Foundations of Nursing Research, Ways of Knowing, and Research Frameworks

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering introductory concepts in nursing research, historical contributions of Florence Nightingale and Sister Jean Ward, Carper's ways of knowing, philosophical paradigms (positivism, post-positivism, constructivism), reasoning approaches, and theoretical frameworks.

How do the lecture notes define a theoretical framework in research?

A theoretical framework is the structure of established theories, concepts, and definitions that you use to support, explain, and guide your research study.

Why is it important for researchers to compare mortality rates rather than simply the raw number of deaths?

A raw number only indicates how many people died, whereas a mortality rate considers the number of deaths in relation to the population at risk, allowing meaningful comparisons between different populations, settings, or time periods.

What was the role of statistician William Farr in Florence Nightingale's work?

He was a statistician who worked with Florence Nightingale to analyze hospital and mortality data.

What type of visual display created by Florence Nightingale is depicted in this image?

A Coxcomb diagram (also known as a Polar Area Diagram), which Nightingale created to make patterns in health and mortality data easier to understand and communicate.

What unusual clinical observation did Sister Jean Ward make while caring for newborn patients?

She observed that newborn babies who were exposed to sunlight appeared to have less jaundice, particularly on uncovered areas of their skin.

What medical treatment and clinical practice change resulted from Sister Jean Ward's clinical observation?

Her observation prompted research into light exposure and bilirubin, which led to the development and clinical adoption of phototherapy as a standard treatment for neonatal jaundice.

Which statement best demonstrates the role of clinical observation in nursing research?

A nurse notices an unexpected patient outcome, develops a question about the observation, and investigates it systematically.

What is holistic nursing care?

Caring for the whole person rather than focusing exclusively on their disease or physical symptoms.

In nursing ways of knowing, what is personal knowing?

Knowledge centered on 'SELF' that comes from understanding one's own experiences, values, beliefs, biases, and relationship with the patient, requiring conscious self-awareness to prevent personal feelings from compromising care.

In nursing ways of knowing, what is empirical knowing?

Knowledge centered on 'EVIDENCE' that is derived from research studies, systematic investigation, observation, and statistical data.

In nursing ways of knowing, what is theoretical knowing?

Knowledge centered on 'THEORY' or 'EXPLANATION' that connects individual clinical observations to broader concepts, models, and frameworks to explain why phenomena happen.

In nursing ways of knowing, what is aesthetic knowing?

Knowledge centered on the 'ART' of nursing that involves intuition, creativity, understanding a patient's unique situation, and knowing how to respond appropriately in the moment (such as sitting quietly rather than offering information).

In nursing ways of knowing, what is socio-political knowing?

Knowledge centered on 'CONTEXT / POWER' that examines how broader social, cultural, economic, political, historical, and structural factors (e.g., poverty, racism, healthcare access) influence individual health.

What is the definition of a paradigm?

A standard, perspective, overarching worldview, or set of shared assumptions that defines how a group of people understands the world and interprets reality.

What central question defines ontology?

What is reality?

What central question defines epistemology?

How do we know? (or 'What does it mean to know something?')

What central question defines axiology?

What is worth knowing?

What central question defines methodology?

How do we find out? (or 'How do we investigate something?')

How do positivism and post-positivism differ in their views on truth and scientific measurement?

Positivism asserts that reality can be objectively studied and measured directly ('Measure it'), while post-positivism asserts that while a real world exists, human measurement is never perfectly certain and is always subject to error and bias ('Measure it, but recognize limitations').

Why does a researcher's concern that using their thumb to take a pulse could introduce error reflect post-positivism?

It reflects post-positivism because it acknowledges that human observation and measurement methods are imperfect and can contain error.

What are the core assumptions of the constructivism/interpretivism paradigm regarding reality and truth?

Reality is understood through individual interpretation rather than existing as a single objective fact; there is no single universal interpretation of experience because individuals construct meaning from their unique backgrounds and perspectives.

Which statement best describes the relationship between qualitative and quantitative research?

Both approaches provide different types of knowledge and should be selected based on the research question.

What is the fundamental difference in direction between inductive and deductive reasoning?

Inductive reasoning moves from Data to Theory (starts with observations/data to build understanding and themes), whereas deductive reasoning moves from Theory to Data (starts with an existing theory to test hypotheses with empirical data).

Why is interviewing 30 pregnant women about their prenatal care experiences to identify common themes considered inductive research?

It is inductive because the researcher starts with observations and raw narrative data, looks for emerging patterns, and develops a new explanation rather than testing a pre-existing theory.

Why is surveying 500 pregnant women using Pender's Health Promotion Model to test if perceived barriers predict attendance considered deductive research?

It is deductive because the researcher starts with an established theoretical framework, formulates a specific hypothesis, collects data, and tests whether the prediction is supported.

What major research communication lesson is illustrated by the smoking and low birth weight example?

True research findings can be misinterpreted or applied harmfully if communicated without appropriate context (e.g., misinterpreting smaller baby size as easier delivery), meaning nurses must carefully explain actual risks, meaning, and context.

What is the primary analytical focus of Critical Social Theory in nursing?

It focuses on power, oppression, inequality, and social structures to understand how systemic factors and institutional arrangements produce and maintain unequal health outcomes.

What is the primary objective of Trauma- and Violence-Informed Care (TVIC)?

To recognize past and ongoing trauma and violence (including structural, systemic, and institutional violence) and redesign healthcare processes to foster safety, trustworthiness, and barrier-free access.

Which theoretical framework is illustrated by this diagram of intersecting identity petals across micro, meso, and macro levels?

Intersectionality, a framework popularized by Kimberlé Crenshaw and associated with Patricia Hill Collins, which posits that multiple social identities (e.g., gender, race, class, disability) and forms of oppression interact simultaneously and cannot be analyzed independently ('you can't unbake the cake').