NUR 520: Nursing Theory and Research II

Three hours per week. Prerequisite NUR 510. The focus of this course is on the research process and critical

examination of research designs. Exploration of data analysis and interpretation will be emphasized. This

course prepares students to use evidence-based practices in their specialized area of professional nursing.

Course Objectives

Following successful completion of course work, the student will be able to:

• Examine common ethical dilemmas related to research in nursing and other health care disciplines and

the ways in which these dilemmas impact patient care

• Pose specific research question(s) and/or hypotheses relevant to a significant problem in nursing practice

• Compare and contrast qualitative and quantitative research methods and appropriateness for researching

a specific problem in nursing practice

• Determine appropriate sampling methods and sample size needed for researching a specific nursing

problem

• Compare measurement strategies used in nursing research and select appropriate strategy for data

collection tool used in a specific research-based project

• Analyze various data collection methods and relevancy for answering specific research questions in

nursing.

• Analyze quantitative and qualitative research data

• Develop a data analysis plan based on data collection tools and statistics relevant to answering the

research question

• Employ leadership/management strategies in determining feasibility of conducting research on a specific

problem in nursing

• Develop strategies for incorporating evidence into nursing practice

• Develop a research proposal for a study in your area of nursing specialization

 

NUR 520: Nursing Theory and Research II

Topical Outline

• Nursing Research at the Graduate Level

• Research Objectives, Questions and Hypothesis

• Ethics in Research

• Selecting a Research Design

• Outcomes Research

• Intervention Research

• Sampling

• Measurement Concepts & Strategies

• Collecting Data

• Statistical Analysis Techniques

• Qualitative & Quantitative Sampling

• Qualitative & Quantitative Data & Analysis

• Proposal Preparation & IRB Approval

• Communicating Findings

• Funding

Teaching Strategies

• Assigned Readings

• Written Assignments

• Live Lectures

• Independent Study

• Discussions

• Presentations

• Data Analysis Assignments

• Blackboard Discussion

Evaluation Methods

Each student will be evaluated on the following assignments:

Research proposal 200 points

Poster presentation of the research proposal 100 points

Data analysis assignments (8 @ 25) 200 points

Discussion board assignments (8 @ 12.5) 100 points

Total points 600 points

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Final Grade

The total number of points each student receives will determine the course grade. Letter grades will be

assigned according to the following point accumulations:

A 549 – 600 points

A- 537 – 548 points

B+ 525 – 536 points

B 489 – 524 points

B- 477 – 488 points

C+ 447 – 476 points (passes but on academic probation)

Below this level — course is failed

C 417 – 446

F 416 points and below

Required Textbooks

Kim, M. & Mallory, C. (2014). Statistics for Evidence – Based Practice in Nursing. Burlington, MA: Jones &

Bartlett.

Required Textbooks From Previous Course

American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association

(6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. ISBN: 1-55798-791-2.

Grove, S. K., Burns, N., & Gray, J. R.(2013). The Practice of Nursing Research: Appraisal, Synthesis and

Generation of Evidence. (7th) St. Louis: Saunders/Elsevier.

Recommended Textbooks

Creswell, J. (2013) Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. (3rd )

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Field, A. (2013) Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics. (4th )Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Salkind, N. (2011). Statistics for people who (think they) hate statistics (4th ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

 

 

Classroom Policies

Policies regarding academic honesty, attendance, tardiness, examinations, promotion, and written

assignments are stated in the School of Nursing Handbook. It is the responsibility of each student to know

these policies and adhere to them in this course. All assignments must be completed according to guidelines

stated in the syllabus.

Honor Code Integration of professional values in nursing education is essential for the development of ethical conduct and

for the ability of nurses to function in healthcare systems. To underscore the importance of truth, honesty,

and accountability, students, faculty, and staff in the Jacksonville University School of Nursing adhere to the

following honor code:

“I do not lie, cheat, steal, or condone those who do.” Egregious academic misconduct will result in dismissal

from the School of Nursing.

Academic Integrity Misconduct Policy Students are responsible for reading and adhering to the Jacksonville University Academic Integrity

Misconduct Policy. This policy can be found in the Jacksonville University Academic Catalog:

http://www.ju.edu/files/Catalogs/2015-16_JU_Academic_Catalog.pdf

Disability-Related Information

Any student with a visible or nonvisible disability who requests “reasonable accommodation” to his or her

condition should provide medical and/or psychological documentation of the disability to the Student Life

Office and refer to the information in the JU catalog and Student Online Handbook for additional information

regarding student disabilities. A student with a learning disability should weigh carefully with his/her advisor

the requirements of the nursing program in order to ascertain its suitability, given the nature of the disability.

Schedule of Classes and Assignments

Week Topic Reading/Assignments

1 • Introduction to quantitative analysis

• Introduction to SPSS

• Evidence based practice and statistics

• Statistics essentials

• Levels of measurement

• Writing proposals

• Grove, Burns and Gray Chapter 28

• Kim and Mallory Chapters 1-4

• Data Analysis Assignment – (25 points)

• Discussion board – (12.5 points) NUR 520: Nursing Theory and Research II