnö et al., 2017). The fourth reason is the use of descriptive statistics that is a typical tool for analysis and interpretation of quantitative data. The fifth characteristic feature of the article that speaks to its quantitative design is a large number of participants.
This particular article was selected due to the perceived high significance of the results. The researchers’ analysis indicates that high attendance in nursing students leads to success on exams. Additionally, non-mandatory learning activities increase the chance of getting a pass. What was only perceived to be true due to personal author’s observations has now achieved reliable scientific proof. The journal, which has been published since 1981, is peer-reviewed and has a partnership with Elsevier. Additionally, its impact factor is 2.533 which is considerable.
A Qualitative Article
The qualitative article under analysis, which is a study of nursing students’ experiences in relation to their professors, was written by Mikkonen, Kyngäs, and Kääriäinen in 2015. The authors themselves identified their research methods as qualitative. The weight of their judgments is rather considerable as all of the authors have a Ph.D. in Medicine and Health Sciences. In addition to that, there are several characteristic features of the article that help to classify it as a qualitative one. Firstly, the goal of the study was to explore nursing students’ experiences, which is a broad goal typical for this kind of research. The second characteristic feature of the qualitative research is data collection method, which is presented by means of face-to-face interviews. The research also used a small sample of participants, which also points to qualitative research. Lastly, content analysis, specified as the main data analysis tool is also characteristic of this type of studies.
The article was also chosen due to the significance of the findings. Mikkonen et al. (2015) revealed that empathy between the student and the professor has a positive impact on the learning outcomes of the former. Additionally, the research data is rather new. The journal has a high impact factor, is peer-reviewed and published by a reputable agency such as Springer.
References
Mikkonen, K., Kyngäs, H., & Kääriäinen, M. (2015). Nursing students’ experiences of the empathy of their teachers: A qualitative study. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 20(3), 669–682.
Rejnö, Å., Nordin, P., Forsgren, S., Sundell, Y., & Rudolfsson, G. (2017). Nursing students’ attendance at learning activities in relation to attainment and passing courses: A prospective quantitative study. Nurse Education Today, 50, 36–41.