NUR 39000: Critical Analysis of Quantitative Nursing Research

This assignment presents a critical analysis of a quantitative nursing research study, specifically examining the effect of a Self-Management Exercise Program on physical fitness among individuals with prehypertension and obesity. The critique evaluates various aspects of the study, including the sampling strategy, data collection methods (questionnaires and physical fitness tests), statistical analysis (descriptive statistics, Chi-square, t-tests), and the study's findings. The analysis also covers the limitations of the research, recommendations for future studies, and the potential application of the findings in nursing practice, including the study's contribution to nursing knowledge and its relevance to the metaparadigm of nursing. The student also reflects on the study's clinical significance and suggests potential improvements to the research design. The study employed a quasi-experimental design with an experimental and a control group. The results indicated that the experimental group, which received the Self-Management Exercise Program, showed significantly improved physical fitness compared to the control group, highlighting the positive impact of exercise interventions in managing prehypertension and obesity.

COLLEGE OF NURSING
NUR 39000: Nursing Research
Template for Critical Analysis and Appraisal: Quantitative Nursing Research Part II
This is your own critique. Your responses should be your own words and written in complete
sentences. “Yes” or “no” answers will not be accepted and will result in point(s) deduction.
Your responses should include an explanation/rationale. N/A responses require justification of
why that criteria/question does not pertain to your article. Provide supporting data from your
specific article for your answers. Please include page numbers when referring to your selected
article. Make sure to use correct in-text citations. If you use sources other than your specific
article to support your answers (e.g., text or class lectures), please include a reference page.
Submit template with answers as your final product; please do not write an APA-formatted paper
using paragraph format.
*Names and Summary of Contributions of Group Members completing assignment:
*All group members can view final, submitted assignment in Blackboard. As such, it will be
assumed by faculty that all group members are in agreement with 1) those who participated in
assignment completion as indicated by name inclusion and 2) level of participation as indicated
in each group member’s summary of contributions. If a group member did not participate, please
explicitly indicate in above table.
1. Sample Selection
A. What type of sampling strategy was used? Did they clearly describe the way they obtained
(recruited) the sample?
B. Is the sampling design one that is likely to produce a representative sample?
C. What were the inclusion/exclusion criteria if specified?
D. Did the researchers do a power analysis? If so, how many subjects were required and did the
researchers obtain the correct number?
E. If a power analysis was not done, given the type of design and number of variables, was the
number of subjects sufficient?
F. If a questionnaire was sent to subjects to fill out, did the researchers indicate the response
rate? How does the rate affect the findings?
G. What are the characteristics of the sample group that was used in the study?
H. To what population may the findings be generalized?
2. Collecting the Data
A. Identify the method (s) used to collect data (physiological, observation, questionnaires
(survey)/test, existing data/records).
B. Were the data collection methods the most appropriate way possible to measure the critical
variables?
Address C - F where relevant to your study, if not state N/A
C. Physiological measurements: What instrument (s) is (are) used? Were protocols provided so
that collection of the data would be consistent? Was the precision and accuracy of the
instruments addressed?
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D. Observation: Who did the observing? Were the observers trained and supervised to minimize
bias? Is there any reason to believe that the presence of the observers affected the behavior of
the subjects? Was inter-rater reliability calculated? Were field notes used?
E. Questionnaire/survey/test: What is the format of the questionnaire (Likert, open-ended, etc.)?
What evidence of reliability of the questionnaire was presented? What evidence of validity of
the questionnaire was presented? How were the instruments scored? If an instrument was
developed specifically for the study, were the procedures for its development described?
F. Existing medical data/records: Who reviewed the records? Are the existing data used
appropriately considering the research question and hypothesis being studied? Are the data
examined in such a way to produce new information? Is there any indication of selection bias
in the available records?
3. Statistical Analysis and Findings
A. List and define all descriptive and inferential tests that were applied to the data. (Remember
statistical packages/software such as SPSS are NOT statistical tests.
B. Are tables and figures used effectively? (Supplement and economize text, have specific titles
and headings, do not repeat text)
C. What findings were statistically significant?
D. Did any of the significant findings answer the research question or address the purpose of the
study?
E. What were the identified limitations of the study?
4. Recommendations
A. What recommendations for future research investigations were provided?
B. What recommendations were given in regards to nursing practice?
C. Do you think that direct application of the research findings is feasible in terms of time,
effort, money and legal/ethical risks?
5. Application and utilization for nursing practice
A. What strengths and weaknesses did you note in the study? Do its strengths outweigh its
weaknesses?
B. How does the research contribute to nursing knowledge?
C. How did the research relate to each element of the metaparadigm of nursing?
D. Was the research clinically significant?
E. If you were the primary researcher, what would you do differently in implementing this
study?
Response to question 1
A.
Random sampling was used. No.
B.
No.
C.
The inclusion and exclusion criteria was based by age, blood pressure, basal metabolic rate and
medications intake.
D.
Yes. 26 was the participants. Yes.
E.
N/A
F
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No. there were no existing medical records present.
G
Characteristics of sample group
Experiment group – 13 Control group - 13
H
Obese and prehypertension groups.
Response to question 2
A
Questionnaires used to collect data.
B
The questionnaire were the right methods that were used.
C
Yes. The vital signs devices were used to see the vital signs.
D
N/A
E
Likert scale was used. Validity and reliability tools was not used.
F
N/A
Response to question 3
A
Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, Paired t-test and independent t-test were used.
B
Yes. The tables and figures are used effectively in order to explain the concepts properly.
C
Yes. The statistical findings have been used to full effect to draw the correlations.
D
The statistical findings revealed positive outcomes after the exercise therapy intervention.
E
The limitation of the study was that an exploratory analysis was not proper in terms with
purpose of the research.
Response to question 4
A
The findings would be transferred to future higher educational and scientific settings.
B
That the physical therapy regimes and the exercise protocols must be included in the
nursing management of obesity and prehypertension (Spurr et al., 2018)
C
The direct application of the research findings is somewhat feasible in terms of time, effort,
money and ethical risks (Martin-Espinosa et al., 2017)
Response to question 5
A
The strength of the study is that it uses the right statistical and the right exercise protocols in
order to understand the research purpose. The weaknesses are digression from the topic at
times and an exploratory method was not used.
B
Exercise interventions can lead to rapid and better prognosis of the patient.
C
The person, environment, nursing and health were addressed in the research.
D
Yes. The significant findings answer the research question or address the purpose of the
study and the self-management does play a huge role in management of prehypertension and
also obesity.
E
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An exploratory research design could have been more appropriate.
References
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Martin-Espinosa, N., Diez-Fernandez, A., Sanchez-Lopez, M., Rivero-Merino, I., Lucas-De La Cruz, L.,
Solera-Martinez, M., ... & Movi-Kids group. (2017). Prevalence of high blood pressure and
association with obesity in Spanish schoolchildren aged 4–6 years old. PLoS One, 12(1), e0170926.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170926
Spurr, S., Bullin, C., Bally, J., Trinder, K., & Khan, S. (2018). Nurse-led diabetic retinopathy screening: a
pilot study to evaluate a new approach to vision care for Canadian Aboriginal peoples. International
journal of circumpolar health, 77(1), 1422670. https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2017.1422670
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