Nursing Research & Evidence-Based Practice
Module 2 Individual Case Study Discussion Questions
Chapter 5
Evan and Marlyce have a 4-year-old son (Micah) who has cerebral palsy. Their life is very
challenging because they both have to work and recently lost their home to foreclosure. Micah is
being discharged to home this afternoon, and Marlyce is obviously anxious. Marlyce states, “I
just feel like we are always out of touch when we go home. I have other children to care for, and
we are always on the go.“ This case study is based on a longitudinal qualitative study from
Canada (Woodgae, Edwards, & Ripat, 2012).
1. Propose a qualitative research study purpose that would help the nurse provide better care for Micah’s family.
2. As the researchers set up a qualitative study for families of patients such as Micah, they used
purposive sampling. What does this mean, including some ideas for inclusion and exclusion
factors?
3. Now that inclusion and exclusion criteria are set for the study, how can the participants be
recruited? How many participants would be necessary?
Chapter 6
Simon is undergoing cardiac catheterization after a heart attack. Throughout his hospital stay,
the case manager asks about resources at home. Much to everyone’s amazement, it is discovered
that Simon is homeless. Simon is supposed to undergo extensive follow-up and cardiac
rehabilitation. Because of the location of this facility, the case manager knows that there are
other situations similar to Simon’s in this community.
1. If the case manager wanted to research Simon’s experience (managing cardiac disease while
being homeless), how might the researcher maintain rigor?
2. Describe a grounded theory study and an ethnographic study structure for Simon’s case.
3. The case manager is using an ethnographic research methodology for patients who are
homeless and have heart disease. Describe the data gathering process.
Chapter 7
Two teenaged girls visit the school nurse and are concerned about acne. Both have tried “things
and food” that their friends told them about, but nothing is working. They are asking for more
information and something that will help with “these totally annoying zits.”
1. Propose using social media to better understand how acne affects teenaged girls.
2. For a researcher collecting data through social media, how might their interaction affect the
results and how could this be avoided?
3. Discuss how the researcher could verify the findings from the qualitative research.
Chapter 8
The nurse recognizes that there has been an increase in the number of urinary tract infections
(UTIs) on one unit of the rehabilitation facility. He heard about a new type of peri-care bath
wipes. The nurse would like to try them as a way of seeing if they help decrease the incidence of
cystitis.
1. What are the independent and dependent variables in this study?
2. List some extraneous variables in this study.
3. How might the nurse ensure randomization of the participants to the experimental or control
groups?
Chapter 9
Mirlande is an 18-year-old woman in the clinic with asthma. She has been in the United States
for 6 months and has gone through three albuterol inhalers and two salmeterol inhalers. The
nurse practitioner is considering treatment strategies for the client.
1. As the nurse practitioner considers research studies about the best treatment option, she is
frustrated that she cannot find purely experimental studies. Is there value in reviewing a
study that used quasi-experimental methodology? Provide rationale for your answer.
2. If the nurse practitioner was unable to find research specifically about the young adult or
older adolescent, what may be an acceptable alternative? Provide rationale for your answer.
3. Propose a study for clients with asthma that would compare using a long-acting inhaler (anti-
inflammatory) with an oral medication (anti-inflammatory). Describe the methodology if a
Solomon four-group design was used.