Research Critique
The Article
Eaton, L. H., Meins, A. R., Mitchell, P. H., Voss, J., & Doorenbos, A. Z. (2015). Evidence-based practice beliefs and behaviors of nurses providing cancer pain management: A mixed-methods approach. Oncology Nursing Forum, 42(2), 165-173. Web.
Research Problem
The research problem addressed in the selected article is a low level of evidence-based practice in the management of pain. The research problem warrants investigation since the quality of pain management is associated with the ability of nurses to implement evidence-based interventions and strategies (Melnyk, Fineout-Overholt, Gallagher-Ford, & Kaplan, 2012).
Study Purpose
The purpose of the study was to describe the behaviors and beliefs of nurses on evidence-based practice in pain management (Eaton, Meins, Mitchell, Voss, & Doorenbos, 2015). The researchers focused on studying the behaviors and beliefs of nurses with a view of determining how they are associated with the reported low level of evidence-based practice in the management of pain. The purpose of the study is aligned with the problem the researchers identified. The study process was guided by the research problem the researchers sought to address.
Research Objective
The objective of the study was to determine the relationship between the behaviors and beliefs of nurses and the reported low level of evidence-based practice in the management of pain. The researchers achieved their objective by focusing on pain management in oncology.
Literature Review
The researchers conducted a comprehensive literature review on the beliefs of nurses about evidence-based practice. They conducted an objective review of research methods and findings of studies reported in selected journal articles. It is notable that the secondary sources the authors used in their review are both current and relevant to the topic they were investigating. The review of literature allowed the researchers to demonstrate that belief of nurses impacts their evidence-based practices in pain management.
The secondary sources reviewed in the article report primary research data, including surveys and exploratory studies on the beliefs of nurses and associated implications on evidence-based practice. Therefore, the review of the literature in the selected article is congruent with the objective of the study.
The researchers reviewed evidence from surveys involving 3000 RNs to demonstrate that the perceptions nurses develop influence their ability to access evidence-based tools in pain management (Eaton et al., 2015). The literature review is critical as the researchers appraised various online databases that guide evidence-based practice in nursing to establish relationships between nurses’ beliefs and the use of evidence-based practice tools in pain management.
The researchers reviewed empirical literature to assess the reasons why nurses implement evidence-based practices in pain management. The goal of the review was to establish relationships between the implementation of evidence-based practice and the beliefs of nurses. However, the researchers would have extended their review by critiquing literature on the behaviors of nurses in employing evidence-based practice in pain management.
The challenges nurses face in the adoption and implementation of evidence-based practice to manage pain are adequately addressed in the literature review. The researchers use their literature review to indicate that the implementation of evidence-based practice in managing pain is complex as it is challenging to incorporate it into nursing processes and health care systems (Eaton et al., 2015). The researchers go further to critique the literature on the impact of the culture of nursing environments or units on the use of evidence-based practice tools.
In doing so, the researchers reveal that the attitudes nurses develop on pain management are influenced by the working culture of their units. In their literature review, the authors effectively reveal gaps in a current research that would influence future studies. For instance, the researchers indicate that there is a need for exploratory studies on the culture of nursing units about the implementation of evidence-based practice in chronic pain management (Eaton et al., 2015).
Theoretical Framework
The research within the selected article was informed by the diffusion of innovations model. This model is appropriate for the study as it provides a comprehensive theoretic framework for gaining more understanding of the reasons why nurses reject or adopt evidence-based practices in the implementation of pain management interventions. The diffusion of innovations model describes the processes through which innovation is communicated and adopted within social systems (Eaton et al., 2015).
The use of this model allowed the researchers to understand the shifting of nursing practices in pain management into evidence-based practices. The model is also effective in demonstrating how nurses adopt new opinions and ideas in their practices, leading to the implementation of evidence-based practices in managing pain.
The researchers correctly indicate that hospital settings represent the social system within which health care providers collaborate in promoting an innovative idea of evidence-based practice (Eaton et al., 2015). The diffusion of innovations model is relevant to the study as it allowed the researchers to determine how the behaviors and beliefs of nurses on evidence-based practice influence the shifting of their practices in the management of pain.
By the diffusion of innovations model, the process of adopting innovations within social systems is often automatic. However, the researchers objectively report that the adoption of evidence-based practices by nurses within pain management contexts is not automatic as it is influenced by their perceptions and beliefs and the culture of their unit (Eaton et al., 2015).
Protection of Human Participants
The study presented within the article was passed through the approval process of the University of Washington Institutional Review Board. The board established that ethical issues, including the protection of human participants, were addressed by the researchers before it approved the research. The study involved RNs within oncology units of medical centers in the Pacific Northwest. The RNs were provided adequate information about the study, including measures of protecting their privacy and confidentiality, before they would sign consent forms. The participating RNs were informed that the study was not associated with any risks to protect their safety and to uphold their right to be given adequate details about a study.
Data Collection
The researchers used a demographic questionnaire in the collection of quantitative data. They also used the evidence-based practice beliefs and implementation scales to gather quantitative data about the perceptions of nurses and associated application of evidence-based practice in managing cancer-related pain. The use of a wide range of quantitative data collection tools allowed the researchers to gather adequate data to inform their conclusions. The evidence-based practice beliefs scale contains 16 different scales, which makes it effective in quantifying a wide range of beliefs related to evidence-based practice in pain management.
The researchers used semi-structured interviews to gather qualitative data. Interviews are appropriate in collecting qualitative data related to the perceptions nurses hold about the role of patient-centered care in promoting the quality of pain management among cancer patients. The qualitative data collection tools were administered through email, in-person interviews, and telephone interviews (Eaton et al., 2015). The researchers used different approaches in administering the interviews to make the data collection process convenient to the respondents. In this sense, the researchers were able to achieve a high response rate in the collection of qualitative data.
Implications for Practice and Future Research
The findings of the study indicate that the reported low level of evidence-based practice in the management of pain is associated with the trust of nurses that medical orders and standards of care are evidence-based (Eaton et al., 2015). These findings impact on nursing practice as they demonstrate the need to change the behaviors and beliefs of nurses in the context of pain management. The research also indicates that the design and development of strategies and interventions of evidence-based pain management should be based on an understanding of the behaviors and beliefs of nurses on evidence-based practice.
Therefore, the research within the article is useful in informing nursing practices related to improving the quality of pain management through evidence-based practice. The study also indicates the need for future research on how the culture of nursing units influence the behaviors and beliefs of nurses and their propensity to implement evidence-based pain management practices and interventions.
Conclusion
The research in the article is based on a real-life nursing practice problem related to pain management and evidence-based practice. The review of the literature in the article is critical, comprehensive, and informative. Notably, the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the researchers are useful in informing the design and implementation of pain management strategies and interventions. The application of mixed methods allowed the researchers to gather comprehensive data, which they used to respond to the research question with clarity.
PICOT Statement
How does evidence-based practice influence the perceptions and beliefs of nurses on general care as compared to the management of chronic pain among patients with cancer over six months?
Patient
The proposed research will focus on cancer patients. The research will aim at determining how the practice of evidence-based practice influences the perceptions and beliefs of nurses on nursing care interventions involving cancer patients.
Intervention
The intervention of interest in evidence-based practice. The focus on evidence-based practice is motivated its association with improved quality of nursing care (Melnyk et al., 2012). The study will seek to determine the extent to which evidence-based practice influences the perceptions and beliefs held by nurses.
Comparison
The proposed research seeks to compare the perceptions and beliefs of nurses about general care and the management of pain among cancer patients. Through the study, the impact of evidence-based practice on the aforementioned nursing care settings will be determined. This comparison is necessary for informing the design and implementation of evidence-based interventions and strategies for both general care and pain management in oncology (Malloch & Porter-O’Grady, 2010).
Outcome
The perceptions and beliefs of nurses are the outcomes to be measured through the proposed study. These are the outcomes of evidence-based practice. Therefore, the perceptions and beliefs of nurses will be the dependent variables of the study while evidence-based practice will be the main independent variable to be measured.
Time
The period during which change in perceptions and beliefs of nurses will be measured is six months. This period is adequate in determining how continued evidence-based practice influences the mindsets of nurses on the role of evidence-based practice in promoting the quality of care within both general care settings and in the management of cancer-related pain.
References
Malloch, K., & Porter-O’Grady, T. (2010). Introduction to evidence-based practice in nursing and health care. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Melnyk, B. M., Fineout-Overholt, E., Gallagher-Ford, L., & Kaplan, L. (2012). The state of evidence-based practice in US nurses: Critical implications for nurse leaders and educators. Journal of Nursing Administration, 42(9), 410-417.