How Early Pain Relief Administration Impacts Emergency Department Length of Stay

Course learning outcomes covered

1. Critique philosophical and ethical underpinnings of different research paradigms.
2. Deduce from issues identified in the nursing theory and/or clinical environment a problem and formulate a research strategy to address the problem.
3. Critically evaluate relevant scholarly publications to establish the need for and extent of further inquiry in an identified issue for the purposes of research.
4. Produce a research project proposal that articulates the appropriate research process for addressing an identified nursing practice issue.

Standard of competence for registered nurses

This assessment aligns with the following pou (standards) for registered nurses in New Zealand.

Pou 4: Pūkengatanga and evidence-informed nursing practice

Pou 6:Rangatiratanga and leadership

For more details, please see the Nursing Council of New Zealand's website

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.

Assessment Summary: Nursing Research Proposal on Pain Relief in Emergency Departments

Assessment Requirements:

This assessment requires students to develop a concise research proposal (maximum 1000 words) focused on a nursing practice issue identified from prior coursework. The key requirements include:

• Reflective Context: Reflect on what has been learned in the course and connect it to real-world clinical practice.

• Research Question: Formulate a clear research question using the PICO framework.
  Example: “How effective is early administration of pain relief, compared to delayed administration, in reducing length of stay of patients in Emergency Department?”

• Background and Purpose: Provide an overview of existing knowledge on the topic and justify why the research is clinically significant.

• Significance of Research: Explain gaps in current literature and how the research can contribute to nursing practice or evidence-based care.

• Research Design and Methodology: Describe the proposed research approach likely an integrative review of secondary data and justify its suitability.

• Ethical and Cultural Considerations: Include ethical implications and responsibilities, including considerations under the Treaty of Waitangi.

• Limitations: Identify potential limitations in design, scope, or expected outcomes.

• Standards Alignment: Link the research to New Zealand nursing competencies (Pou 4 and Pou 6).

• Submission: Follow APA 7 referencing, include recent literature (last five years), and submit electronically.

Key Pointers to Cover:

1. Introduction & Background: Present the clinical issue, its relevance, and previous findings.

2. Research Question: Clearly state and contextualize within the chosen clinical problem.

3. Purpose: Highlight objectives and expected contributions to practice.

4. Significance: Critically justify the research and address literature gaps.

5. Methodology: Explain the integrative review approach and secondary data sources.

6. Ethical & Cultural Considerations: Reflect on ethical research conduct and cultural responsibilities.

7. Limitations: Briefly mention constraints and possible impacts on conclusions.

Assessment Approach Guided by Academic Mentor

1. Understanding Purpose:
The mentor explained that the assessment aims to integrate course learning with practical nursing research skills. Students were encouraged to adopt a reflective first-person perspective and link theory to practice.

2. Research Question & PICO Framework:
The mentor guided students in applying the PICO framework (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) to formulate a precise, researchable question relevant to Emergency Department pain management.

3. Literature Review & Background:
Students were instructed to review recent, relevant literature to identify gaps and justify the clinical significance of their research question. Mentor emphasized critical evaluation over simple description.

4. Purpose & Significance:
Mentor assisted students in articulating why the study matters its impact on nursing practice, patient outcomes, and evidence-based care and how it addresses literature gaps.

5. Methodology:
Students were advised to propose an integrative review methodology using secondary research, including how to select, evaluate, and synthesize existing studies.

6. Ethical & Cultural Considerations:
Mentor highlighted the importance of ethical and cultural responsibilities in research, including adherence to the Treaty of Waitangi and respect for patient confidentiality in hypothetical application.

7. Limitations:
Students were guided to realistically consider potential limitations of their proposed research, such as reliance on secondary data and variability in study quality.

8. Structuring & Submission:
Students organized the assignment with headings: Introduction, Research Question, Purpose, Significance, Methodology, Ethical & Cultural Considerations, Limitations. Mentor checked for clarity, APA compliance, and alignment with learning outcomes.

Final Outcome

• Research Question: Clearly focused on early versus delayed analgesia in ED and its effect on patient length of stay.

• Background & Purpose: Concise overview of clinical relevance and justification from literature.

• Significance: Highlighted gaps in knowledge and potential contribution to nursing practice.

• Methodology: Integrative review of secondary data with clear rationale.

• Ethical & Cultural Considerations: Addressed ethical issues and cultural responsibilities.

• Limitations: Realistic identification of study constraints.

• Learning Outcomes Covered:

  • Critique ethical and philosophical underpinnings of research paradigms.

  • Formulate research strategies based on identified clinical problems.

  • Critically evaluate scholarly publications for further inquiry.

  • Develop a structured research proposal aligned with nursing standards (Pou 4 and Pou 6).

Boost Your Learning with Sample Solutions and Custom Assignments

Looking to understand how a high-quality assignment is structured? You can download our sample solution to gain insights into expert-level writing, proper formatting, and effective presentation of ideas. Use it as a reference to enhance your understanding and improve your own work but remember, it is for reference only. Submitting it as your own can lead to plagiarism penalties.

For students who want complete peace of mind and original content, our professional academic writers can create a fresh, plagiarism-free assignment tailored specifically to your requirements. Ordering a custom solution ensures:

• Personalized content crafted to your instructions

• Verified plagiarism-free work ready for safe submission

• Well-researched, structured, and high-quality assignment solutions

• Timely delivery with expert academic support

Take charge of your academic success today and choose the option that best suits your needs:

[Download Sample Solution]  [Order Fresh Assignment]