Data Collection and Analysis

¶ … Nurses' Work Schedule Characteristics, Nurse Staffing, and Patient Mortality" (Trinkoff, et al. 2011 p 1). The authors argue that lower nursing staff level can lead to poor patients' outcome and poor care, however, higher nursing skills mix can assist in recording lower mortality rates. In overall, increase in a number of nursing staff is associated with improving patient outcome. The authors use the quantitative technique to collect data from 633 nurses working in different 71 acute non-federal hospitals in Illinois and North Carolina. The study also uses a generalized estimating equation to examine the hypothesis. The research examines whether the authors explicitly states the research questions or hypothesis.

Hypotheses or Research Questions

Analysis of the research reveals that the authors do not explicitly state the research questions, and the absence of the research questions is not justified because one of the main features of quality quantitative research is to state the research questions that authors attempt to answer. By stating the research questions, the readers will understand whether the authors have answered the research questions from the research findings. Moreover, stating the hypothesis is important in a quantitative research because it gives direction to a research. Thus, the hypothesis assists in the formulation of a research problem, which the authors attempt to solve.

While the authors state the hypothesis in the study, however, the hypothesis is not appropriately worded. The stated hypothesis in the study is as follows:

Hypothesis: "It was hypothesized that, in hospitals where nurses report more adverse work schedules, mortality rates will reflect poorer quality care". (Trinkoff, et al. 2011 p 2). Despite stating the hypothesis, the authors do not state the hypothesis in an appropriate format, which can make a reader missing the hypothesis. However, the authors state the study population that consists of 633 nurses working in non-federal hospitals. While variables are mentioned in the study and provide a clear specification of key variables, however, the authors do not explicitly mention the key variables, and only experienced readers can identify the variables in the study. Despite the shortcomings identified in the method used in stating the hypothesis, the hypothesis has been consistency with the conceptual framework and literature review. The authors review the literature showing that patients' mortality is correlated with lower staffing levels, and increase in nurse staff assists in improving patient's outcomes because extended work schedules can cause performances deficits and fatigue among nursing professionals. The authors use the balance theory as the conceptual framework to demonstrate how job performances affect human imbalances with the aspect of excessive demand for the job.

Literature Review

Analysis of the literature shows that the literature used are not mainly the primary sources. Rather, the authors use the combination of primary and secondary sources to complete the review. However, the review provides a synthesis of evidence on the research problem by explaining how lower nursing staffing contributes to the poorer health outcome. The literature also identified the balance theory for the conceptual framework revealing how work performances and excessive work demand affect patient's outcomes Moreover, the literature provides a leeway for further study because "the authors do not examine other aspects of the nurses' work environment, which can affect nursing care practices, such as work schedule characteristics related to patient outcomes". (Trinkoff, et al. 2011 p 2).

Conceptual/Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework identified is the balanced theory and is appropriate because it provides the relationships between factors influencing nurses' work performances within the work environments and patient's outcomes.

Method

The absence of human rights protection is one of the shortcomings of the study. While the authors collect data from human subjects, the study does not provide the method employed in protecting the participant's private information. Safeguarding the rights of participants is one of the core aspects of quantitative research because it is mandatory for a researcher to protect the private information of the participants from the third party. Moreover, the study has not been reviewed by the ethics review board or IRB (institutional review board). In the United States, the IRB is an independent ethical committee designated to monitor, review and approve behavioral and biomedical research. The purpose of the IRB is to protect the welfare and rights of human participants. Since the IRB does not review the study before it is published, it is deemed that study is not designed to maximize benefits to participants and minimize risks of participants.

Research Design

The study uses the most rigorous method for the research design showing the research purpose, a method of data collection, conceptual frameworks, data analysis and research findings. Moreover, the study uses appropriate comparisons to enhance interpretability of the findings comparing how different work schedules and skill mix affect patients' outcomes. Additionally, the number of a number of data collection points is appropriate because authors collect data from 71 acute care non-federal hospitals in North Carolina and Illinois minimizing bias based on the internal validity. However, the external validity is absent in the research design.

Population and Sample

The sample design assists in enhancing the sample representatives because the study collects data from 633 nurses across 71 acute non-federal hospitals. In the sampling procedure, the study randomly selected 5,000 RN (registered nurses) for the survey where 633 RN were selected and only nurses who have been working for at least one year are included in the analysis. However, research has not minimized the sampling biases because nurses working in the federal hospitals have not been selected. Despite the technique used in the sampling procedures, the study does not use the power analysis to estimate the sample size, which has been one of the shortcomings of the research.

Data Collection and Measurement

The survey method has been used for data collection. Moreover, the operation definitions and conceptual definitions are congruent where work schedule is measured using the Standard Shiftwork Index. The staffing data is also measured using "the National Quality Forum nurse-sensitive indicators, and mortality is measured using the Agency for Healthcare and Quality (AHRQ)" (Trinkoff, et al. 2011 p 3). However, the key variables operationalized use the survey method for data collection to reach as much as participants as possible. While the survey method is mentioned, however, the study does not mention the instruments used to collect data because the 5 Likert survey instrument is the most common method to collect data in quantitative research. The work schedule, staffing data, and mortality rate are the key variables mentioned in the study, nevertheless, the method of data collection and report provide the data reliability and validity because the authors use the appropriate method for data analysis.

Procedures

The procedure for data collection does not minimize bias because the study does not mention if staff used to collect data are appropriately trained. Moreover, the intervention method is not discussed in the study.

Results (Data analysis)

The research carries out the quantitative technique for the data analysis using the SPSS for the predictive analytics. Moreover, the descriptive statistics revealing the mean and standard deviation that compare the key variables used for the analysis. The analysis undertaking also assists in testing the hypothesis. Moreover, the analysis measures the level of the variables by investigating "the relationship between nurses' work schedules and patient mortality". (Trinkoff, et al. 2011 p 3). While the author does not use the power analysis in the study, nevertheless, the study has been able to minimize the Type I and Type II errors using the rigorous quantitative analysis. However, the intention-to-treat analysis is not performed, and problems of missing values are not evaluated.