Nursing Research & Evidence-Based Practice
Module 2 Individual Case Study Discussion Questions
Chapter 5
Evan and Marlyce have a 4-year-old son (Micah) who has cerebral palsy. Their life is very challenging because they both have to work and recently lost their home to foreclosure. Micah is being discharged to home this afternoon, and Marlyce is obviously anxious. Marlyce states, “I just feel like we are always out of touch when we go home. I have other children to care for, and we are always on the go.“ This case study is based on a longitudinal qualitative study from Canada (Woodgae, Edwards, & Ripat, 2012).
- Propose a qualitative research study purpose that would help the nurse provide better care for Micah’s family.
- As the researchers set up a qualitative study for families of patients such as Micah, they used purposive sampling. What does this mean, including some ideas for inclusion and exclusion factors?
- Now that inclusion and exclusion criteria are set for the study, how can the participants be recruited? How many participants would be necessary?
Chapter 6
Simon is undergoing cardiac catheterization after a heart attack. Throughout his hospital stay, the case manager asks about resources at home. Much to everyone’s amazement, it is discovered that Simon is homeless. Simon is supposed to undergo extensive follow-up and cardiac rehabilitation. Because of the location of this facility, the case manager knows that there are other situations similar to Simon’s in this community.
- If the case manager wanted to research Simon’s experience (managing cardiac disease while being homeless), how might the researcher maintain rigor?
- Describe a grounded theory study and an ethnographic study structure for Simon’s case.
- The case manager is using an ethnographic research methodology for patients who are homeless and have heart disease. Describe the data gathering process.
Chapter 7
Two teenaged girls visit the school nurse and are concerned about acne. Both have tried “things and food” that their friends told them about, but nothing is working. They are asking for more information and something that will help with “these totally annoying zits.”
- Propose using social media to better understand how acne affects teenaged girls.
- For a researcher collecting data through social media, how might their interaction affect the results and how could this be avoided?
- Discuss how the researcher could verify the findings from the qualitative research.
Chapter 8
The nurse recognizes that there has been an increase in the number of urinary tract infections (UTIs) on one unit of the rehabilitation facility. He heard about a new type of peri-care bath wipes. The nurse would like to try them as a way of seeing if they help decrease the incidence of cystitis.
- What are the independent and dependent variables in this study?
- List some extraneous variables in this study.
- How might the nurse ensure randomization of the participants to the experimental or control groups?
Chapter 9
Mirlande is an 18-year-old woman in the clinic with asthma. She has been in the United States for 6 months and has gone through three albuterol inhalers and two salmeterol inhalers. The nurse practitioner is considering treatment strategies for the client.
- As the nurse practitioner considers research studies about the best treatment option, she is frustrated that she cannot find purely experimental studies. Is there value in reviewing a study that used quasi-experimental methodology? Provide rationale for your answer.
- If the nurse practitioner was unable to find research specifically about the young adult or older adolescent, what may be an acceptable alternative? Provide rationale for your answer.
- Propose a study for clients with asthma that would compare using a long-acting inhaler (anti-inflammatory) with an oral medication (anti-inflammatory). Describe the methodology if a Solomon four-group design was used.
Chapter 18
A woman brings in her 8-year-old child, who has a serious history of asthma. The nurse notes that the mother is tired looking, and the child is very “clingy.” As the nurse asks questions of the mother, the mother takes a deep breath and looks away. The nurse senses that there is something concerning the parent. After the nurse says, “You seem pretty tired,” the mother states that she is worn out from “chasing around all the kids.”
- On the basis of an appraisal of the article by Cerdan et al (2012), can the nurse assume that the client’s mother is likely to become divorced? Support your answer.
- The nurse would like to compare the current research (Cerdan et al, 2012) to a known evidence-base. What would you recommend?
- As the nurse reviews the Cerdan et al article, she notes that in previous research, there was no correlation between the number of emergency department visits and parental quality of life scores. Conversely, in the Cerdan et al study data, there was a significant correlation. How should the nurse use this information?
