Do we use clinical research techniques like RCTs effectively for nursing educational research?
I believe nursing educators employ various research instruments to address numerous research problems. It is noteworthy that randomized controlled trials are used in many settings and regarded as effective tools to obtain data (Lahti, Hätönen, & Välimäki, 2014). Other techniques are also employed in order to identify the existing gaps in the field, develop new teaching methods, learn more about students’ needs and ways to satisfy them, and so forth.
What is your opinion about teachers conducting research on their students?
I believe that the implementation of a study in the educational sphere is inevitably related to the involvement of human subjects. Students are common participants in nursing education research, while it is acknowledged that this group is one of the most vulnerable (Fain, 2017). Nevertheless, educators have to involve students in their research as it leads to solving numerous issues. This is one of the premises to provide student-centered teaching. Clearly, researchers have to make sure that students are aware of the meaningful details of the research and their rights will not be violated (Haber & LoBiondo-Wood, 2017). Students’ privacy and confidentiality should be ensured.
How could nursing educational research address the lack of evidence on a specified number of clinical hours and on student-teacher ratios?
It can be difficult to identify the effectiveness of an educational program. The identification of the optimal number of clinical hours or student-teacher ratio is a complex issue that needs an efficient approach. Stayt, Merriman, Ricketts, Morton, and Simpson (2015) use the RCT as a method to evaluate the efficacy of an educational method. A set of RCT can be utilized to address the issue mentioned above. Longitudinal studies should also be conducted. It is necessary to examine the links (if any) between the number of clinical hours and such variables as nurses’ performance, patient outcomes, nurses’ job satisfaction, and the like.
References
Fain, J. A. (2017). Reading, understanding, and applying nursing research (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.
Haber, J., & LoBiondo-Wood, G. (2017). Legal and ethical issues. In G. LoBiondo-Wood & J. Haber (Eds.), Nursing research: Methods and critical appraisal for evidence-based practice (pp. 232-246). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Lahti, M., Hätönen, H., & Välimäki, M. (2014). Impact of e-learning on nurses’ and student nurses knowledge, skills, and satisfaction: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 51(1), 136-149.
Stayt, L., Merriman, C., Ricketts, B., Morton, S., & Simpson, T. (2015). Recognizing and managing a deteriorating patient: A randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of clinical simulation in improving clinical performance in undergraduate nursing students. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 71(11), 2563-2574.