Introduction
Research articles are beneficial in expanding the knowledge base and improving clinical experimentation. Reading relevant studies every week enhances the comprehension of relative nursing topics. Besides, it provides a more updated insight into newly discovered research. Nevertheless, the process of identifying and analyzing the articles can be overwhelming and challenging. In my experience reading research articles, I have encountered useful and impractical studies that impact clinical practice.
My Experience with Locating and Reading Weekly Research Articles
My experience with locating and reading research articles has been a challenge. It is because identifying satisfactory nursing articles is time-consuming. It becomes discouraging at some point during the research. However, I managed to address this issue by narrowing the extensiveness of my research topic. Searching for less information regarding interest helps in finding the most suitable article. In addition, the library management and functioning sometimes fail in accessing the proper complete research articles. In this case, I focused more on articles published on the internet since they are more updated. Even though, browsing the internet can be overwhelming because of the vastness of the information present. I tackled this matter by focusing the research on nursing articles addressing GI illnesses (Bahadori et al., 2016).
The identified article’s focus can either be too broad or narrow; thus, effectively conducting the research may not be manageable. This challenge can be addressed by developing a doable topic that will be resource intensive. In other instances, I encountered an excellent article focusing on the relevant subject, but the information presented was out of date or incomplete. These issues were addressed by searching for related articles with similar information. Despite the challenges, the experience of locating and reading weekly research articles has been very engaging and exciting. It has expanded on my nursing knowledge base on specific areas of practice. Increased nursing research provides new discoveries made in laboratory settings.
An Example of An Article That Has Been Useful and Applicable to Your Practice
An example of an article that I located and was useful to me is presented by Spiegel et al. 2015 on Understanding gastrointestinal distress. There is little research on GI distress since most studies focus on the gastrointestinal disease more than the effects. This article was universally applicable to my nursing practice in caring for patients with GI illnesses. According to Spiegel et al. 2015, the recommended approach to managing GI distress results from all domains, including physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms. Therefore, as a nurse I began screening all the framework components to facilitate a more patient-centered approach to deliver quality care. The study presented adequate and precise information to use in assessing the symptoms affecting gastrointestinal patients that may cause distress (Spiegel et al., 2015). Besides, the research also sufficiently covered all the stress domains that may impact a patient without being biased on a particular area. I successfully applied the article in my nursing scope of practice while analyzing gastrointestinal diseases. This article enabled me to evaluate the relative impact of GI physical symptoms, cognition and emotions that result in distress among the patient.
An Example of An Article (Or Information) That Was Not Helpful
On the other hand, an article I located on hepatology disease focused on the impact of physical activity on liver diseases. According to Berzigotti, Saran, and Dufour, physical activities positively affect the risk of onset hepatological illnesses. However, the evidence of the theory presented in the article was scarce and relatively recent. Minimal data was used to indicate the essence of physical activities in managing this condition. The evidence showed far from complete and adequate, which influences the research’s usefulness in clinical practice. More clinical and experimental data should have been used to support the framework of the study. Otherwise, incomplete data questions the value and accuracy of the findings reported. Besides, most of the research only focused on non-alcoholic liver diseases, which narrows the study’s scope (Berzigotti, Saran, and Dufour, 2016). It provides inadequate and limited information for researchers and readers interested in other informs of liver or hepatological illnesses.
Conclusion
The challenges encountered in locating and reading relevant research articles in nursing practice can be vast. Some of the issues include time consumption, identifying studies with narrow, extensive, or incomplete information. These aspects of reading research studies can be discouraging for students or nurses to apply in clinical practice. Nonetheless, the benefit of frequent research findings and analysis is that it expands and improves one’s knowledge scope.
Reference
Bahadori, M., Raadabadi, M., Ravangard, R., & Mahaki, B. (2016). The barriers to applying the research findings from the nurses’ perspective: A case study in a teaching hospital. Journal of education and health promotion, 5.
Berzigotti, A., Saran, U., & Dufour, J. F. (2016). Physical activity and liver diseases. Hepatology, 63(3), 1026-1040.
Spiegel, B. M., Khanna, D., Bolus, R., Agarwal, N., Khanna, P., & Chang, L. (2015). Understanding gastrointestinal distress: a framework for clinical practice. The American journal of gastroenterology, 106(3), 380.
REPLY 2
This article is proving how nurses risking their life in this pandemic of COVID-19 as a frontline nurse (Y Zhang, Lili Wei June,2020). Mainly affecting New-Grads nurses. As students come fresh from school into being an actual nurse with all the serious responsibility that co-joins the nurse right away. New-Grads nurses does not get enough hands-on real experience and with this pandemic is making it worse. The nurse carries on stress of doing her best and following guidelines as well as, trying to carry the load in which is given to each nurse because of shortage they each must complete double the responsibility alone. Its essential that nurses have a foundation, a backup system where they can get help, the support needed to be rounded and level, so that nurses can be productive also manage well with their duties. While their stress level is being managed by the backup system, which in this pandemic, it has been proven that we do not have it. In these pandemic nurses are being worked two or three shifts straight. The nurses schedules should be normal eight hour shifts and maintain nurses to be burned out (PNC, Z Gesundh Wiss, June 2020). The nurses load per shift should be lighten by having two nurses per team working together. Nurses will be able to provide better quality care and efficient to the patients in need. This consideration will be a huge progress for future health care management. There will be enormous change and better care all around. Keeping the stress level at a minimum will help manage their load responsibility at work, also take care their own health so that they may provide better care to others. Nurses in stress may cause anxiety, obesity and so on until there health starts deteriorating to the point that it can affect their caregiving abilities.
The pandemic has caused the health care system to crash due to lack of nurses, to be able to give quality care to patients with the overflow in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities (PSNET Jne,2020). The health care system needs to bring on board nurses willing to work and to be on call ready to relieve other nurses from their shifts. Therefore, they will support each other in any adverse circumstances.
Example of Article Applicable in Work Practice (not helpful)
This article was not helpful because it shows how nurses were being put on the frontline without having all necessary experience or knowledge to handle a crisis and not getting enough rest.
Example of Useful Article in my Work Practice
An article about infection control always it going to be helpful in any environment, particularly in a healthcare facility CDC 2020). To prevent any disease the first barrier is hand washing, for a least 20 seconds with soap and water will prevent the spread of any virus or respiratory disease as COVID-19 and COPD.
References
Center of Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC 2020)
Yan Zhang MSN, RN, Lili Wie PhD, RN
National Institute of Health
Z Gesundh Wiss. 2021 Jan 8: 13. doi: 10.1007/s10389-020-01433-6
PMCID: PMC7793385
Patient Safety Network (PSNET)
https://psnet.ahrq.gov/issue/coronavirus-pandemics-wider-health-care-crisis
