Introduction to Nursing Research

• Nursing research is systematic inquiry to develop knowledge about issues of importance to nurses.
• Nurses in various settings are adopting an evidence-based practice that incorporates research findings into their decisions and their interactions with clients.
• In the positivist paradigm, it is assumed that there is an objective reality and that natural phe nomena are regular and orderly.
• In the naturalistic paradigm, it is assumed that reality is not a fixed entity but is rather a construction of human minds—and thus “truth” is a composite of multiple constructions of reality.
• Basic research is designed to extend the base of information for the sake of knowledge.
• Applied research focuses on discovering solutions to immediate problems.