Qualitative Research Article Critique

1. write a critique of a qualitative research article that you have read related to your clinical practice. Use the Chapter 7 Critiquing Criteria for Qualitative Research (study 127-134 table 1) Book: LoBiondo-Wood, G. & Haber, J. (2018). Nursing research: Methods and critical appraisal for evidence-based practice. (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc.
2. Incorporate a minimum of 3 current (published within last five years) scholarly journal articles or primary legal sources (statutes, court opinions) within your work.
Please incorporate the article chosen to all the criteria ( Abstract, introduction, method, sample, procedure, data analysis, rigor, results, conclusion, etc ) to the critical appraisal of qualitative research report

ANSWER

Qualitative Research Article Critique

Critique of the Article

The chosen article is Keers et al., (2018), a study on the sources of medication administration errors in a mental hospital published in PubMed, biomedical literature from MEDLINE databases of abstracts and reference of science journals and biomedical topics. The article has been published in a peer-reviewed publication, which will be sufficient for quality evidence concerning the topic. The topic is clear and concise, thus informing the reader to focus on the subject matter and study of medication administration errors in mental hospitals. The study is evidence based practice which is effective in solving problems in health care. Wood and Haber (2018) stated that evidence based practice integrates most appropriate evidence from patient care data and studies within clinician expertise and patient values.

Abstract

The article begins with an abstract that introduces the reader to the overview of the research and the drive of the study, which is to examine the sources of medication administration errors (MDEs) among inpatients admitted to a mental health NHS (National Health Service) hospital. MDEs have been a collective risk to patient well-being in mental health hospitals, but there lacks of in-depth understanding of the roots. Therefore, this research focused on understanding the underlying causes of the errors and remedial interventions.

Introduction

The introduction has linked the relevance of the research to the setting of the study. This has given much support and credibility to the research as a whole. Contextualization of the research has been done by introducing the reader to mental health illness issues and the modern treatment practices that have led to high-risk medications. Illustrating the modern treatment practices and their connection to the medication administration errors has helped the reader understand the direction of the study. Keers et al. (2019) presented the main concepts in the introduction, which brings the study’s importance to nursing knowledge and practice.

Methodology

The methodology of research should offer a clear understanding of the method and approach utilized to obtain data. Keers et al. (2019) used a qualitative approach to describe the nurses’ experience of medication administration errors. The study relied on students and registered nurses in the psychiatric unit in a mental health hospital in North West England. The study relied on 26 participants that were used to describe the incidence of medication administration errors. The participants were identified using incident reports and direct advertisement, where they were invited to participate in the semi-structured interviews through the use of critical incidence techniques.

The study relied on interviews that were structured to capture the participants’ experiences during the administration of medication among inpatients. The reason for using the qualitative research methodology was to capture the different experiences of the nurses towards medication administration errors. The qualitative research approach entails collecting and analyzing text and audio to understand opinions, concepts, and experiences (Alase, 2017). The qualitative research approach is complex and wide, with a range of theoretical models and methodological frameworks. The study lacked detailed methodological transparency and explanation, which limited the use of the study beyond the study sample.

Data Analysis

The semi-structured interviews were transcribed then subjected to framework examination to reveal the error situations as per Reason’s model of accident causation (Keers et al., 2019). Transcription puts the qualitative information and data into text-based formed. This makes it easier to analyze and understand, thus making the researchers more immersed in the data obtained in the study. Transcription was effective in improving the analysis of the findings in the interviews.

Results

The results of the study indicated that 20 participants revealed 26 medication administration errors. Most of the medication errors resulted from lapses and skilled based slips (Keers et al., 2019). They were also caused by different interconnectivity errors linked to medicines, patient, medicines administration and medicine used, care providers, and work settings. Some of the provoking conditions were linked to the wider organizational failures. The influence and recurrent themes included unbalanced staff skills, low staffing levels, communication issues, distractions and poor administration approaches (Keers et al., 2019). The results have offered a detailed description of the themes, which aid the audibility and transparency of the research. The modelling of themes of the thematic findings has facilitated accessibility.

Rigor

The study methodology has failed to present the idea of rigor in a wide scope. Ideally, methodological rigor entails several elements used to determine the confidence of the method used and the data obtained (Hays, Wood, Dahl and Kirk‐Jenkins, 2016). The article lacks thoroughness of the method and data obtained. For instance, there would be an analysis of each of the 26 medication administration errors reported and their root causes. Considerably, people are likely to believe something mentioned and discussed concerning the skill-based laps and slips and the provoking conditions that led to the medication errors. The study has used a small number of participants which means that the conclusions cannot be generalized to the larger majority. The qualitative study failed to bring out the good precision and sounds of the study in terms of planning, collecting, analyzing and reporting data. In qualitative research, it’s important to have a clear process on how the thematic results were obtained (Wood and Haber, 2018). This shows some extent of methodological rigor, which enriches replication.

Conclusion

The study had led to a sharp focus on the intricacy of Medication administration in mental hospitals and has contributed significantly to earlier studies linked to patient safety. The conclusion has summarized the findings of the study and the underlying causes of the medication administration errors. These include the provoking conditions, interaction errors and complexity of everyday tasks in the clinical practice. The study has also stated future research which should emphasize interventions that address organizational system failures to lower medication errors. However, the study has failed to offer recommendations on how to reduce medication administration errors.

References

Alase, A. (2017). The interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA): A guide to a good qualitative research approach. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 5(2), 9-19.

Hays, D. G., Wood, C., Dahl, H., & Kirk‐Jenkins, A. (2016). Methodological rigor in Journal of Counseling & Development qualitative research articles: A 15‐year review. Journal of Counseling & Development, 94(2), 172-183.

Keers, R. N., Plácido, M., Bennett, K., Clayton, K., Brown, P., & Ashcroft, D. M. (2018). What causes medication administration errors in a mental health hospital? A qualitative study with the nursing staff. PloS one, 13(10), e0206233.

Wood, G. L., & Haber, J. (2018). Nursing research: Methods and critical appraisal for evidence-based practice. St. Louis: Mosby.