TSU Quantitative and Qualitative Nursing Research Discussions

-1st discussion

“Research is the cornerstone of clinical practice. According to Cruz et al. (2017), it determines the quality of care service delivery in nursing as it is the basis of evidence-based practice. Through nursing research, cost-effective approaches to care can be devised and implemented in routine care. It also provides a basis for standards setting and quality assurance. The two main approaches used in nursing research are qualitative and quantitative. The two approaches have significant differencesconcerning methodologies, the nature of data generated, and the strength of evidence developed.

Similarities between quantitative and qualitative research

The two research approaches have several similarities. First, both contribute to evidence-based practice and inform clinical decision-making. Secondly, they both uphold scientific rigor while aiming to minimize bias and ensure data reliability. In both approaches, the entire research process is conducted following ethical guidelines. Additionally, data analysis is systematic in both cases, and interpretation of the results fosters critical thinking and professional growth (Fitzpatrick, 2018). Therefore, in some instances, a researcher can use a mixed-method approach in their study. 

Differences between quantitative and qualitative research

Despite the similarities, they also have differences. Renjith et al. (2021) stipulated that quantitative research is concise and narrow, while qualitative research aims to understand a phenomenon in its entirety. Quantitative research also begins with a hypothesis, a preconceived idea about the interrelation of variables. In contrast, qualitative research has few preconceived ideas but emphasizes people’s interpretation of events and circumstances rather than the researcher’s interpretation. Therefore,the quantitative approach focuses on objectivity in data collection and analysis, while the qualitative approach assumes subjectivity is essential for understanding human experiences. Data collection in quantitative research is usually under controlled conditions, while there is no control in the context of qualitative research. Finally, numeric data is analyzed through statistical procedures in quantitative research, while narrative information is analyzed in an organized manner in qualitative research. 

Ways in which qualitative and quantitative research can be used in nursing

Quantitative research can be used to conduct observational studies such as clinical trials because they provide a framework for studying cause-and-effect relationships, determining outcomes, and identifying trends. Equally, qualitative research can be used to establish evidence to inform patient-centered care, quality improvement, nurse-patient communication, and cultural competence. Improvement of these aspects of care ispossible with qualitative research as it enables the development of an in-depth insight into subjective experiences, perceptions,and behaviors of patients, care providers, and families.”

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-2nd discussion:

“Quantitative and Qualitative Nursing Research

Some similarities between both quantitative and qualitative nursing research is how they are directly associated with a logical and repeatable process. Part of the most significant concepts that drive the determination for both research methods include the problem being evaluated, the gap, the purpose, and the respective research questions. Both research methods are used in nursing to assess patients through the identification of specific clinical problems. The methods are also used in nursing to ask patients about relevant questions, assess the evidence collected, apply the same evidence to maintain patient care and evaluate the patients. Nurses can also utilize critical review, which allows them to evaluate further the research participants as part of maintaining accuracy in their outcomes and achieving quality results.

However, quantitative and qualitative research methods still differ in different cases. First, quantitative research involves standardized outcomes, which can be used in measuring health and well-being, any health-related behaviors, and determining psycho-social interactions. There are a variety of ways through which nurses can utilize quantitative research. It is worth noting that nurses make various calculations that contribute to their patients’ life or death. Nurses make calculations on medication dosages depending on various factors, including laboratory values (Rutberg & Bouikidis, 2018). Therefore, quantitative nursing research provides nurses with unbiased estimates of interested parameters of the general population based on samples that are collected randomly.

On the other hand, qualitative research relies on semi-structured interviews, which play a significant role in exploring the perspectives of participants. Additionally, qualitative research in nursing is directly associated with lived experiences concerning both the nurses and patients. For example, qualitative research plays a critical role in the field of chronic illness in determining some processes associated with what chronically ill patients have to undergo. Therefore, qualitative research helps nurses understand the patterns concerning health behaviors, design health interventions, and develop health theories that can benefit the nurses (Rutberg & Bouikidis, 2018). The most critical strength of qualitative research is because of how it remains rich in data.”