Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This textbook explicitly links understanding of nursing research with evidence-based practice, and focuses on how to read, critique, and utilize research reports. Organized around questions students have when reading reports--how the conclusions were reached, what types of patients the conclusions apply to, how the study was done, and why it was done that way--the text explains the steps of the research process to answer these questions.

Chapters include clinical vignettes, highlighted key concepts, and out-of-class exercises. Appendices present a variety of research examples. This edition includes significant new material on evidence-based practice and more distinction between qualitative and quantitative research.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Chapter 1 Evidence-Based Nursing: Using Research in Practice (p. 1)
• Introduction (p. 2)
• Questions for Patient Care (p. 3)
• Developing an Effective Clinical Question (p. 6)
• Published Abstract: What Would You Conclude? (p. 16)
• Systematic Reviews in Evidence-Based Nursing (p. 17)
• Summary (p. 18)
• Chapter 2 The Research Process: Components and Language of Research Reports (p. 20)
• Introduction (p. 21)
• The Language of Research (p. 22)
• Components of Published Research Reports (p. 23)
• Research Reports and the Research Process (p. 34)
• Summary of the Research Process Contrasted to the Research Report (p. 38)
• Published Report-What Did You Conclude? (p. 43)
• Summary (p. 45)
• Chapter 3 Discussion and Conclusions (p. 48)
• The End of a Research Report-Discussions and Conclusions (p. 49)
• Discussions (p. 50)
• Conclusions (p. 56)
• Common Errors in Research Reports (p. 59)
• Critically Reading Discussion and Conclusion Sections of Reports (p. 61)
• Published Reports-What Would You Conclude? (p. 63)
• Chapter 4 Descriptive Results (p. 65)
• Differentiating Description From Inference (p. 66)
• Understanding the Language of Results Sections (p. 68)
• Connecting Results That Describe to Conclusions (p. 83)
• Common Errors in the Reports of Descriptive Results (p. 83)
• Critically Reading Results Sections of Research Reports (p. 85)
• Published Report-What Would You Conclude? (p. 86)
• Chapter 5 Inferential Results (p. 88)
• The Purpose of Inferential Statistics (p. 89)
• Probability and Significance (p. 91)
• Parametric and Nonparametric Statistics (p. 94)
• Bivariate and Multivariate Tests (p. 95)
• Hypothesis Testing (p. 106)
• In-Class Study Data (p. 107)
• Connecting Inferential Statistical Results to Conclusions (p. 108)
• Common Errors in Results Sections (p. 109)
• Critically Reading the Results Section of a Report-Revisited (p. 111)
• Published Report-What Would You Conclude? (p. 112)
• Chapter 6 Samples (p. 114)
• Samples Versus Populations (p. 116)
• Sampling in Qualitative Research (p. 119)
• Sampling in Quantitative Research (p. 123)
• Differences in Qualitative and Quantitative Sampling (p. 132)
• Problems With the Sampling Process (p. 133)
• Problems With Sampling Outcomes (p. 135)
• Common Errors in Reports of Samples (p. 138)
• Connecting Sampling to the Study Results and Conclusions (p. 139)
• Critically Reading the Sample Section of Research Reports (p. 140)
• Published Reports-Would You Change Your Practice? (p. 143)
• Chapter 7 Sampling Errors and Ethics: What Can Go Wrong? (p. 145)
• Which Nursing Actions Are Research and Require Special Ethical Consideration? (p. 146)
• Informed Consent (p. 147)
• Critically Reading Reports of Sampling and Recognizing Common Errors (p. 157)
• Published Reports-What Do They Say About Consent and the Sampling Process? (p. 158)
• Chapter 8 Data Collection Methods (p. 160)
• Revisiting Study Variables (p. 161)
• Methods for Constructing the Meaning of Variables in Qualitative Research (p. 166)
• Errors in Data Collection in Qualitative Research (p. 170)
• Methods to Measure Variables in Quantitative Research (p. 173)
• Errors in Data Collection in Quantitative Research (p. 179)
• Common Errors in Written Reports of Data Collection Methods (p. 188)
• Critically Reading Methods Sections of Research Reports (p. 189)
• Connecting Data Collection Methods to Sampling, Results, and Discussion/Conclusion (p. 190)
• Published Reports-Would You Use These Studies in Clinical Practice? (p. 191)
• Chapter 9 Research Designs: Planning the Study (p. 193)
• Research Designs: Why Are They Important? (p. 194)
• Qualitative Research Designs (p. 203)
• Quantitative Research Designs (p. 209)
• How Can One Get the Wrong Design for the Right Question? (p. 217)
• Common Errors in Published Reports of Research Designs (p. 221)
• Published Reports-Did Design Affect Your Conclusion? (p. 221)
• Critically Reading the Description of the Study Design in a Research Report (p. 222)
• Chapter 10 Background and the Research Problem (p. 226)
• Sources of Problems for Research (p. 227)
• Background Section of Research Reports (p. 229)
• Literature Review Sections of Research Reports (p. 234)
• Linking the Literature Review to the Study Design (p. 242)
• Published Reports-Has the Case Been Made for the Research Study? (p. 243)
• Common Errors in Reports of the Background and Literature Review (p. 244)
• Critically Reading Background and Literature Review Sections of a Research Report (p. 246)
• Chapter 11 The Research Process (p. 250)
• The Research Process (p. 251)
• Research Process Contrasted to the Research Report (p. 263)
• Factors That Affect the Research Process (p. 265)
• Generating Knowledge Can Be Fun! (p. 267)
• Published Reports-What Do You Conclude Now? (p. 269)
• Chapter 12 The Role of Research in Nursing (p. 271)
• History of Nursing Research (p. 272)
• Linking Theory, Education, and Practice With Research (p. 274)
• Evidence-Based Practice: Pros and Cons (p. 277)
• Quality Improvement: Framed Within the Research Process (p. 280)
• Where Are We Going? Roles of Nurses in Research (p. 282)
• Finding Answers Through Research (p. 283)
• Fictional Article: What Would You Conclude? (p. 286)
• Appendix A Research Articles (p. 291)
• Appendix A-1 Motherhood in the Context of Maternal HIV Infection (p. 292)
• Appendix A-2 Complex Physical and Mental Health Needs of Rural - Incarcerated Women (p. 305)
• Appendix A-3 Correlates of Recovery Among Older Adults After Major Abdominal Surgery (p. 317)
• Appendix A-4 Evolution of the Caregiving Experience in the Initial 2 Years Following Stroke (p. 327)
• Appendix A-5 Needs of Family Members of Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Implications for Evidence-Based Practice (p. 341)
• Appendix A-6 Efficacy of an In-Home Nursing Intervention Following Short-Stay Breast Cancer Surgery (p. 353)
• Appendix A-7 Feeling Safe: The Psychosocial Needs of ICU Patients (p. 363)
• Appendix A-8 Qualitative Evaluation of a School-Based Support Group for Adolescents with an Addicted Parent (p. 372)
• Appendix A-9 Non-somatic Effects of Patient Aggression on Nurses: A Systematic Review (p. 382)
• Appendix B Demographic Characteristics as Predictors of Nursing Students' Choice of Type of Clinical Practice (p. 400)
• Appendix C Sample In-Class Data Collection Tool (p. 405)
• Appendix D In-Class Study Data for Practice Exercise in Chapter 5 (p. 408)
• Appendix E Historical Analysis of Siderail Use in American Hospitals (p. 409)
• Glossary (p. 417)
• Index (p. 425)