NUR 590 Discussion Critical Appraisal of Research

NUR 590 Discussion Critical Appraisal of Research

Sample Answer for NUR 590 Discussion Critical Appraisal of Research Included After Question

Topic 4 DQ 1

Description:

Distinguish between reliability and validity in research design. Using a translational research article from your graphic organizer, analyze the methods and results sections to discuss reliability and validity as it relates to the translational research. Include the permalink to the article in your reference.

Topic 4 DQ 2

Description:

Identify a data collection tool you could use for your research. Consider how you could employ translational research to potentially overcome barriers, which may arise during data collection. Identify the best type of translational research to address this barrier and provide rationale for the type you have chosen. What strategies would you employ to provide an understanding of your chosen type of translational research and to gather collaborative support?

Topic 4: Critical Appraisal of Research

Description

Objectives:

  1. Distinguish between reliability and validity in research design.
    2. Analyze the reliability and validity of methods and results in a translational research article.
    3. Describe strategies to maintain the integrity of translational research.
    4. Discuss challenges of research design and data collections.
    Study Materials

Population Health: Creating a Culture of Wellness

Description:

Read Chapters 1 and 6 in Population Health: Creating a Culture of Wellness.

Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare

Description:

Read Chapters 5 and 6 in Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare.

Work as an Inclusive Part of Population Health Inequities Research and Prevention

Description:

Read “Work as an Inclusive Part of Population Health Inequities Research and Prevention,” by Ahonen et al., from American Journal of Public Health(2018).

Aligning Evidence-Based Practice With Translational Research: Opportunities for Clinical Practice Research

Description:

Read “Aligning Evidence-Based Practice With Translational Research: Opportunities for Clinical Practice Research,” by Weiss et al., from JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration (2018).

Environmental Health Sciences in a Translational Research Framework: More than Benches and Bedsides

Description:

Read “Environmental Health Sciences in a Translational Research Framework: More than Benches and Bedsides,” by Kaufman and Curl, from Environmental Health Perspectives (2019).

Click here to ORDER an A++ paper from our MASTERS and DOCTORATE WRITERS: NUR 590 Discussion Critical Appraisal of Research

Scoping Implementation Science for the Beginner: Locating Yourself on the “Subway Line” of Translational Research

Description:

Read “Scoping Implementation Science for the Beginner: Locating Yourself on the ‘Subway Line’ of Translational Research,” by Lane-Fall, Curran, and Beidas, from BMC Medical Research Methodology (2019).

Course Code Class Code Assignment Title Total Points
NUR-550 NUR-550-O503 Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Project: PICOT Paper 150.0

Criteria Percentage Unsatisfactory (0.00%) Less Than Satisfactory (80.00%) Satisfactory (88.00%) Good (92.00%) Excellent (100.00%)
Content 70.0%
Population Demographics and Health Concerns 5.0% The demographics and health concerns for the population are not described. The demographics and health concerns for the population are incorrect or only partially described. The demographics and health concerns for the population are summarized. More information and supporting evidence are needed. The demographics and health concerns for the population are described using sufficient evidence. The demographics and health concerns for the population are accurate and thoroughly described using substantial evidence.

Proposed Evidence-Based Intervention 13.0% The proposed evidence-based intervention is omitted. The proposed evidence-based intervention is incomplete. It is unclear how the proposed intervention incorporates health policies and goals that support health care equity for the population of focus. The proposed evidence-based intervention is outlined. Explanation of how the proposed intervention incorporates health policies and goals that support health care equity for the population of focus is general. Some aspects are unclear. More information is needed. The proposed evidence-based intervention is described. Explanation of how the proposed intervention incorporates health policies and goals that support health care equity for the population of focus is adequate. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy. The proposed evidence-based intervention is well-developed and clearly described. Explanation of how the proposed intervention incorporates health policies and goals that support health care equity for the population of focus is thorough.

Comparison of Intervention to Current Research 12.0% Comparison of intervention to previous practice or research is omitted. Comparison of intervention to previous practice or research is incomplete. Comparison of intervention to previous practice or research is generally presented. Some areas are vague. Comparison of intervention to previous practice or research is adequately presented. Comparison of intervention to previous practice or research is thorough and clearly presented.

Expected Outcome for Intervention 10.0% The expected outcome is for the intervention is omitted. The expected outcome is for the intervention is incomplete. The expected outcome is for the intervention is summarized. More information and supporting evidence is needed. The expected outcome for the intervention is explained using sufficient evidence. The expected outcome for the intervention is thoroughly explained using substantial evidence.

Time Estimated for Implementing Intervention and Evaluating Outcome 10.0% A description of the timeline is not included. A description of the timeline is incomplete or incorrect. A description of the timeline is included but lacks evidence. A description of the timelines is complete and includes a sufficient amount of evidence. A description of the timeline is extremely thorough with substantial evidence.

Support for Population Health Management for Selected Population (C 4.1) 10.0% Explanation of how nursing science; social determinants of health; and epidemiologic, genomic, and genetic data are applied or synthesized to support population health management for the selected population is omitted. Explanation of how nursing science; social determinants of health; and epidemiologic, genomic, and genetic data are applied or synthesized to support population health management for the selected population is incomplete. There are major inaccuracies. Explanation of how nursing science; social determinants of health; and epidemiologic, genomic, and genetic data are applied or synthesized to support population health management for the selected population is summarized. More information and support are needed. Explanation of how nursing science; social determinants of health; and epidemiologic, genomic, and genetic data are applied or synthesized to support population health management for the selected population is adequate. Some detail is needed for accuracy or clarity. Explanation of how nursing science; social determinants of health; and epidemiologic, genomic, and genetic data are applied or synthesized to support population health management for the selected population is thorough. The narrative is insightful and demonstrates an understanding of how the various aspects contribute to population health management for selected populations.

Appendix 5.0% The appendix and required resources are omitted. The APA Writing Checklist and PICOT are attached, but an appendix has not been created. The paper does not reflect the use of the APA Writing Checklist during development. The APA Writing Checklist and PICOT are attached in the appendix. The APA Writing Checklist was generally used in development of the paper, but some aspects are inconsistent with the paper format or quality. The APA Writing Checklist and PICOT are attached in the appendix. It is apparent that the APA Writing Checklist was used in development of the paper. The APA Writing Checklist and PICOT are attached in the appendix. It is clearly evident by the quality of the paper that the APA Writing Checklist was used in development. Benchmark – Evidence-Based Practice Project: PICOT Paper NUR 550

Required Sources 5.0% Sources are not included. Number of required sources is only partially met. Number of required sources is met, but sources are outdated or inappropriate. Number of required sources is met. Sources are current, but not all sources are appropriate for the assignment criteria and nursing content. Number of required resources is met. Sources are current and appropriate for the assignment criteria and nursing content.

Organization and Effectiveness 20.0%
Thesis Development and Purpose 7.0% Paper lacks any discernible overall purpose or organizing claim. Thesis is insufficiently developed or vague. Purpose is not clear. Thesis is apparent and appropriate to purpose. Thesis is clear and forecasts the development of the paper. Thesis is descriptive and reflective of the arguments and appropriate to the purpose. Thesis is comprehensive and contains the essence of the paper. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear.

Argument Logic and Construction 8.0% Statement of purpose is not justified by the conclusion. The conclusion does not support the claim made. Argument is incoherent and uses noncredible sources. Sufficient justification of claims is lacking. Argument lacks consistent unity. There are obvious flaws in the logic. Some sources have questionable credibility. Argument is orderly, but may have a few inconsistencies. The argument presents minimal justification of claims. Argument logically, but not thoroughly, supports the purpose. Sources used are credible. Introduction and conclusion bracket the thesis. Argument shows logical progressions. Techniques of argumentation are evident. There is a smooth progression of claims from.

5 The clinical issue of interest is cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer disease. 4 Cognitive decline in AD is characterized by short-term memory, language impairment, impaired reasoning, poor judgment, difficulty managing complex tasks, and visuospatial dysfunction. 5 Pharmacological therapies for AD help to slow or reverse the progression of AD but do not reverse cognitive decline. Thus, there is a major need to identify non-pharmacological approaches to improve cognitive function in the early stages of the disease before the symptoms progress. 4 The following evaluation table will analyze four peer-reviewed articles that focus on the impact of non-pharmacological approaches in improving cognitive function.

6 Full APA formatted citation of selected article.

7 Article #1 Article #2 Article #3 Article #4

5 Butler, M., McCreedy, E., Nelson, V. A., Desai, P., Ratner, E., Fink, H. A.,. & Kane, R. L. (2018). 8 Does cognitive training prevent cognitive decline? 9 A systematic review. 5 Annals of internal medicine, 168(1), 63-68. https://doi.org/10.7326/M17-1531

Hill, N. 5 T., Mowszowski, L., Naismith, S. L., Chadwick, V. L., Valenzuela, M., & Lampit, A. (2017). 10 Computerized cognitive training in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 5 American Journal of Psychiatry, 174(4), 329-340. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.16030360

4 Weng, W., Liang, J., Xue, J., Zhu, T., Jiang, Y., Wang, J., & Chen, S. (2019). 4 The transfer effects of cognitive training on working memory among Chinese older adults with mild cognitive impairment: 9 a randomized controlled trial. 4 Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 11, 212.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2019.00212 Giovagnoli, A. R., Manfredi, V., Parente, A., Schifano, L., Oliveri, S., & Avanzini, G. (2017). 4 Cognitive training in Alzheimer’s disease: 11 a controlled randomized study. 4 Neurological Sciences, 38(8), 1485-1493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-017-3003-9

Evidence Level *

12 (I, II, or III)

I I I I

Conceptual Framework

2 Describe the theoretical basis for the study (If there is not one mentioned in the article, say that here).**

The theoretical basis is not provided.

The theoretical basis is not provided.

The theoretical basis is not provided.

The theoretical basis is not provided.

13 Design/Method Describe the design and how the study was carried out (In detail, including inclusion/exclusion criteria).

9 · The study conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

  • The authors searched Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for pertinent literature published between January 2009 and July 2017.
  • Inclusion: The study included randomized trials of cognitive training interventions that enrolled adults with either normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) if the studies:
  1. Followed the subjects for at least 6 months;
  2. Gave the cognitive performance or incident dementia outcomes;

iii. Were published in English.

  • Exclusion: Studies were excluded if they only included persons diagnosed with dementia.

9 · Systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.

14 · The researchers searched Embase, Medline, PsychINFO, CINAHL, and CENTRAL through July 1, 2016, for RCTs of computerized cognitive training (CCT) in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia.

4 · Design- Randomized control trial.

  • Enrolled subjects (N = 65) were randomly grouped to a cognitive training group (N = 33) or a control group (N = 32).
  • Inclusion criteria
  1. Age ≥60 years old.
  2. No significant visual or auditory impairment.

iii. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA, <26 when education level >12 years or MoCA <25 when education level ≤12 years).

  1. Meets the MCI diagnostic criteria of the NINCDS-ADRDA.
  2. Informed and freely to give informed consent.
  • Exclusion criteria:

  1. Meets the dementia diagnostic criteria of DSM-V and NINCDS-ADRDA.
  2. On antipsychotics, or have stopped for less than 3 months.

iii. Taking part in other cognitive training projects.

  1. Declined to participate in the study.

4 Design- Randomized control trial.

Inclusion criteria:

  1. Mild to moderate dementia MMSE score >15)
  2. Probable AD

iii. Impairment in memory or executive functions

  1. Schooling ≥5 years
  2. Informed consent

Exclusion criteria:

  1. 11Severe hearing or visual impairment
  2. Aphasia

iii. Unilateral spatial neglect

  1. Stroke
  2. Epilepsy
  3. Traumatic brain injury

vii. History of psychosis, major depression, bipolar disorder, or substance abuse.

Sample/Setting

2 The number and characteristics of

patients, attrition rate, etc.

  • The researchers identified 35 publications of 34 unique RCTs of cognitive training interventions. 11 of the publications had medium or low risk of bias (5– 16).
  • The mean age of study subjects’ was ≥60 years old, with a diagnosis of MCI or dementia (of any etiology), confirmed by assessing the inclusion criteria or baseline scores against standardized diagnostic criteria.
  • Sixty-two participants with MCI above 60 years old were recruited.
  • Setting- Communities in China.
  • Sample- 39 AD patients.
  • Setting- Participants were recruited at one center.

2 Major Variables Studied

16 List and define dependent and independent variables · Dependent variables- cognitive performance and incident dementia · Independent variables- Cognitive training.

  • Dependent variables- cognition and behavior.

17 · Independent variables- Computerized cognitive training.

  • Dependent variables- working memory, execution function, reasoning ability, verbal ability, and ability of daily living.
  • Independent variables- Cognitive training · Dependent variables- initiative, episodic memory, mood, and social relationships.
  • Independent variables- cognitive training.

Measurement

2 Identify primary statistics used to answer clinical questions (You need to list the actual tests done).

  • Mean- MMSE Scores · Pooling of standardized mean differences across studies was conducted using a random-effects model.
  • Egger’s test of the intercepts was utilized to formally test asymmetry.
  • The Duval and Tweedie trim and fill was utilized to quantify the magnitude of small study effect.
  • ANCOVA was used to test the training effect. The data of cognitive assessments (T2) was the dependent variable, and the grouping condition was the independent variable while controlling for age, gender and baseline data (T0).
  • Separate paired sample t tests examined the results of other neuropsychological test, setting significance as p < 0.003 for 15 comparisons.

2 Data Analysis Statistical or

18 Qualitative findings (You need to enter the actual numbers determined by the statistical tests or qualitative data).

  • The study analyzed and reported cognitive test results by direction of effect and statistical significance.
  • Analyses were conducted for overall cognitive outcomes and for each cognitive or behavioral domain independently.
  • Data were analyzed by IBM SPSS and 21.0 and Mplus Version 8.2.
  • The independent-sample t-test and χ2 test were utilized to compare the baseline data of the cognitive training group with that of the control group.
  • Multiple stepwise regression analysis, entering age, schooling, group membership, and baseline test scores.

2 Findings and Recommendations

General findings and recommendations of the research · For healthy older adults, cognitive training enhanced cognitive performance in the trained domain but not in other domains, this had moderate-strength evidence.

  • Results for individuals with MCI showed no effect of training on performance.
  • There was insufficient evidence on the impact of cognitive training on prevention of cognitive decline or dementia.
  • The study recommends that patients be provided education on how to interpret advertising for cognitive training programs and products.
  • The study established that CCT is efficacious on global cognition, some cognitive domains, and psychosocial functioning in persons with MCI.
  • Authors recommend longer-term and larger-scale trials to assess the effects of CCT on conversion to dementia.
  • Compared to mental leisure activities (MLA), subjects in the cognitive training group demonstrated significant effects in both the trained (working memory) and untrained (execution function and ability of daily living) domains.

10 · The study recommends cognitive training in elderly persons with MCI to improve their working memory.

  • The study showed that in persons with mild to moderate AD, a defined cognitive training was associated with improved or stabilized initiative and episodic memory compared to non-cognitive therapies such as AMT and NE.
  • The study recommends the use of cognitive training and non-cognitive treatments to improve mood in AD patients.

2 Appraisal and Study Quality

Describe the general worth of this research to practice.

What are the strengths and limitations of study?

What are the risks associated with implementation of the suggested practices or processes detailed in the research?

What is the feasibility of use in your practice?

  • The research is of minimal worth since it does not offer sufficient evidence on whether cognitive training decreases the risk for future MCI or dementia.
  • It does not provide enough evidence for health care providers to support or encourage any particular cognitive training to lower the risk for cognitive decline or onset of dementia.
  • Strengths: The researchers only analyzed studies with low or medium risk of bias which reduces the potential for publication bias.
  • Limitations: Outcomes mostly evaluated test performance instead of global function or dementia diagnosis.
  • The risk of implementing cognitive training on patients with MCI is that it may have no impact in reducing the risk for cognitive decline or reducing the risk of developing dementia.
  • Feasibility: Cognitive training can easily be implemented in my practice since we provide care to older adults who need cognitive training to improve performance in the aspect of training.
  • CCT can be applied in clinical practice on patients with MCI to improve their cognition, memory, working memory, and attention. It can also be used to enhance psychosocial functioning and depressive symptoms in dementia patients.
  • Strengths: The study compared effect size estimates and precision in active- and passive-controlled trials.
  • Limitations: Functional outcomes were measured primarily using proxy measures that are prone to multiple-source bias.
  • Risks: Implementing CCC can be associated with lack of improved cognition or function in dementia patients.
  • Feasibility: CCT is feasible for use in my practice since we have embraced the use of technology among the staff and our patients. Patients with MCI can thus be provided with CCT interventions to enhance cognition.
  • The research is useful to clinical practice as it shows that cognitive training can be used in patients with MCI to improve cognitive function, working memory and daily life ability of daily living.
  • Strengths: The study employed a randomized control study, which helped to compare the impact of two treatment modalities (Cognitive training and mental leisure activities).
  • Limitations: The study used a small sample size and most of the subjects were female, which limits generalizability.
  • Risks: Implementing cognitive training can have a transfer effect on execution function.
  • Feasibility: The cognitive training programs can easily be implemented in our practice on AD patients.
  • The research is useful to clinical practice as it proves that combining cognitive training and non-cognitive therapies may have useful clinical implications.
  • Strengths: The study employed a randomized control study, which helped to compare the impact of two treatment modalities (Cognitive training vs. AMT and NE).
  • Limitations: There was a failure to control for multiple comparisons comparatively to the sample size.
  • Risks: Implementing cognitive training can have a transfer effect on execution function.
  • Feasibility: The cognitive training programs can easily be implemented in our practice on older adults with MCI.

Key findings

  • In older adults with supposed normal cognition, cognitive training seemed to provide some degree of protection against reducing performance in the domain of training but no broader cognitive or functional benefit.
  • Cognitive training enhances cognitive test performance in otherwise healthy older adults, for the domain trained.
  • Small- moderate effects were exhibited for global cognition, working memory, attention, learning, and memory, except nonverbal memory.
  • There was an impact in psychosocial functioning, including depressive symptoms.
  • In dementia, significant effects were seen in overall cognition and visuospatial skills, · The study revealed that the impact of cognitive training on overall cognitive function, working memory and daily life ability of daily living of MCI can be maintained for at least 3 months.
  • Complete mediating effects of cognitive training were found in executive function through working memory and working memory in ability of daily living though executive function.
  • At the end of the cognitive training, initiative significantly improved, while, at the end of active music therapy (AMT) and neuro-education (NE), it was unchanged. Episodic memory had no changes at the end of cognitive training or AMT and worsened after NE.

Outcomes

  • Inadequate evidence on whether cognitive training decreases the risk for future

MCI or dementia.

15 · Subjects in the CCT groups improved significantly over the intervention period, while those in the control group did not exhibit any cognitive change.

  • Cognition training had a high level of acceptance in the in-home MCI older adults in urban communities.
  • The compliance in the cognitive training process was satisfactory.
  • Mood and social relationships improved in the three groups, with greater changes after active music therapy (AMT) or neuro-education (NE).

General Notes/Comments · Cognitive training can be incorporated as part of health promotion interventions in healthy older adults to improve their cognitive test performance.

10 · CCT is a practical intervention for improving cognition in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

1 Evidence-Based Project Part 3 B: 2 Critical Appraisal of Research

The critical appraisal of research has revealed that cognitive training effectively improves cognitive function in persons having mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Cognitive training can also improve cognitive performance in older patients since they have a high risk of cognitive decline. MCI often precedes dementia. It is characterized by mainly normal functions in spite of objective evidence of cognitive decline. MCI is a major risk factor for dementia, falls, and high healthcare costs. The risk increases relatively with impaired cognitive domains and severity of symptoms. Cognitive training is the best practice that emerges from the research analysis. 5 Butler et al. (2018) revealed that cognitive training improved cognitive performance in healthy elderly persons. Therefore, it the training be incorporated in the preventative care of older adults to lower the risk of declined cognitive function, which is common in advanced age.

Cognitive training can be implemented using technology computerized cognitive training (CCT). 10 Hill et al. (2017) demonstrated CCT as an effective and safe approach for promoting cognitive function in the elderly. Besides, CCT value has been established in improving cognition and psychosocial functioning, including alleviating depression and neuropsychiatric symptoms and improving the quality of life of individuals MCI. Furthermore, Weng et al.’s (2019) study shows that cognitive training significantly impacts the domains of executive function, memory, and performance of ADLs. The impact on these domains can be sustained for at least three months. It can convey to other untrained areas, including executive function. Executive function also enhances the ability to carry out ADLs. The study justifies cognitive training as a practical approach to enhance working memory in elderly persons having MCI. 4 Giovagnoli et al. (2017) further show that cognitive training is useful in increasing initiative and stabilizing memory in persons with mild-moderate AD.

NUR 590 Discussion Critical Appraisal of Research Conclusion

The above peer-reviewed articles include two systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials and Randomized control trials. 4 The studies sought to evaluate the impact of cognitive training in improving cognitive function in AD patients. They support my PICOT by establishing that indeed cognitive training is a feasible intervention that can improve cognitive function in AD patients. Therefore, the interventions can be incorporated in patients’’ treatment plans.

NUR 590 Discussion Critical Appraisal of Research References

5 Butler, M., McCreedy, E., Nelson, V. A., Desai, P., Ratner, E., Fink, H. A.,. & Kane, R. L. (2018). 8 Does cognitive training prevent cognitive decline? 9 A systematic review. 5 Annals of internal medicine, 168(1), 63-68. https://doi.org/10.7326/M17-1531

Giovagnoli, A. 4 R., Manfredi, V., Parente, A., Schifano, L., Oliveri, S., & Avanzini, G. (2017). 4 Cognitive training in Alzheimer’s disease: 11 a controlled randomized study. 4 Neurological Sciences, 38(8), 1485-1493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-017-3003-9

Hill, N. 5 T., Mowszowski, L., Naismith, S. L., Chadwick, V. L., Valenzuela, M., & Lampit, A. (2017). 10 Computerized cognitive training in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 5 American Journal of Psychiatry, 174(4), 329-340. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.16030360

4 Weng, W., Liang, J., Xue, J., Zhu, T., Jiang, Y., Wang, J., & Chen, S. (2019). 4 The transfer effects of cognitive training on working memory among Chinese older adults with mild cognitive impairment: 9 a randomized controlled trial. 4 Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 11, 212. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2019.00212

6 Critical Appraisal Tool Worksheet Template

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The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.

Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.

If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.

I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.

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Communication

Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me:

Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.

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Important information for writing discussion questions and participation

Welcome to class

Hello class and welcome to the class and I will be your instructor for this course. This is a -week course and requires a lot of time commitment, organization, and a high level of dedication. Please use the class syllabus to guide you through all the assignments required for the course. I have also attached the classroom policies to this announcement to know your expectations for this course. Please review this document carefully and ask me any questions if you do. You could email me at any time or send me a message via the “message” icon in halo if you need to contact me. I check my email regularly, so you should get a response within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me within 24 hours and need to contact me urgently, please send a follow up text to

I strongly encourage that you do not wait until the very last minute to complete your assignments. Your assignments in weeks 4 and 5 require early planning as you would need to present a teaching plan and interview a community health provider. I advise you look at the requirements for these assignments at the beginning of the course and plan accordingly. I have posted the YouTube link that explains all the class assignments in detail. It is required that you watch this 32-minute video as the assignments from week 3 through 5 require that you follow the instructions to the letter to succeed. Failure to complete these assignments according to instructions might lead to a zero. After watching the video, please schedule a one-on-one with me to discuss your topic for your project by the second week of class. Use this link to schedule a 15-minute session. Please, call me at the time of your appointment on my number. Please note that I will NOT call you.

Please, be advised I do NOT accept any assignments by email. If you are having technical issues with uploading an assignment, contact the technical department and inform me of the issue. If you have any issues that would prevent you from getting your assignments to me by the deadline, please inform me to request a possible extension. Note that working fulltime or overtime is no excuse for late assignments. There is a 5%-point deduction for every day your assignment is late. This only applies to approved extensions. Late assignments will not be accepted.

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Plagiarism is highly prohibited. Please ensure you are citing your sources correctly using APA 7th edition. All assignments including discussion posts should be formatted in APA with the appropriate spacing, font, margin, and indents. Any papers not well formatted would be returned back to you, hence, I advise you review APA formatting style. I have attached a sample paper in APA format and will also post sample discussion responses in subsequent announcements.

Your initial discussion post should be a minimum of 200 words and response posts should be a minimum of 150 words. Be advised that I grade based on quality and not necessarily the number of words you post. A minimum of TWO references should be used for your initial post. For your response post, you do not need references as personal experiences would count as response posts. If you however cite anything from the literature for your response post, it is required that you cite your reference. You should include a minimum of THREE references for papers in this course. Please note that references should be no more than 5 years old except recommended as a resource for the class. Furthermore, for each discussion board question, you need ONE initial substantive response and TWO substantive responses to either your classmates or your instructor for a total of THREE responses. There are TWO discussion questions each week, hence, you need a total minimum of SIX discussion posts for each week. I usually post a discussion question each week. You could also respond to these as it would count towards your required SIX discussion posts for the week.

I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course!

Hi Class,

Please read through the following information on writing a Discussion question response and participation posts.

Contact me if you have any questions.

Important information on Writing a Discussion Question

  • Your response needs to be a minimum of 150 words (not including your list of references)
  • There needs to be at least TWO references with ONE being a peer reviewed professional journal article.
  • Include in-text citations in your response
  • Do not include quotes—instead summarize and paraphrase the information
  • Follow APA-7th edition
  • Points will be deducted if the above is not followed

Participation –replies to your classmates or instructor

  • A minimum of 6 responses per week, on at least 3 days of the week.
  • Each response needs at least ONE reference with citations—best if it is a peer reviewed journal article
  • Each response needs to be at least 75 words in length (does not include your list of references)
  • Responses need to be substantive by bringing information to the discussion or further enhance the discussion. Responses of “I agree” or “great post” does not count for the word count.
  • Follow APA 7th edition
  • Points will be deducted if the above is not followed
  • Remember to use and follow APA-7th edition for all weekly assignments, discussion questions, and participation points.
  • Here are some helpful links
  • Student paper example
  • Citing Sources
  • The Writing Center is a great resource

A Sample Answer For the Assignment: NUR 590 Discussion Critical Appraisal of Research

Title: NUR 590 Discussion Critical Appraisal of Research

Critical Appraisal 

 There is an overwhelming volume of clinical research articles that have been published over time. These papers have both similarities and differences in terms of their content, objectives, timelines, authors, methodologies, findings among other aspects. This brings difficulties for those browsing medical literature for the most relevant and helpful papers for their varied reasons. Critical Appraisal is one of the ways through which this problem can be navigated. With Critical Appraisal, research papers can be examined critically and systematically to determine their integrity, relevance, and value (Morrison, 2017). This is achieved by examining factors such as internal validity, how the study was conducted, methodology among other aspects. This paper will give an example of a critical appraisal of two qualitative research studies for a better understanding of the process.  

Example 1 

The first article is The perceptions and perspectives of patients and health care providers on chronic disease management in rural South Africa: a qualitative study authored by Eric Maimela, Jean-Pierre Van Geertruyden, Marianne Alberts, Sewela Modjadji, Herman Meulemans, Jesicca Fraeyman, and Hilde Bastiaens in 2015. The paper was conducted in Limpopo province in South Africa to find out and describe the perceptions and perspectives of patients and health care providers on chronic disease management. The authors report that the burden of chronic diseases is increasing worldwide. This problem is commonly addressed by chronic disease management interventions that have been developed over time. The problem is further compounded by other factors such as patients’ and physicians’ perceptions, which influence the implementation and the success of the interventions. However, the exact perception of patients and health care providers on these interventions which can either motivate or hinder their participation, successful implementation, and outcomes has not been fully established in South Africa. To address this issue, the authors developed two questions to answer; 

  1. First, how do individuals with distinct chronic diseases experience their encounters with professional health care providers (HCP) and what are their expectations and suggestions?  
  1. And secondly, how do HCP perceive the current CDM and what are their expectations and suggestions for the future CDM?  

These questions and the purpose of the paper show greater relevance to the problem. This is because they will unravel how perceptions have contributed to the growing prevalence of chronic diseases in the world and how such knowledge can be used to address the situation.  

The study employed focus group discussion with both patient and health care providers and the data called was audio recorded. This offered an adequate method of discussing the perceptions of both patients and nurses concerning the topic exhaustively. The authors have enriched the paper with both qualitative and quantitative research papers to develop and justify their assertions. Few of the references date back to the early 2000 and late 1990s while most of them are between 2007 and 2014. They develop a strong case through the use of available literature stating limited information as the only weakness they found. They develop no framework from their findings. 

Execution of the research followed the due ethical considerations by seeking approval of the University of Limpopo Medunsa Research Committee and the Department of Health in Limpopo Province before the start. The results show that what clinicians practice is different from what is documented in research interventions. Additionally, it reports that what clinicians recommend to patients is different from what patients do at home. This is because both nurses and patients hold different perspectives and perceptions on the interventions and also, different interventions apply only to different communities, cultures, and patients. Such dynamics interfere with the success and effectiveness of the interventions. With this knowledge, health care providers can employ the most appropriate intervention and make necessary adjustments to the available ones to maximize the expected outcomes. As such, the research study relevantly answered the research questions and achieved its objectives. 

NUR 590 Discussion Critical Appraisal of Research
NUR 590 Discussion Critical Appraisal of Research

Example 2 

The second article is Patient perceptions of patient-centered care: empirical test of a theoretical model authored by Cheryl Rathert, Eric S. Williams, Deirdre McCaughey, and Ghadir Ishqaidef in 2015. The study aimed to determine the perceptions of patients concerning patient-centered care from the care they receive. The authors identify patient-centered care as an important contributor to positive clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. Most hospitals do not offer patient-centered care but disease‐ or physician‐centered kinds of care. Patient-centered care should be offered in the manner and time required by the patients. Some nurses who think they do this confused it with process-centered care. The study, therefore, aims to establish the fact by applying the theoretical model of the Picker Institute and the IOM to collect patient perceptions data on various dimensions of patient-centered care. They tend to establish how such perceptions influence patients’ ratings of care. The authors enroot their argument on the available literature and the fact that the Picker Institute theoretical model has not been tested as a unified model to justify their approach. To achieve their objective, the authors developed two research questions; 

  1. Are the theoretical dimensions of patient‐centered care predictive of overall quality of care ratings? 
  1. Is each of the theoretical dimensions equally predictive of overall quality of care ratings? 

These questions and objectives are relevant to the study questions because the will directly determine how patients’ perceptions on patient-centered care influence their understanding of care quality. It will also tell whether care ratings based on such perceptions are valid or not.  

The study used questionnaires containing seven dimensions of care developed from the Picker Institute theoretical model. Participants were emailed the questionnaires to give their perceptions accordingly on a scale of 1 to 4 at most. In the end, the participants were asked to give their overall ratings and satisfaction on the care they received on a scale of 1 to 5. As such the method will adequately answer the coiled research questions. There is no specific perspective that develops the paper though the authors cite many researcher papers to support their assertions. Most of the references were published between 2012 and 2000 with only two extending into the 1990s. even though the literature reinforces the applicability of the Picker Institute theoretical model and the importance of patient-centered care, the authored reports a gap in testing the model as a unified model. No framework is developed.  

The paper does not detail any ethical considerations adopted before or after the study or during data collection. The result shows that the theoretical model adopted for patient-centered care can give information that can be used to predict overall quality ratings of care. Among the seven dimensions, emotional support was found to be the top and strongest influencer of quality ratings followed by coordination of care and physical comfort. The study contributes to the possibility and necessity of incorporating patient-centered care into practice. The management can identify what is lacking from the data and provide incentives for their incorporation into practice to enhance evidence-based management for improvement of positive outcomes. The results can also direct further research by highlighting relevant areas of emphasis and interest. Therefore, the paper has achieved its objective and answered its research questions.  

NUR 590 Discussion Critical Appraisal of Research References 

Maimela, E., Van Geertruyden, J. P., Alberts, M., Modjadji, S. E., Meulemans, H., Fraeyman, J., & Bastiaens, H. (2015). The perceptions and perspectives of patients and health care providers on chronic diseases management in rural South Africa: a qualitative study. BMC health services research, 15(1), 143. 

Morrison, K. (2017). Dissecting the literature: the importance of critical appraisal. Royal college of surgeons. 

Rathert, C., Williams, E. S., McCaughey, D., & Ishqaidef, G. (2015). Patient perceptions of patient‐centred care: empirical test of a theoretical model. Health Expectations, 18(2), 199-209.