NURSING RESEARCH

Nursing research is the term used to describe the evidence used to support nursing practice. Nursing, as an evidence based area of practice, has been developing since the time of Florence Nightingale to the present day, where many nurses now work as researchers based in universities as well as in the health care setting.

Nurse education places emphasis upon the use of evidence from research in order to rationalize nursing interventions. In England and Wales courts may determine whether or not a nurse acted reasonably based upon whether or not their intervention was supported by research.

Nursing research falls largely into two areas:

1. Quantitative research, is based in the paradigm of logical positivism and is focused upon outcomes for clients that are measurable, generally using statistics. The dominant research method is the randomized controlled trial.
2. Qualitative research, is based in the paradigm of phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography and others, and examines the experience of those receiving or delivering the nursing care, focusing, in particular, on the meaning that it holds for the individual.

The research methods most commonly used are interviews, case studies, focus groups and ethnography.

Recently in the UK, action research has become increasingly popular in nursing.