Course Description
In this course, students will understand the role and responsibilities of the psychiatric nurse within psychiatric nursing research and begin to develop an understanding of the relationship among theory, research, and evidence-informed practice. Students will focus on identifying and critically reading and evaluating relevant literature to inform psychiatric nursing practice. As well, students will start to develop an understanding of the underlying paradigms within the various research methodologies and research processes.
Course Content
1. Research Process
- Self as researcher
- Development of the research question
- Literature review
- Research design
- Legal and ethical considerations
- Population and sampling
- Data collection
- Rigour in research
- Data analysis
- Dissemination of research findings
- Knowledge translation
2. Research Approaches
- Nursing research paradigms
- Theoretical/conceptual framework
- Qualitative research
- Quantitative research
- Mixed methods
3. Evidence-Informed Practice
- Research as a way of knowing
- Critical appraisal and evaluation of research
- Levels of Evidence
- Informatics to support research
- Evidence-informed practice/evidence-informed decision making
Learning Activities
Learners will acquire knowledge and learn to apply concepts through a variety of means of instruction and activities, including in class and online discussions, reading assignments, audio-visual aids, participant presentations, critical appraisal of refereed psychiatric nursing articles, and guest speakers.
Means of Assessment
The course evaluation is consistent with Douglas College Evaluation Policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course. This is a graded course.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, successful students will be able to:
- Describe the relationships among theory, research, and practice;
- Critically read and evaluate primary and secondary sources in the literature;
- Demonstrate knowledge of research concepts and the underlying paradigms guiding nursing research;
- Recognize the legal and ethical considerations of research to ensure the appropriate protection of human rights;
- Identify the steps nurse researchers use to conduct qualitative and quantitative research;
- Critically examine qualitative and quantitative research methodologies as applied to psychiatric nursing research;
- Demonstrate application of research findings to guide and inform psychiatric nursing practice in order to support health outcomes.
Textbook Materials
A list of required and optional textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of each semester.