RSCH 8110: Evaluating Purpose Statements in Nursing Research

This discussion post, authored by a nursing student, evaluates the purpose statements of two research articles. The first part analyzes a study by Spencer et al. (2011) on a community health worker intervention for African American and Latino adults with type 2 diabetes, focusing on the purpose statement's clarity, research design, target participants, and alignment with the socio-ecological model and empowerment theory. The second part critiques a classmate's post evaluating an article by Wollenhaup et al. (2017) on improving nursing bedside handoffs, assessing the clarity of the purpose statement, the use of quantitative methods, the alignment of theory, and the research's contribution to social change. The post emphasizes the importance of a clear purpose statement, theoretical framework, and the connection between research and its impact on social issues, using the provided rubric as a guide.

Running head: NURSING
Nursing
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author’s note

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Part A: Evaluation of the purpose statement
The research article by Spencer et al. (2011) highlighted the purpose of the study in
the introduction part where it was mentioned that the research objective is to test the
effectiveness of a culturally tailored community health worker intervention for improving
glycemic control using randomized controlled trial method. This statement of research
objective clearly shows the signalling words and the research design that has been used in the
task. The discussion regarding purpose of the paper gave details regarding the target
participants for the study which included African American and Latino adult participants
from two health systems. The purpose statement did not directly named the setting, however
it revealed the type of setting by the term ‘inner-city’. The problem statement is aligned with
the theory as it establishes the connection of the purpose statement with the research problem.
The author defined the problem for the study by discussion on statistics related to high
burden of illness and mortality in African American and Latino adults with type 2 diabetes
and the evidence regarding the lack of culturally appropriate health care services for them.
This shows how the research is relevant with the identified problem.
The study is based on quantitative approach and during discussion regarding the
purpose statement, the author has defined the key research variables too. For example, the
key research variable identified includes HbA1c level, blood pressure, lipid levels, diabetes
knowledge, diabetes self-management behaviour and diabetes related distress. However,
general definition of each key variable has not given and this is not required also as these
words can be understood by any lay person. The strength of the journal article is that it has
established the connection of the research with a theoretical framework too. According to
Osanloo and Grant (2016)., theoretical framework is important to conceptualize the study in a
broader context and highlight the overall structure and vision for a study. One of the greatest
strength of a research paper with theoretical framework is that it makes the research paper

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strong and structured with an organized flow. Spencer et al. (2011) defined use of socio-
ecological model to identify sources of disparities and use of empowerment theory to design
the interventions for the study. The relevant of empowerment theory to the research aim was
that it emphasized use of collaborative approach to promote self-direct change in target
sample group. Overall, it can be concluded that that the research paper is aligned with
relevant theory and it is focused on promoting positive social change by addressing
disparities in the African American and Latino adults with type 2 diabetes.

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References:
Osanloo, A., & Grant, C. (2016). Understanding, selecting, and integrating a theoretical
framework in dissertation research: Creating the blueprint for your
“house”. Administrative issues journal: connecting education, practice, and
research, 4(2), 7.
Spencer, M. S., Rosland, A. M., Kieffer, E. C., Sinco, B. R., Valerio, M., Palmisano, G., ... &
Heisler, M. (2011). Effectiveness of a community health worker intervention among
African American and Latino adults with type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled
trial. American journal of public health, 101(12), 2253-2260.

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Part B: Post Discussion
The post by Miller evaluated the purpose statement of the article by Wollenhaup,
Stevenson, Thompson, Gordon and Nunn (2017) which aimed to improve compliance in
nursing bedside handoffs. The significance of the post is that the purpose statement
evaluation was very clear according to the purpose statement checklist. For example, the
signalling word for the study was clearly stated by highlighting the statement ‘the primary
aim of the study....’. The significance of the defining the signalling word was that it made the
reader clear about the intent and approach of the research. The strength of the classmate’s
purpose statement evaluation is that it clearly defined the checklist by giving examples
through key words and research approach.
The gaps in the purpose statement as per the checklist have been well-identified. For
example, the post gave the clue that use of quantitative approach is not clearly stated in the
purpose statement. However, despite this gap, the post defined the use of quantitative
approach by highlighting words like measuring nursing compliance and observing patient
satisfaction. In the section related to the alignment among the theory, the author highlighted
that how the description of the research paper is consistent and with proper connections
between the research variables. The post described alignment by describing the tools that was
discussed in the article. This included the use of patient and family-centeredness care
approach and the Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation (SBAR) method.
According to Newman and Covrig (2013), building consistence between problem statement,
purpose and research method is reflective of the quality of a research report. Therefore, the
strength of the post is that key connections between problem statement and overall research
method have been clearly defined.

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The post described the relation between research and social change by defining that
research contributes to better understanding of social issues and identifying areas where
chance can be made to overcome social challenges. Hence, the post clearly justified the
impact of research on contributing to social change. Research is a process that is very much
influenced by social beliefs and the existing problem in societies.

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References:
Newman, I., & Covrig, D. M. (2013). Building consistency between title, problem statement,
purpose, & research questions to improve the quality of research plans and
reports. New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development, 25(1),
70-79.
Wollenhaup, C. A., Stevenson, E. L., Thompson, J., Gordon, H. A., & Nunn, G. (2017).
Implementation of a modified bedside handoff for a postpartum unit. Journal of
Nursing Administration, 47(6), 320-326.