Critical Appraisal of Quantitative Research Article – Term Paper

Critical appraisal example

Author(s), last name and first initial: Gladstone J.

Year of publication: 1994

The title of the article: Drug administration errors: a study into the factors underlying the occurrence and reporting of drug errors in a district general hospital.

Journal name: Journal of advanced nursing

Journal page number: 628-637

Appraise article on medication administration by Gladstone and answer the following questions

Discuss the following in 1-2sentencesDo not respond with just yes or no.

1. How does the title of the research accurately describe what the study is about?

The study identifies themes underlying occurrence and reporting of errors in drug administration. The title reflects the theme of the survey.

2. Was the problem clearly stated with relevant background and justification for the study? (Maybe in problem statement and/or significance of the study)

The problem is not well stated but the background information provided justifies the need for the study; that is, previous research shows that there are errors in drug administration, but they do not explain the reasons.

3. Is the majority of the review of literature current? (References listed at the end of the article less than ten years old from date of publication unless a classic study

Most of the references that the researcher use as sources of data are up to date since they were published less than ten years from the time of publication hence provide pertinent information.

4. What are the research questions and/or hypotheses?

The research questions are; what are the most common factors for nurses during drug administration? What are the outcomes of drug administration errors?

5. Are there operational definitions or terms defined or that clarify the topic studied in the article?

There are no defined operational terms in this study. The operational definitions help in the preserving unambiguous empirical testability of a problem.  

6. What is the research design (descriptive, experimental, etc.) and how does it support the type of study?

The researcher used experimental design which supports the quantitative study by using statistical ways of solving questions.

7. Who was the sample, how was data collected?

The sample was nurse managers and trained nurses. Data was collected by use of questionnaires and interviews.

8. Was there inclusion or exclusion criteria described to be a part of this sample?

The Inclusion or exclusion criteria used randomly. Every nurse who was between class C and G had equal chances of participation.

9. Describe if and how the subjects protected from harm and were there appropriate approval granted and by whom?

The researcher ensured the protection of the respondent by using hand written notes to collect data from respondents since some felt that tape recording was too threatening.

10. What were the findings? Were the research questions answered?

 Nurses who perform drug errors feel guilty and lose clinical confidence. The nurse teachers feel a failure that the education process did not prevent the occurrence of a mistake.

11. What were statistical tests used to analyze the data?

The statistical tests used are pie charts, bar graphs, and tables.

12. How were tables and graphs used to actually to describe the findings? Could you determine from the tables/graphs what the findings were?

The tables and graphs are self-explanatory, clear, informative titles and data were represented in explicit appropriate categories.

13. Does the discussion section state whether the findings from this study support or refute previous studies?

The results do not state any rebuttal or support to studies made before this study. The author just gives recommendations.

14. Are generalizations made to other populations based on the findings from this study?

Yes, they are because the present discussion ideas in a general perspective based on the study.

15. Are there suggestions/ recommendations made by the researcher(s) for nursing practice, education and/or research?

The author recommends nurses and managers be given a correct definition of drug errors. There should also be recognition and monitoring of the errors. Additionally, the author suggests promotion of accurate reporting, support, and education.

Critical Appraisal of Qualitative Research Article

Author(s), last name and first initial: Baker H.M.

Year of publication: 1997

Title of article: Rules outside the rules for administration of medication

Journal name: Journal of nursing scholarship

Journal page numbers: 155-158

Appraise the online article on medication administration by Baker and answer the questions below.

Discuss the following questions in1-2 sentences. Do not respond with just yes or no.

1. How does the title of the research accurately describe what the study is about?

It describes the autonomy that nurses take over drug administration. These are the rules that the nurses draft outside the norms of drug administration

2. Was the problem clearly stated with pertinent background and justification for the study? (Maybe in problem statement and/or significance of the study)

The stating of the problem was evident with relevant context; having worked as a nurse; Baker is aware of how nurses behave at work by reporting fewer errors or not following what the institution policies ask them to. This information is what is exemplified in the whole study, thus justifying the problem.

3. Is the majority of the review of literature current? (References listed at the end of the article less than ten years old from date of publication unless classic study and do the references cited to support the study?

Most of the data sources used for the survey are outdated since they were more than 10 years old from the date of publication. Some of the references cited to support the study while some are irrelevant.

4. Are there operational definitions or terms defined and how do they clarify the study?

There are no defined operational definitions in this study. The operational definitions help in the preserving unambiguous empirical testability of a problem.  

Critical appraisal of research

5. What is the research design and how does it support a qualitative study?

Qualitative descriptive research design; research problems become the research questions drawn from previous studies which leave gaps.

6. Who was the sample, how was data collected and were there inclusion or exclusions described?

Nurses in one large provincial hospital were the sample and the method of data collection was participant observation. There were no inclusion or exclusion criteria outlined in the study.

7. Describe if and how the subjects protected from harm and if there was the appropriate approval granted and by whom?

The subjects’ privacy was protected by keeping it confidential and telling participants the truth about the scope of the research. ;

8. Did the methodology use one of the researchers as the instrument to interview or observe the participants?

The methodology (ethnomethodology) used as a tool to understand the problem at hand through observation and to interview the respondents.

9. How large was the sample and how was size determined and was it an adequate sample size?

The sample size was three wards in a large provincial acute-care hospital. This sample size was inadequate since a large hospital has many wards with many nurses and three wards would not be a representative of the whole.

Critical appraisal of research article example

10. How were data analyzed?

The researcher provided feedback for the data collected.

11. Were the descriptions or responses bracketed, categorized or divided in anyway?

The responses were divided into three categories; the first set results logic, the second was criteria for redefining errors, and the third one was the one entailing serendipitous findings.

12. What were the findings? Were the research questions answered?

The findings were that the nurses were autonomous over what real errors mean. The research questions were answered about bringing an understanding of how nurses define or redefine medication error.

13. Does the discussion state whether the findings from this study support or refute previous;studies?

;No. The discussion just elaborates the findings of the survey.

14. Are generalizations made to other populations based on the research from this study?

Yes, they are because the present discussion ideas in a general perspective based on the research.

15. Are there suggestions/ recommendations made by the researcher(s) for nursing practice, education and/or research?

Yes. The researcher recommends more contributions by nurses to official strategic rules for the administration of error to be able to differentiate between time-critical and no-time-critical medications.;