A nurse is researching data about best practice for reducing medication errors on a surgical unit. Which of the following steps of evidence based practice (EBP) is the nurse taking?

Explanation:

A. Spirituality decreases feelings of depression:

This statement is generally accurate. Many studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that spirituality can have a positive impact on mental and emotional well-being, including reducing feelings of depression and providing a sense of peace and comfort.

B. Spirituality increases feelings of hopelessness:

This statement is not typically supported by research or clinical observations. Spirituality often fosters feelings of hope, meaning, and purpose, which can counteract feelings of hopelessness commonly experienced by individuals facing end-of-life challenges.

C. Spirituality increases the desire to hasten death:

There is limited evidence to support this statement. In fact, spirituality often provides individuals with a sense of resilience, acceptance, and coping mechanisms that may reduce the desire to hasten death. However, individual beliefs and experiences can vary widely.

D. Spirituality decreases quality of life:

This statement is generally inaccurate. For many individuals, spirituality enhances quality of life by providing a sense of meaning, connection, and comfort, especially during challenging times such as end-of-life care.

Explanation:

A. "Qualitative research studies how to implement EBP into various settings."

This statement is not accurate. Qualitative research focuses on exploring phenomena, understanding experiences, and interpreting meanings rather than specifically studying how to implement evidence-based practice (EBP) into different settings. Qualitative research methods often involve interviews, observations, and thematic analysis.

B. "Quantitative research aims to understand the feelings associated with a particular event."

This statement is not accurate. Quantitative research primarily deals with numerical data and aims to quantify relationships, measure variables, and analyze data using statistical methods. Understanding feelings associated with events is more aligned with qualitative research, which explores subjective experiences and perceptions.

C. "Qualitative research uses larger sample sizes than quantitative research."

This statement is generally not true. Qualitative research typically uses smaller sample sizes compared to quantitative research. Qualitative studies focus on in-depth exploration and understanding of a smaller number of cases, often using purposive sampling to select participants who can provide rich and meaningful insights into the phenomenon being studied.

D. "Quantitative research analyzes collected data using statistical methods."

This is the correct statement. Quantitative research involves the collection of numerical data, which is then analyzed using statistical techniques to identify patterns, relationships, trends, and associations. Statistical methods such as regression analysis, t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, and others are commonly used in quantitative research to interpret and draw conclusions from the data.