Meta-analysis is the method that is used to surpass information to the public policy by nurses. The first stage of meta-analysis is getting the research questions and perusing through it. Secondly, there will be reading the available materials found on the research questions. Data collection is the next stage which involves statistical analysis, characteristics of the sample and then summarizing the result. Lastly, it is completed by interpreting the results and making a very good conclusion. The use of data to manipulate public policy is not so new. Florence Nightingale, who put in practice this method, used graphic representation and statistical psychotherapy to write an article on affiliation between death rates and improvement in care. Karl Pearson, who conducted the earliest meta-analysis by grouping data from British military studies and dogged that the most frequent practice of vaccination against intestinal fever was not effective also made a great improvement on meta-analysis and the development of public policy (Fuchs, 2009).
The use of this method by nurses to the public policy has led to a greater improvement of the health of the community at large as they teach the population regardless of its age group.The method is also very effective as there are special days that are set aside specifically to give the information to the multitude.Here there are also translators’ who convert this information to different languages such that all the people are able to get the messages clearly.This enhances the understanding of the people and widen their thinking capacities hence they can know how to take precautions against diseases and hence the health of people. The advantage of meta-analysis is that the information used can be generalized without any order for the whole population.
Public policy is the process where a topic is chosen so that it can be used to mainly address the problems of the people and solve them in the required and right manner. Here policy makers are involved as they have justifiable supremacy to make decisions. Nurses who use meta-analysis which they have not made themselves should make sure that they understand the aims of the researchers at each stage before they use it to the public as they may not convey the required information if they understand it erroneously. For example, the use of condoms in the prevention of HIV/AIDS transmission was found that it was not effective as it was addressed by a person who had not prepared the meta-analysis and hence did not pass the message correctly (Armer, 1998). This was a very great let down to the nurses and most of them were giving up due to that. Also, nurses can handle political issues by gathering data gotten from meta-analysis to provide the needed information which may be used during voting.
Meta-synthesis is where a qualitative and very wide research is done before the conclusion is reached or released for use such that when the information is passed to the public there will be no doubt that it is perfect (Wieczorek, 1985). In meta-analysis, it is not done quantitatively as in meta-synthesis hence the information is sometimes biased. In meta-analysis, triangulation is done to ensure that information is perfect which is not done in meta-synthesis. The results of the analytic components can be used in meta-synthesis and here the rules of hard science are followed hence good information is produced unlike in meta-analysis which does not follow this rules.
Reference List
Armer, J., (1998) .Public response to the advanced nurse practice role in Missouri. Presented at National Conference on Rural Nursing, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Fuchs, B.,(2009). Nursing, politics, and policy formulation.In values: why legislators Publishing, vote against injury control laws. New York: New York Times
Wieczorek, R., (1985). Power, politics, and policy in nursing. New York: Springer