Developing An Understanding Of The Relationship Between Research: Adult Nursing, MUL, UK

Aims and Relevance

Developing an understanding of the relationship between research, practice and policy underpins the development of nursing knowledge and underpins evidence-based practice. Judicial use of evidence underpins and informs all aspects of nursing practice and this unit explores the three main research paradigms, the construction of research design, and the research process that forms the foundation of evidence.

This unit will support you in developing your ability to do this by equipping you with the knowledge and skills to appraise the evidence base underpinning nursing practice so that you can continue to provide contemporary nursing practice by drawing your own conclusions from healthcare research and thus informing the evidence-based care that you provide.

On completion of this unit you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate the following knowledge and understanding: Analyze the relationship between theory, methodology, and methods in health care research and discuss how research nurtures new nursing knowledge, develops the profession, and informs evidence-based nursing practice

2. Demonstrate the following skills and abilities: Articulate clear research questions, critically review literature appraising sources of evidence for nursing practice, and recognizing ethical practice and study limitations.

Approach to learning

This unit will adopt an inquiry-based learning approach to develop applied research skills and enable a deeper appreciation of evidence-based practice. You will actively engage in constructing research questions, explore qualitative and quantitative data through data creation exercises and argue and debate about what is the best way to explore and gather new knowledge that will enhance nursing as a profession and provide evidence that can improve care. In this unit the approach to learning will be:

• Meaningful – you will see personal, social, professional, intellectual, and practical relevance in the curriculum
• Active – you will be actively engaged in the learning process through inquiry-based learning
• Challenging – activities challenge your existing constructs, knowledge, and assumptions and offer opportunities for creative and enjoyable learning
• Reflective – you will be encouraged to reflect on practice, consider the evidence-based aspects of practice, and related evidence to practice
• Collaborative – you will learn through group activities, face to face and online and through and online, creating and sustaining a learning community
• Co-created – you will have the opportunity to influence aspects of the teaching and assessment they experience.