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Semester I Examinations 2010/ 2011
Exam Code(s) 3NG1, 3NG3, 3NG2, 3BWS Exam(s) Bachelor of Nursing Science (General), Bachelor of Nursing Science (Psychiatric) and Bachelor of Midwifery Science. Module Code(s) NU Module(s) Research methods 11 Paper No. 1 Repeat Paper No External Examiner(s) Ms. Kim Tolley (3NG1, 3NG3) Dr. Edward McCann (3NG2) Ms. Sarah Davies (3BWS Internal Examiner(s) Prof. Kathleen Murphy Dr. Maura Dowling (Module Leader) Dr. Adeline Cooney Mr. Bernard McCarthy Ms. Sinead Hahessy
Instructions: Please answer a total of three (3) questions.
All questions carry equal marks. Please note that you are expected to use the literature and examples from your practice to support your answers, where appropriate. Please use a separate answer book for each question. Duration (^) 3 Hours No. of Pages 8 Department(s) School of Nursing & Midwifery Course Co-ordinator(s) Ms. Frances Farrelly (3NG1); Ms Agnes Tully (3NG2); Ms Anne Fallon (3BWS1) Requirements : Release to Library: Yes No
- Write short notes on four of the following: a) Five strengths of questionnaires as a method of data collection (25%) b) Five weaknesses of questionnaires as a data collection method (25%) c) The use of vignettes in research (25%) d) Systematic reviews and how they relate to evidence based practice (25%) e) The use of visual analogue scales in research (25%) 2. (a) Give an example of a quantitative research methodology. (10%) (b) Describe the key characteristics of the methodology you have chosen. (70%) (c) Comment on the usefulness of this methodology for informing nursing or midwifery practice (20%) 3. A. Researchers are planning to study the status of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in GP practices around Ireland. Discuss the different sampling options which would be appropriate for this type of study (50%) B. What type (Nominal, Ordinal, or Scale) of data are the following: (6%) a) The medical diagnosis for which patient were admitted to hospital? b) The volume of fluids given to patients in 24 hours c) Patients anxiety score on a scale from 1- d) Patients level of breathless recorded using the following scale SEVERITY No Breathlessness* At All Very Very Slight (Just Noticeable) Very Slight Slight Breathlessness Moderate Some What Severe Severe Breathlessness Very Severe Breathlessness Very Very Severe (Almost Maximum) Maximum
vi. Is there a correlation between the two variables? Explain your answer. vii. Explain in your own words the finding presented in the above table. (22%) D Comparing Groups As part of the study patients were invited to carry out a spirometry test to measure their current lung function. A comparison was done between the results of the male and females participants for the FEV1 component, using the T -test. The findings of this analysis are presented below. After reviewing the tables answer the questions that follow. Group Statistics Gender N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean Spirometry Results FEV1 Male 468 63.96 23.367 1. Female 362 73.87 24.034 1. Independent Samples Test Levene's Test for Equality of Variances t-test for Equality of Means 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference F Sig. t df Sig. (2- tailed) Mean Difference Std. Error Difference Lower Upper Spirometry Results FEV Equal variances assumed .010 .922 -5.983 828 .0001 -9.909 1.656 -13.159 -6. Equal variances not assumed -5.962 765.539 .0001 -9.909 1.662 -13.171 -6. i) How many patients completed spirometry and how is it broken down? ii) What are the two variables involved? iii) What is the null hypothesis for this component of the study? iv) What is the p value result for the Independent -samples t -test? v) Based on the results obtained will you accept or reject the null hypothesis? Give an explanation for you answer. vi) Write in your own words the conclusion you would draw from the findings ( (22%)
4. Answer two of the following a) Read the following abstract and answer the questions below. Bazzano, A.N., Kirkwood, B., Tawiah-Agyenang, C., Owusu-Agyei, S. & Adongo, P. (2008) Social costs of skilled attendance at birth in rural Ghana_. International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics,_ 102(1), 91-94. Objective: To examine the social costs to women of skilled attendance at birth in rural Ghana. Method: Ethnographic data were obtained through participant observation, interviews, case histories, and focus groups and were analyzed alongside data from a birth cohort of 2878 singletons born in the Kintampo study district between July 2003 and June 2004. Results: Most women delivered at home. Home delivery raises a woman's status in her community, while seeking skilled attendance lowers it. Women feel that seeking assistance in childbirth wastes other people's time and they value secrecy in labor. Negative treatment by health providers and expensive supplies needed for delivery also act as barriers. Conclusion: The social costs of obtaining skilled attendance at birth must be offset by community level strategies such as mobilization of older women and husbands, and ensuring health providers extend professional, humane care to laboring women. i. Comment on the approach taken in this study (10%) ii. Comment on participant observation as a data collection method (10%) iii. Comment on the usefulness of using focus groups in this study (10%) iv. Comment on the usefulness of using individual interviews in this study (10%) v. Comment on one important finding reported (10%)
c) Read the following abstract and answer the questions below. Doumit, M.A.A., El Saghir, N., Abu-Saad Huijer, H., Kelley, J.H. & Nassar, N. (2010) Living with breast cancer, a Lebanese experience. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 14(1), 42-48. Aim: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to provide in-depth understanding of the experience of Lebanese women living with breast cancer. Background: Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. In Lebanon, a country of 4 million people, breast cancer is the most widespread type of cancer among Lebanese women. The meaning of cancer diagnosis, the meaning of childbearing and femininity all have cultural bases in Lebanon. The international literature lacks information on how Lebanese women live with breast cancer when compared with women of other cultures. Method: The study followed purposeful sampling and saturation principles in which 10 participants with a mean age of 51.3 years were chosen based on their actual knowledge of the phenomenon, and their readiness to share that knowledge. Data were collected between December 2007 and May 2008. All interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed based on the Utrecht School of Phenomenology. Findings: Four major core themes describing the participants' lived experience emerged from the interviews: Living with losses; living with guilt feeling; living with fears and uncertainty; Living with the need to know and to share that knowledge. Conclusion: The experience of Lebanese women with breast cancer revealed distinctive themes not reported by other women from other cultures. The results of this study challenge health care providers and educators to be aware of the difficulties that Lebanese women are facing when they are living with breast cancer. i. Comment briefly, on why a phenomenological approach was an appropriate choice for this study. (10%) ii. What is meant by ‘purposeful sampling’ as referred to by the authors? (10%) iii. Why were the interviews audio-taped and transcribed verbatim? (10%) iv. Comment on the process of data analysis in phenomenological studies (10%) v. This study followed guidance from the Utrecht school of phenomenology. Two other approaches to phenomenology are labelled as ‘descriptive phenomenology’ and ‘interpretive phenomenology’. Briefly describe one of these approaches (10%)
5. Below is a brief description of a fictitious research study. Read the description and evaluate the ethical aspects of the study. Byrne (2008) carried out a study examining the extent to which residents in long-stay care units can choose how they spend their day. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the local Nursing and Midwifery Planning Development Unit (NMPDU). A convenience sample of ten residents was selected to participate in the study by the Director of Nursing of a long-stay care unit. Observation was the method chosen to collect the data. Residents were observed during the day to see what their typical day was like. A researcher sat with the resident being observed for two hours at a time and made sure to sample across his/her day i.e. from the time they work until they went to bed. Researchers were concerned that residents might alter their behaviour if they were aware that they were being observed. Therefore, they informed the nurses about the observation and its purpose but not the residents. Researchers’ presence was explained to residents as “a visit from HIQA” (the Health Information and Quality Authority). Nurses in the unit were asked to behave as if “nothing unusual was happening”. During observation the researchers asked residents to describe what a “typical day” was like and recorded their answers. They made sure to use residents’ names so that the findings could be checked with them later. On completion of the study a copy of the final report was forwarded to the unit. In gratitude to the residents and Unit for their support and help all participants were listed. To ensure the trustworthiness of the study residents’ comments were attributed to them in the final write-up. (100%) -END-
