Quantitative Research Critique: Study on Nursing and Patient Care

This report provides a detailed critique of a quantitative research study examining the relationship between nurse staffing, education, work environments, and patient mortality rates in South Korea. The original study aimed to address the gap in knowledge regarding the impact of these factors on healthcare delivery in South Korea, particularly in comparison to OECD standards. The critique assesses the study's methodology, including data collection methods, statistical analysis, and ethical considerations, highlighting limitations such as sample size and potential biases. The findings of the original study suggest a positive correlation between nursing workplace conditions, nurse staffing levels, training, and patient mortality rates. The critique concludes by emphasizing the importance of addressing these factors to improve patient care and reduce mortality rates in South Korea, noting the study's adherence to ethical standards and its potential contribution to healthcare improvements. Desklib offers this document as a resource for students studying healthcare and research methodologies.

Running head ;Research Critique
Quantitative Research Critique
Name
Grand Canyon University
Unit
DATE

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Background
The study has focussed on the relationship which exists between the nurses, staffing issues
and work environments globally. However, in the case of South Korea, limited studies have
been conducted to assess the relationship existing on the key issues surrounding healthcare
delivery on issues of nurse staffing, education and work environment. This study was
informed with the view of substandard care by South Korea nurses, despite the expansion in
the healthcare sector. South Korea ratings among OECD countries have shown to offer
substandard services especially with regard to myocardial infections to the consumers,
(OECD, 2012). Choice of South Korea in this study was considered in view of various
studies being undertaken in other countries linking education, staffing and work
environments of nurses in delivering care for myocardial related patients.
This study aimed at studying the impact of staffing, education and job settings and mortality
rates of patient’s in general acute care in the context of South Korea. The research objectives
adopted in this research sought to assess the impact of nurse staffing on cause-specific
mortality of patients in South Korea, effects of work on nursing environment and effects of
education on the patient mortality trends across South Korea setting.
Methods of study
Participation risks associated with the study were not specially addressed. Patient
confidentiality was ensured through proper care for study tools. No risks were identified
being directly involving the patients. Consent from the participants was sought through
offering the respondents forms which had crucial information for the study.
Data collection in this study was achieved through administration of questionnaires
administered to the nurses distributed across the various healthcare facilities in South Korea.
Data security was utilized in a manner that no information was lost. Data on the
characteristics of the patients were undertaken coupled with hospital discharge records from

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the period of October 2008 and July 2009.
The study did not provide for any rationale for utilization of questionnaires and the timeframe
of data collection. Data analysis framework entailed the use of descriptive statics. The
nursing level, training and work environment on patient mortality were assessed through the
use of logistic regression provided through the hospitals using statistical analysis STATA,
VERSION 13.1.
In order to have a standard protocol measures, the study adopted the use Korean Practice
Environment Scale for nursing Work index with Likert scale were used. This ensured that
hospitals were ranked based on the characteristics and usage of Chronba alpha to map out the
subscales using the Korean PESNWI. Further no clarity on the management of bias and
confounding factors.
Results of the study
The findings of this study show that nursing workplace, nurse staffing, and training level
have a positive impact on mortality rates of patients. These results are similar to what has
been done on different studies undertaken, Aiken et al., 2008; Cho et al., 2015; Needleman et
al., 2011; Kutney-Lee, Sloane, & Aiken, 2013).
The limitations occasioned in this study incorporate limited sample size to generalize the
results, un-uniform patient discharge, and survey data thus hampering collection of adequate
data. The findings reveal that there is a need of application of the three central issues in
improving patient care and reducing mortality rates.
Ethical Considerations
The study conformed to ethical standards through approval being obtained from Yonsei
University College of Nursing through the Institutional Review Board and maintenance of
patients confidentiality, (Conmelly, 2014).

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Conclusion
Effective delivery of appropriate health care is essential in ensuring growth development
process. Despite this cognizance, there is still occasioned high mortality rates and delivery of
poor health care. These study findings reveal that assessing factors surrounding nurses
staffing duties, nursing education development and work environments play a significant role
in establishing effective nursing care and reducing the mortality rate on patients. Thus its
implementation in South Korea can have a significant opportunity in improving health
outcomes of patients.

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References
Aiken, L. H., Cimiotti, J. P., Sloane, D. M., Smith, H. L., Flynn, L., & Neff, D. F. (2011).
The effects of nurse staffing and nurse education on patient deaths in hospitals with
different nurse work environments. Medical care, 49(12), 1047.
Aiken, L. H., Clarke, S. P., Sloane, D. M., Lake, E. T., & Cheney, T. (2008). Effects of
hospital care environment on patient mortality and nurse outcomes. The Journal of
nursing administration, 38(5), 223.
Connelly, L. M. (2014). Ethical considerations in research studies. Medsurg
Nursing, 23(1),54.
Kutney-Lee, A., Sloane, D. M., & Aiken, L. H. (2013). An increase in the number of nurses
with baccalaureate degrees is linked to lower rates of postsurgery mortality. Health
Affairs, 32(3), 579-586.
Needleman, J., Buerhaus, P., Pankratz, V. S., Leibson, C. L., Stevens, S. R., & Harris, M.
(2011). Nurse staffing and inpatient hospital mortality. New England Journal of
Medicine, 364(11), 1037-1045.
OECD. (2012). OECD health care quality review: Korea. Assessment and recommendations.
Paris: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Retrieved from
file:///C:/Users/Admin/Downloads/Documents/49818570.pdf