Observational Research, Coursework Example

1. Post a summary of the article, outlining the design and implementation of the study.

This study aimed to discover how nursing staff primarily spend their time while working in nursing homes which focus on geriatric care. The researchers focused on one nursing home which provided both high and low care and collected data through observation over a period of five days. The study was conducted with the full awareness and consent of nursing staff, a diverse group which included Registered Nurses, Endorsed Enrolled Nurses, Personal Carers, and Recreation Activity Officers. In designing the study, the researchers chose from nursing staff activities which had been identified in previously published research, including direct care, oral communication, documentation, indirect care, and personal activities (Munyisia et al., 2011).

2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the study?

The greatest strength of this study was its reliance on direct observation in collecting data about nursing staff activities. Unlike surveys and other methods of self-reporting, which may be compromised by study participants, the tools used by researchers in this study allowed for a level of neutrality in the collected data. Additionally, by grouping all activities into eight categories, the data collection tool can be utilized in a variety of different nursing settings beyond geriatric care (Munyisia et al., 2011).

The weakness of this study lies in the very limited amount of time that was committed to observing nursing staff. Data was collected over a five day period in a single nursing home and was confined only to those staff members working the day shift. Thus, no information was received about the activities conducted by night-shift staff members (Munyisia et al., 2011). A study conducted over a longer period of time might have provided more in-depth information about the practices of nursing staff.

3. Why do you think the researchers chose to use an observational methodology for the research study? Support your response.

I believe that the researchers chose an observational methodology because it would provide them with concrete information about the daily working practices of nursing staff. By using a single observer and a work sampling technique to measure data (Munyisia et al., 2011), this study was able to gain valuable and detailed information about practices of nursing staff which might not be otherwise noted in other methodological approaches.

References

Munyisia, E.N. Yu, P., & Hailey, D. (2011). How nursing staff spend their time on activities in a nursing home: An observational study. Journal of Advanced Nursing 67(9), 1908- 1917. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2011.05633.x