Assignment
Background to this Assessment
The focus of this assessment is for you to briefly present your initial ideas to your tutor/s on the research you are considering undertaking. The design of the research should be based on the research topic and question you formulated in Assessment 1. Use APA 7 and references from the last 5 years. Bullets points are appropriate for the assignment. Maximum words 1000.
Research question: "How effective is early administration of pain relief, compared to delayed administration, in reducing length of stay of patients in Emergency Department?"
PICO framework was employed to answer this question, as it is an extensively validated and reliable tool used by researchers among the scientific community (Hosseini et al., 2024). PICO stands for Population, intervention, comparison, and output.
P: Patients presenting with pain to ED
I: Early administration of adequate analgesia
C: Delayed Analgesia administration
O: Length of stay in ED.
When working on your Assignment, you will need to consider:
- What: this refers to the background of your proposed topic – what is the area you are interested in, and what is your research question?
- Why: this refers to why you want to undertake research about this topic. For example, why is this clinically significant in your practice, and why is this health issue important? Additionally, there may be few published studies that relate to your question. Or - there may only be quantitative studies available, and you are interested in qualitative research (or vice versa).
- How: this refers to how you are planning to undertake your research. This means you need to state how you are proposing to answer your research question – in other words, your research design and methodology. This will likely be an integrative review.
The research you are proposing should be secondary research only.
Include the following:
- Introduction and background: Briefly introduce your topic area and provide some brief background. You should briefly discuss what is already known about the topic and what you are planning to focus on.For the background refer to some of the literature around your topic area to provide critical justification for your proposed research.
- Research question: This is the research question that you developed and discussed in Assessment 1. You should introduce this question and how it fits with your research topic.
- Purpose of the research: Provide a brief summary of the purpose of the research. You should consider what you are aiming to achieve or what problems you are hoping to solve from the proposed research.
- Significance of the research: Provide critical justification for undertaking the research. You should consider what is the ‘gap’ that your proposed research is aiming to address; how might this research be useful for nursing/nurses; or how might your research add to the existing body of knowledge. It is important to be realistic about what could be achieved from your proposed research.
- Research design and methodology: You need to provide an overview of what research design you are considering for your proposed research. You should also include which methodological approach you are going to take in your proposed research and why. This will likely be an integrative review; therefore, you should provide a brief description of what is involved in an integrative review. A reminder that in secondary research, the data is existing and is from primary research studies.
- Ethical and cultural considerations: You should include the ethical implications of the proposed research. You do not need to complete an ethics application; rather, consider what you might need to do and consider if you were to complete this research.As part of your ethical considerations, you should also show that you have considered the cultural implications of your proposed research, including your responsibilities as a researcher, under the Treaty of Waitangi.
- Limitations: You need to briefly identify the potential limitations of your proposed research. Consider limitations in the design of the study or the kind of answers you can potentially generate from your proposed research.
Summary of Assessment Requirements
The assessment focuses on developing a research proposal based on a previously formulated research question. It is a secondary research-based assignment (max 1000 words) that requires students to clearly present their initial ideas and plans to their tutor. Key pointers to be covered include:
- Introduction and Background – Present the research topic, outline what is already known, and justify the focus of the proposed research using recent literature.
- Research Question – Clearly state the research question developed in Assessment 1 and demonstrate how it aligns with the topic.
- Purpose of Research – Explain the aim of the research and the problem it seeks to address.
- Significance of Research – Critically justify the research, highlighting gaps in current knowledge and its relevance to nursing practice.
- Research Design and Methodology – Describe the proposed research approach, likely an integrative review, and explain why it is suitable for the research question.
- Ethical and Cultural Considerations – Address ethical responsibilities and cultural factors, including considerations under the Treaty of Waitangi.
- Limitations – Identify potential limitations in the research design or anticipated outcomes.
- Use of APA 7 – Ensure all references are from the last five years and correctly cited.
Framework Used: The PICO framework guided the development of the research question:
- P (Population): Patients presenting with pain in ED
- I (Intervention): Early administration of analgesia
- C (Comparison): Delayed administration
- O (Outcome): Length of stay in ED
Step-by-Step Guidance Provided by Academic Mentor
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Understanding the Assessment Brief
The mentor first helped the student interpret the requirements, clarifying that the assignment is secondary research and emphasizing the need for brevity and relevance.
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Defining the Research Question Using PICO
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Structuring the Assignment
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Developing the Background and Significance
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Choosing Research Design and Methodology
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Addressing Ethical and Cultural Considerations
- The mentor emphasized the importance of acknowledging ethical responsibilities even in secondary research, including proper citation and respecting participant confidentiality in sourced studies.
- Cultural considerations, such as the Treaty of Waitangi, were integrated to demonstrate awareness of indigenous perspectives in research practice.
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Identifying Limitations
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The mentor guided the student to realistically consider constraints, such as reliance on existing literature, potential biases in primary studies, and the scope of findings.
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Final Review and APA Compliance
Outcome Achieved
- The student produced a concise, well-structured research proposal (under 1000 words) clearly addressing each required section.
- The proposal demonstrated a clear understanding of the PICO framework, secondary research methodology, and evidence-based justification for the research question.
- Ethical and cultural considerations were appropriately incorporated, showing critical awareness of research responsibilities.
- Limitations were realistically acknowledged, giving the proposal credibility and rigor.
Learning Objectives Covered
- Developing a focused, clinically relevant research question using PICO framework.
- Conducting a critical literature review to justify research significance.
- Understanding secondary research design, particularly integrative reviews.
- Demonstrating awareness of ethical and cultural considerations in research.
- Presenting academic work in a clear, structured, and APA 7-compliant format.
- Identifying limitations and realistically assessing the scope of the research.
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