N108: Transition to the Registered Professional Nurse

N108: Transition to the Registered Professional Nurse Role Study Guide Quantitative Research refers to the study in which items can be counted or measured and statistics can be used to analyze the results. Types of quantitative studies include randomized control trials, longitudinal studies, descriptive studies, and methodological research. Studies are analyzed using statistical data aiming to determine whether any difference between the control group and the experimental group may be due to chance rather than as a result of treatment. • Randomized controlled trial: This type is most often emphasized in medicine and often referred to as double-blind randomized controlled trial. Double blind means that neither the participant receiving the treatment or the person administering the treatment knows whether the participant is receiving the real or active treatment or a placebo. Randomized indicates that the participants are assigned to either a treatment group or the control group by some type of random process. Controlled means that there is both a treatment group and a group that does not receive the treatment, and at times it is possible to have a control group and a treatment group to be studied that occur naturally rather than assigned as randomized groups. • Longitudinal study: This is performed by studying the sample of people across time. In this type of research, participants, processes, or systems are studied over time, with data being collected at multiple intervals. • Descriptive studies: These studies collect naturally occurring data, such as infection rates or complication rates. Descriptive studies in which the researcher interacts with the participant may involve surveys or interviews to collect the necessary information. Descriptive studies in which the researcher does not interact with the participant include observational studies of people in an environment, and studies involving data collection using existing records (e.g. medical record review). • Methodological research: This is used to develop research instruments. Research methodology is a collective term for the structured process of conducting research. There are many different methodologies used in various types of research, and the term is usually considered to include research design, data gathering, and data analysis. 3.4 Quality Management and Quality Improvement Patient safety has been defined by the Institute of Medicine as “the prevention of harm to patients.” The emphasis is placed on the system of care delivery that prevents errors, learns from the errors that do occur, and is built on a culture of safety that involves health care professionals, organizations, and patients. Quality improvement is not about “naming, blaming and shaming”, but instead works to fix the system to decrease the chance of error. An important measure of quality is the extent to which patients’ needs and expectations are met. Total quality management (TQM) was called quality assurance (QA). It is designed to be a holistic and agency-wide approach to improve and maintain the quality of patient care. Quality management is part of the accountability needed for nursing to be an autonomous profession. For nursing to be truly autonomous, nurses must be accountable for their actions. By demonstrating accountability in their practice and responsibility for their actions, nurses can demonstrate their autonomy. Quality improvement (QI) is a system for evaluating practice and giving feedback to the practitioner. This improves the practice. It can be difficult to define quality in patient care. It may be defined in

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