Research in medicine is an essential factor in testing concepts and developing new knowledge. In nursing, research can be conducted in different areas, connected to the patients care and health outcomes. Blake (2016) argues that nursing research improves the quality of care that the patients receive. As the primary objective of the nursing job is to provide the best quality healthcare service to the patients, research is an essential factor in the nursing practice. Such studies aim to “achieve better care standards and applications for patients and families” (Blake, 2016, para 4). Therefore, research in nursing helps improve the quality of the service and health outcomes for the patients.
Additionally, a professional nurse should strive to learn continuously to improve the knowledge he or she possesses. Price and Reichert (2017) state the importance of professional development for nurses, which can be done by continuous research throughout the career.
While such research is based on collecting knowledge from previous researches and not on performing a particular study, it helps achieve the aim of improving patient’s care. In fact, the authors concluded that it is expected by the employees that nurses continuously invest in their professional development. Thus, another area of research in nursing is connected to the professional development of a nurse.
Nurses have a specific connection to their patients and their relatives, as they explain many aspects of healthcare to them. As Blake (2016) states “nurses play a vital role in the education of patients and their families” (para 2). Research can help improve the knowledge of the nurse about a particular issue and therefore help the patients and families have a better understanding of a situation. For example, a subject of nursing research can be a question of what causes stress for patients in a particular setting. Therefore, nurses that conduct research have evidence-based conclusions that can be utilized in their practice.
The fundamental aspect of any research is to ensure that it is conducted lawfully and with regard for the subject’s health. Office for human research protections is an organization that is concerned with protecting people who participate in different studies. The organization carries out its mission by “clarification and guidance” regarding human rights and wellbeing of the subjects in studies (“Office for human research protections,” n.d., para 1).
Thus, any researcher who is willing to conduct a study should familiarize oneself with the rules that the Office for human research protection has. This aspect should be considered when planning research.
Additionally, when planning a study, the researchers should identify the aim and the objective of it. The design of the study should correspond with the goal and be appropriate. In addition, a nurse should collect the knowledge from previous researches on the topic to get more familiar with the issue. The study should be conducted in accordance with the law and the rules from the Office for human research protections. As Blake (2016) states, nurses can be helpful in providing evidence-based knowledge as they work closely with the patients. Thus, it can be argued that there is a difference between clinical trials and nursing research. However, there are no particular differences in planning nursing research as opposed to other studies.
Overall, research in nursing is vital for both improving the patients care and for the professional development of the nurse. The critical aspect of nursing research is the connection they have with the patients and their families. All nursing studies should be carefully planned in accordance with the Office for human research protections rules.
References
Blake, N. (2016). Yes, nurses do research, and it’s improving patient care. Web.
Office for human research protections. (n.d.). Web.
Price, S., & Reichert, C. (2017). The importance of continuing professional development to career satisfaction and patient care: Meeting the needs of novice to mid- to late-career nurses throughout their career span. Administrative Sciences, 7(2), 17. Web.