Critical Appraisal of Qualitative and Quantitative Studies

Running head: CRITICAL APPRAISAL
Critical appraisal
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author’s note

1CRITICAL APPRAISAL
Qualitative study:
1. Critical appraisal of the paper by Cho et al. (2013)
Background:
The main aim of the study was to evaluate the occurrence of sharp injury (SI) and
exposure to blood and body fluids in nurses working in South Korea and the significance of
research in this topic area was defined by statistics on prevalence of hepatitis C and hepatitis B
virus infection due to sharp injuries. The gap in knowledge is reported by statements on lack of
examination of NSI status among nurses in South Korea. Although the research question was not
directly stated, however the main intent was to identify factors that determine exposure to SI for
HCWs.
Method of study:
To explain the significance of the study, the literature review used research done in the
past 10 years to report about the gaps in relation to NSI occurrence in research. Although gap
and key findings from past research was discussed, however there is lack of evaluation of
research methodology. However, logical argument was presented by highlighting about gaps in
NSI reporting in South Korea. No grounded theory was used to report about qualitative findings.
Result of study:
The main finding was that 70.4% of nurses experienced NSIs previous year and the risk
factors of such injuries included lack of use of safety containers, poor work environment and
lack of resource adequacy. The study gives the implication to increase reporting system to detect
cases of NSI in South Korea.

2CRITICAL APPRAISAL
Ethical consideration:
Ethical responsibilities such as ethical approval from Research committee were fulfilled.
However, there is no detail regarding taking informed consent from participants maintaining
confidentiality of data.
Conclusion:
The overall conclusion from the critical analysis of the paper is that there is minimum
limitation in the study as adequate sample size and setting was taken thus enhancing the validity
of research findings. The study gives the implication to improve training and education on use of
safety device among nurses.
2. Critical appraisal of the paper by Ghasemi et al. (2017)
Background:
The main aim of the study by Ghasemi et al. (2017) was to determine one-year incidence
of NSI and their association with visual function among Iranian nurse. The main research gap
that resulted in research in this area included lack of research on the role of visual function as a
risk factor of NSI and SI. The significance of this study is that can confirm whether visual
function is linked to high prevalence of NSI or not. There was no specific research question for
the study. However, the purpose statement explained the main research objective.
Method of study:
The study used qualitative method to get answer to the research question and use of this
approach is appropriate as it can help to explore opinion related to the event of NSI because of
poor vision. The author cited past research articles published from 2005 to 2016 to explain about