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15.8: Key Terms

  • Page ID
    110308
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    abstract
    a brief description of the content of an article
    accountability
    the responsibility of being answerable to oneself and others for one’s choices
    adverse event
    an event that results in injury or death to a patient due to care that was not appropriately delivered rather than to their health condition
    applied research
    research that applies answers from basic research to current knowledge, testing it to evaluate changes in practice
    assignment
    the routine activities and procedures that are part of a staff member’s normal job and that they were taught in either a degree or certificate program or as part of on-the-job training
    assistive personnel (AP)
    people who work to help nurses and other providers, including nursing assistants, certified nursing assistants, patient care technicians, and surgical technicians
    basic research
    research intended to answer questions without changing the current conditions
    bias
    a research error due to encouraging one response over another, usually unintentionally
    case study
    an in-depth exploration of all aspects surrounding a single, complex issue as experienced by one or two individuals
    certification
    the process of receiving extra education plus passing a subject-matter examination to become a recognized subject-matter expert
    chaplain
    a spiritual adviser or minister working with an agency or hospital to meet patients’ spiritual needs
    clinical decision support tools
    resources available to help nurses and other healthcare professionals access best practice information more easily
    clinical expertise
    the combination of a nurse’s experience, critical thinking, and ability to recognize patterns and extrapolate alternatives based on similar experiences
    close-ended questions
    questions with a limited range of answers, each of which can be assigned a variable for statistical evaluation
    cognitive bias
    an unintentional error in judgment due to incorrect thought processes
    collaborate
    to work effectively with one or more others
    collaborative practice
    the process of healthcare workers from multiple professions working and communicating effectively together with patients and their families to provide patient care and improve healthcare quality and patient safety; also called interprofessional practice
    conclusion
    the section of an article that discusses any deductions that can be made from the research
    correlational research
    research that uses statistical analysis to explore relationships between two or more variables
    delegatee
    the staff member being delegated to complete a task or activity
    delegation
    the act of requesting staff members to perform tasks or procedures that are outside of their normal job but within the limits of their job description
    descriptive research
    research that describes one or more variables
    discussion
    the section of an article that explores the results of the research in relation to what else is known about the topic
    empirical evidence
    evidence that can be measured and quantified
    error
    the failure of a planned action to be carried out correctly
    evidence-based decision-making (EBDM)
    the use of evidence-based practice (EBP) when making decisions about caring for individual patients
    evidence-based practice (EBP)
    the responsible and thoughtful use of current and best evidence in conjunction with clinical expertise and patient values to guide healthcare decisions
    evidence-based practice bundles
    small sets of evidence-based interventions that have been proven to improve patient outcomes when used in specific settings and groups
    evidence-based research (EBR)
    when healthcare providers use research findings to improve their day-to-day care of patients
    experiential learning
    learning by doing
    experimental research
    research that studies the effect of a new intervention on a known concern and evaluates its effectiveness
    focus group
    group interview in which participants interact with each other and the researcher
    hierarchy of evidence
    classification of evidence into categories based on the type of research represented
    human subject
    a living individual whom a researcher wants to interact with to collect information or specimens
    innovation
    the development of new ideas, methods, and procedures
    institutional review board (IRB)
    a group of people who monitor and approve medical research that will be performed within a given agency and protect the agency and its employees from engaging in unethical research practices
    Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC)
    partnership between the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and associations for medical, dental, public health, osteopathic, and pharmacy education, which was formed to develop collaborative education competencies for all healthcare professionals
    interview
    a one-on-one conversation between the researcher and the research participant
    introduction
    a brief discussion at the beginning of an article detailing the history, relevant literature, and rationale for the research conducted; sometimes called the background
    literature review
    a synthesis of what other researchers have learned about a topic and what information still needs to be determined by future research
    methods
    the section of an article detailing how the study was conducted
    mixed methods research
    research that combines components of qualitative and quantitative methods into a single study
    nursing research
    structured inquiry to obtain and evaluate information related to a specific nursing question
    occupational therapist
    a healthcare worker who specializes in providing therapies to regain or prolong the ability to perform activities of daily living such as dressing and cooking for oneself
    open-ended questions
    questions that lack a specified answer, such as yes or no, and that require explanation on the part of the participant
    patient care team
    a group of people, including the patient and their family, responsible for providing care for a specific patient
    peer-reviewed journals
    publications that require several reviewers to thoroughly evaluate articles and their value to the overall body of knowledge as a condition of publication
    pharmacist
    a healthcare worker who specializes in filling prescriptions and reconciling medications to ensure patients are not prescribed incompatible medications
    physical therapist
    a healthcare worker who specializes in manual treatment of physical injury or disease with methods such as exercise and massage
    Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA)
    a quality improvement strategy to make changes through a PDSA strategy
    preventable adverse event
    an adverse event related to human error
    provider
    a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant tasked with diagnosing patients and ordering treatments such as medication and therapies
    qualitative research
    complex, open-ended research that is based on the lived experience of participants and suitable for identifying areas of concern
    Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN)
    a collaborative effort to advance and promote the integration of quality and safety competencies into nursing education and practice
    quality assurance (QA)
    oversight to ensure that current quality standards are being met across a department or agency and that staff are receiving the education and infrastructure support to maintain that quality
    Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI)
    the dual use of quality assurance (QA) and performance improvement (PI), specifically in post acute care environments such as rehabilitation centers and nursing homes
    quality improvement (QI)
    a framework to improve patient care and outcomes systematically
    quality improvement (QI) nurses
    experienced RNs or advanced practice nurses who have a special interest in QI and may have taken a certification to become a subject-matter expert
    quantitative research
    research that uses deductive reasoning, empirical evidence, and numerical data to test the validity of a reasonable idea in a given setting
    quasi-experimental research
    research that explores cause-and-effect relationships without testing new interventions
    references
    sources used within the body of an article to provide background information and support for analysis and discussion of the findings
    research article
    a formal, written description of original research performed by the author(s)
    research methods
    strategies and techniques used for gathering and analyzing data
    resource
    a tangible or intangible item used in patient care, including time, staff, supplies, and space
    respiratory therapist
    a healthcare worker who specializes in maintaining patient airways and providing advanced respiratory care
    results
    the section of an article explaining what researchers learned or concluded from the data
    root cause analysis
    a structured process to determine factors that underlie errors and adverse events
    seminal article
    an article that strongly influences research conducted in the future and thus retains its value past the time when most research is generally considered obsolete
    sentinel event
    an unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physiological or psychological injury, or the risk thereof; like a never event but is not necessarily preventable
    shared decision-making (SDM)
    the practice of empowering patients to make healthcare decisions and state their needs and limitations
    social worker
    a healthcare worker who specializes in helping patients meet social needs such as housing or rehabilitation upon discharge
    speech therapist
    a healthcare worker who specializes in speech and language issues as well as the identification and management of swallowing concerns
    stakeholders
    individual with an interest in the success of an organization, such as an investor in a business or a nurse in a hospital
    statistical significance
    the relative chance that a study’s results are reliable and similarly reproducible in a different group of similar patients
    team
    a coordinated group of two or more people, each with a specific role, who interact to achieve a common goal
    team science
    a collaborative effort to address a scientific challenge by engaging the strengths of team members with different areas of expertise
    team structure
    the makeup of a single team or a multiteam system, including identification of the team leader and other members
    translation science
    a branch of research dedicated to improving the movement of evidence-based practice from recommendations to normal care
    variable
    a factor that is measured or studied in research

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