Describe the type of research and the design that you believe would be the best way to study your problem. Discuss your rationale.

Designs – a plan to study for the truth

Reflection on Quantitative and Qualitative Research:

Quantitative and qualitative research are two different approaches used in research to answer different types of research questions. Two ways that helped me understand how they are different are:

1. Research purpose: Quantitative research is focused on collecting numerical data, analyzing it using statistical methods, and drawing conclusions that can be generalized to a larger population. On the other hand, qualitative research is focused on collecting non-numerical data, analyzing it using interpretive methods, and generating insights into the experiences, meanings, and perspectives of the participants.
2. Data collection: Quantitative research uses structured and standardized data collection tools such as questionnaires, surveys, or experiments, while qualitative research uses unstructured and flexible data collection tools such as interviews, focus groups, or observations.

Interesting Study Design:

One category of study design that I found interesting is the quasi-experimental design. This design is used when it is not feasible or ethical to assign participants randomly to experimental and control groups, as in a true experimental design. Instead, the quasi-experimental design involves comparing two or more groups that already exist based on a predetermined characteristic or intervention. For example, researchers may compare two hospitals that have implemented different approaches to reducing hospital-acquired infections.

This design can help study nursing problems by allowing researchers to examine the effects of interventions or practices in real-world settings. It can also help identify potential confounding variables and improve the generalizability of findings.

Research Recommendation:

Based on my clinical nursing priority problem of reducing hospital-acquired infections, I believe that a quantitative research design, specifically a randomized controlled trial, would be the best way to study this problem. A randomized controlled trial involves randomly assigning participants to an experimental group that receives an intervention and a control group that does not, and comparing their outcomes. This design can help establish causality and minimize bias and confounding variables.

The rationale for this choice is that a randomized controlled trial can provide high-quality evidence to guide nursing practice and inform policy decisions. By comparing the effectiveness of different interventions or practices in reducing hospital-acquired infections, we can identify the most effective approaches and implement them in clinical settings.