Clarifying Quantitative Research Designs in Pressure Ulcer Management

This article discusses four different quantitative research designs used in pressure ulcer management studies. The designs include experimental, retrospective comparative descriptive correlation, quasi-experimental, and descriptive correlation designs. Each study is summarized and analyzed in terms of its methodology, results, and conclusions.

OXLEY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES
NSG 4235
School of Nursing
Chapter 8 Writing Assignment
Clarifying Quantitative Research Designs
1. Cubit, K., McNally, B., & Lopez, V. (2013). Taking the pressure off in the
Emergency Department: evaluation of the prophylactic application of low shear, soft silicon
sacral dressing on high-risk medical patients. International Wound Journal, 10(5), 579-584.
doi:10.1111/j.1742-481X.2012.01025.x
Experimental design
The study investigated the role of pressure injuries management and its association on
increased length of stay at the hospital. Previous research studies have estimated that prolong
the length of stay was observed by longer than 4.31 days more and elevated the cost of $285
million annually in Australia. The study assessed the effectiveness of sacral dressing towards
the reduction of pressure ulcers among older and high risks patients. The study used non-
randomized one sample experimental study having four phases. The phases entailed staff
education, data collection, patient recruitment and audit of inpatient medical data. A
retrospective assessment of the records was done so as to that the patients met the inclusion
criteria. The retrospective review assessment entailed patients admitted for the same period.
Nonrandomized trial controlled trial entails the allocation of subjects to different
interventions using different methods which are not random. This design can lead to
difficulty in comparing groups sufficiently in terms of the underlying prognostic variables
available. Hence there is a greater risk of allocation bias compared to randomized studies.
2. Li, D. (2016). The relationship among pressure ulcer risk factors, incidence and
nursing documentation in hospital-acquired pressure ulcer patients in intensive care units.
Journal of Clinical Nursing, 25(15/16), 2336-2347. doi:10.1111/jocn.13363
Retrospective Comparative Descriptive correlation study design
The study aimed at exploring the qualities of comprehensive nursing documentation of
pressure ulcers and the associated relationship between nursing documentation and pressure
ulcer incidence in four intensive care units. The study employed a retrospective, comparative,
descriptive correlation study. Descriptive research is geared at providing a snapshot of the

current state of events in this case it explores the relationships among variables and allows for
future events to be predicted. Previous subject’s information were obtained retrospectively
from the hospital records. The relationship between pressure ulcer and pressure ulcers
documentation in intensive care units was assessed.. Due to the nature of retrospective study
approach used, no informed consent was conducted. The setting of the study entailed a 560-
bed medical facility located in South Florida. The study assumptions entailed an association
of causal relationship between nursing documentation and incidence of pressure ulcers. The
study includes patients who were admitted to one of the ICUs during a specific time frame,
having greater than three days length of stay, having documentation of pressure ulcers during
admission and above the age of 18 years. The records of the patients were retrospectively
selected during the time period of interest. The study ensured that there was a matching of
non-ulcer pressure record to pressure ulcers records among the patients.
The results of the study showed a correlation between quality care of pressure ulcers and the
observed incidence were not statistically significant. Patients having pressure ulcers
displayed longer length of stay compared to patients without pressure ulcers. Thus the study
designed was able to answer the study purpose and objectives.
3. Schindler, C. A., Mikhailov, T. A., Cashin, S. E., Malin, S., Christensen, M., &
Winters, J. M. (2013). Under pressure: preventing pressure ulcers in critically ill infants.
Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 18(4), 329-341. doi:10.1111/jspn.12043
Quasi experimental Design
The purpose of the study aimed at assessing whether prevention of ulcers bundle was linked
to the significant reduction in pressure ulcer development in infants at the intensive care unit.
The study employed quasi-experimental design with 399 infants aged between 0-3 months.
The pediatric intensive care unit of focus was selected as a data collection site. Power
analysis methodology was used to obtain the sample size for t-test utilized on guiding the
enrolment process. The study used the intervention group and the control group used from the
previous study.
Quasi-experimental research resembles experimental research however the independent
variable is not manipulated. In this case, the participants are randomly assigned. This
approach eliminates directionality problem, however, problems associated with confounding
factors can be obtained from such study. Further, quasi-experimental designs are conducted

in filed settings which do not allow for random assignment. It is often evaluated based on the
effectiveness of treatment. Data treatment in the study employed conducted an independent t-
test in order to compare for differences among the two groups.
The study results found a positive association on the implementation of care being associated
with decreased levels of pressure incidence from 18.8% to 6.8%. The study concluded that
evidenced-based intervention supports system nurses is key in supporting the nurses in
practice. The observed difference between the two groups was evident hence positive
association establishment.
4. Yang, K. (2003). Relationships between nurse staffing and patient outcomes. Journal
of Nursing Research (Taiwan Nurses Association), 11(3), 149-157.
Descriptive correlation Design
The study aimed at examining the relationship between hospital nurse staffing and patient
outcomes which were core to nursing while managing the acuity level of the patients. The
staffing variables used entailed daily average hours, registered nurse ratio to patient census,
workload and skill mix. The assessment of patient outcomes was assessed using five adverse
occurrences, patient fall rate, pressure ulcers, urinary and respiratory infections. Patient
acuity was assessed using the weighting scores assigned to five types of patients based on
their levels of dependency.
The design methodology applied in this assessment entailed a descriptive correlation study
design which aimed at assessing the relationship between nurse staffing and patient outcomes
score. Descriptive research aims at providing a snapshot of the current state of affairs. In a
correctional study, relationships among the various variables being investigated are of key
interest thus allowing prediction of future events based on the present knowledge. Correlation
approach in studies does not offer an attempt to establish causation, as when two events are
correlated do not imply causative effect.

References
Cubit, K., McNally, B., & Lopez, V. (2013). Taking the pressure off in the Emergency
Department: evaluation of the prophylactic application of low shear, soft silicon sacral
dressing on high-risk medical patients. International wound journal, 10(5), 579-584.
Li, D. (2016). The relationship among pressure ulcer risk factors, incidence and nursing
documentation in hospital‐acquired pressure ulcer patients in intensive care units.
Journal of clinical nursing, 25(15-16), 2336-2347.
Schindler, C. A., Mikhailov, T. A., Cashin, S. E., Malin, S., Christensen, M., & Winters, J.
M. (2013). Under pressure: preventing pressure ulcers in critically ill infants. Journal
for specialists in pediatric nursing: JSPN, 18(4), 329-341.
Yang, K. P. (2003). Relationships between nurse staffing and patient outcomes. The journal
of nursing research: JNR, 11(3), 149-158.