Qualitative Research Critiques and Ethical Considerations Discussion Paper
Critical Appraisal of Two Qualitative Studies
Background of the Studies
Adopting innovation and technology in healthcare has brought forth the appreciation for more inventions such as electronic health records. Through the adoption of electronic health records, there has been a significant improvement in the communication between the stakeholders involved in healthcare, thus leading to improved health outcomes in the patients treated using such innovations (Gold et al., 2015). However, there is a challenge experienced when using electronic health records, whereby the professionals involved need more training for them to be better equipped to handle the challenges that may be experienced in providing effective and reliable healthcare (Gold et al., 2015)Qualitative Research Critiques and Ethical Considerations Discussion Paper. Undertaking extra training has proven more effective for the professionals involved in providing healthcare in different capacities since they are more familiar with the equipment used in electronic health records, improving the quality of output that they produce when they handle the different health issues experienced by the patients.
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Furthermore, the high-risk environment that healthcare organizations operate within due to the medical challenges experienced by patients has led to the need for the professionals involved to be effectively trained so that better health outcomes can be achieved (Herbers & Heaser, 2016). The nurses require training so that their confidence levels can be significantly improved, hence increasing the chances of the professionals producing excellent outcomes despite the challenging and demanding conditions that they may find themselves in (Herbers & Heaser, 2016). Through such improvement efforts, it will be easier to improve the quality of healthcare provided since the healthcare professionals involved will be equipped with the skills and knowledge that will enable them to handle difficult situations with minimum instances of unwanted outcomes being recorded Qualitative Research Critiques and Ethical Considerations Discussion Paper.
How the Two Articles Support the Nursing Practice that I Chose
The two articles support the need for training and improved communication, an issue noted as a challenge for healthcare professionals, especially in cardiac arrest instances. Ineffective communication among code team members has led to a situation whereby the patients’ conditions may deteriorate due to the misunderstanding among the team members on the different roles they need to play to treat the patients in question (Herbers & Heaser, 2016). This being the case, there is a need for improved training for team members within healthcare settings to develop better communication skills that will aid them in their quest for providing better healthcare to their patients. Better communication will ensure that the professionals will cooperate better, hence ensuring that they can play their different assigned roles and produce the expected outcomes in the long run (Herbers & Heaser, 2016) Qualitative Research Critiques and Ethical Considerations Discussion Paper.
Furthermore, the two articles also recognize the need for technology in healthcare to improve the interventions that are undertaken. Through technology, it will be easier to ensure that patient-centered healthcare is provided (Gold et al., 2015). This will be achieved through the rapid communication held between the patients and the healthcare professionals and the improved communication that will be held among the professionals within and without the organization (Gold et al., 2015). For the professionals to use the technology that will improve their communication there is also a need for training to be undertaken, thus allowing them to be better positioned to handle the different challenges that may be experienced and produce the best outcomes from the endeavors undertaken.
Methods of Study
Both of the studies used simulations. The first study carried out an ICU simulation that mainly focused on sepsis resuscitation whereby a team of medical professionals would be required to take care of a 60-year old patient who had been transferred into their ICU (Gold et al., 2015). They were required to use EHR systems to evaluate the patient, place medications orders, and order tests, and request the test results using the same system. This way, it was possible to see their areas of strength and weakness when using EHR and provide solutions that would better them. The second simulation was set up to help in increasing the confidence levels of the nurses involved in handling medical emergencies (Herbers & Heaser, 2016)Qualitative Research Critiques and Ethical Considerations Discussion Paper. The confidence levels were compared with the response time recorded over two years. The expected results were that the improved confidence levels would improve the response time recorded, thus improving the quality of emergency services that they offer to their patients.
Through the simulations, observation was the major data collection method. The supervisors involved in the two studies observed the trainees in the simulations to see how they handled different situations to seek appropriate interventions for the areas of weakness that they noted from the simulations (Foronda et al., 2020). One advantage of simulations is that the learners can improve their skills by learning from their errors. However, simulations are disadvantageous since the situations are not real, and therefore the learners could still cave under the pressure of real situations, resulting in negative outcomes in the process (Foronda et al., 2020).
Results of the Study
From the two studies, it was evident that nurses require training to improve their patients’ quality of services. Training will make it easier for them to identify their areas of weakness and improve on them, thus improving the quality of healthcare that the patients will receive. Furthermore, the important role played by communication, both physically and through the use of the available technology, has been highlighted. Through technology, it is easier to improve the teams’ performance in the provision of healthcare since coordination and cooperation will be significantly improved. Finally, it was evident that training and communication improve the confidence levels in the patients, which helps improve the competence levels of the professionals. Confident professionals will provide a better quality of healthcare, thus improving the quality of life for all the patients they handle Qualitative Research Critiques and Ethical Considerations Discussion Paper.
From the two studies, the need for better communication and training in healthcare professionals is evident. Even if the professionals may be currently experienced, the changing climate of healthcare means that retraining and refresher courses are necessary for all professionals to continue being effective in the areas they operate. Furthermore, healthcare also needs to recognize the important role of technology in the different aspects of the practice and provide all the necessary support, such as training their staff on how to use the new technology to achieve better outcomes in both the short and long runs.
Ethical Considerations
One main ethical consideration when conducting research is the informed consent of the participants. The participants in a study need to be fully informed on the tests and evaluations that will be conducted to decide whether or not they are okay with participating in the study (Arifin, 2018). Furthermore, they are also supposed to be told how the findings will be used to decide if they are comfortable with being a part of the study or not. Secondly, voluntary participation is another important aspect of ethics in research (Arifin, 2018). The participants should not be coerced to participate in the study. Instead, they should be compelled by the information given to them about the reason for the experiment, how the results will be used, and the benefits of the study to society to decide whether or not they are willing to participate in the study (Arifin, 2018) Qualitative Research Critiques and Ethical Considerations Discussion Paper.
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The researchers in the two articles took the ethical considerations of research into account. For example, they did not disclose the participants’ identities, hence fulfilling the ethical requirement of confidentiality. By not disclosing the identity of participants, it is easier to ensure the free and voluntary participation of the professionals involved since they are sure the findings or their actions cannot be used against them in the future. Secondly, there was no mention of coercion for the participants to be involved in the study. The participation and cooperation of the participants with the researchers from the beginning to the end of the research is evidence enough that the participants were involved in the project out of their free will.
References
Arifin, S. R. M. (2018). Ethical considerations in qualitative study. International Journal of Care Scholars, 1(2), 30-33.
Foronda, C. L., Fernandez-Burgos, M., Nadeau, C., Kelley, C. N., & Henry, M. N. (2020). Virtual simulation in nursing education: a systematic review spanning 1996 to 2018. Simulation in Healthcare, 15(1), 46-54.
Gold, J. A., Tutsch, A. S., Gorsuch, A., & Mohan, V. (2015). Integrating the electronic health record into high-fidelity interprofessional intensive care unit simulations. Journal of interprofessional care, 29(6), 562-563.
Herbers, M. D., & Heaser, J. A. (2016). Implementing an in situ mock code quality improvement program. American Journal of Critical Care, 25(5), 393-399 Qualitative Research Critiques and Ethical Considerations Discussion Paper