The Research Problem, Purpose and Question Definition of a Research Problem

A situation in need of a solution, improvement, or alteration; or a discrepancy between the way things are and the way they ought to be.

Sources of Research Problems Nursing Practice Researcher and Peer Interaction Literature Review Theory Research Priorities

Example of a Research Problem

Current policy at most hospitals requires the use of routine flushing of heparin locks after administration of medication or flushing heparin locks every 8 hours when not being used for medication administration. However, there is disagreement on whether flushes of low doses of heparin are necessary to maintain the patency of heparin locks. Heparin is known to be incompatible with many drugs. The interaction potential of heparin is said to be avoided by flushing the lock with normal saline injection before and after administration of the medicationSaline flush is a safe, time-saving procedure for nursing staff to perform. Additionally, the use of normal saline would save the cost of a heparin flush.

Definition of Research Purpose

A purpose is a concise , clear statement of the specific goal or aim of the study. The purpose includes the variables, population, and setting for a study.

Examples of a Research Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of normal saline versus normal saline containing 10 U/mL of heparin for maintaining heparin-lock sites.

Research Question
Definition
--Research questions are interrogative statements that focus on what variables or concepts are to be described and what relationships might exist among them.

Research Questions Examples

What is the influence of depressive symptoms at 4 weeks after cardiac surgery on selfreported recovery of general activities at 8 weeks? What is the influence of anxiety measured at 4 weeks after cardiac surgery on selfreported recovery of general activities at 8 weeks?

Determining the Feasibility of a Study

Money Commitment Time Commitment Researchers Expertise Availability of Subjects, Facility, and Equipment Cooperation of Others Ethical Considerations

EXAMPLE OF A STUDY
(Burns, N. and Grove, S. (1995) Understanding nursing research. Philadelphia:W.B. Sunders.) RESEARCH PROBLEM Aggressive behavior in cognitively impaired elderly is often problematic for family and professional caregivers who attempt to provide compassionately for their needs. If caregivers view aggression as meaningful behavior to be explored and understood rather that as disruptive behavior to be controlled, they may find it more of a challenge and less of a threat. In the future, behavioral problems in the cognitively impaired are likely to have an even greater impact on individuals, families and society, since the prevalence of dementia is known to increase with age(Kern, 1998) and the number of the old-old in this country is projected to continue to rise sharply (Longino, 1998). Both family and professional caregivers will need to understand dementia and develop skills in the prevention and management of behavioral problems in this population (Ryden et al., 1991, p.87).

RESEARCH PURPOSE The purpose of the study is to determine the nature, frequency of occurrence, and context of aggressive behavior in a nursing home sample of cognitively impaired residents. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The study is designed to answer the following questions: What proportion of cognitively impaired nursing home residents demonstrate aggressive behavior? Which types of aggressive behavior occur most frequently?

Examples of Problem Statements What is the relationship between job satisfaction of nurses in a mid-western state and their direct involvement in current nursing information?

What is the relationship between maternal depression and a child's behavior?

What is the difference between an experienced nurse's knowledge and practice regarding the use of side rails in the geriatric population?

What is relationship of social support to prenatal care and health behaviors of low-income women?

What is the effect of experience on pharmacological knowledge?

What is the difference between self-efficacy scores in older adults who exercise and the scores of those who do not?

To what extent does the age of a client influence how nurses perceive and respond to the client's perception of pain?

What is the difference in attitudes of men and women college students toward condoms?

To what extent does patient control in decision-making processes affect stress in hospitalized patients?

What are the psychometric properties of the Measurement of Presence Scale (MOPS) when testing RNs in Oklahoma?

What dimensions of presence will emerge through instrumentation testing?

What are the relationships among presence, self-esteem, and demographic variables in a sample of RNs practicing in Oklahoma?

Introduction

Management is creative problem solving. Management is a generic function that includes similar basic tasks in every discipline and in every society. Management and administration sometimes appear to be synonymous, but they are not synonymous terms.

Definition

Management may be defined as the art of securing maximum results with a minimum of effort so as to secure maximum prosperity and happiness for both employer and employee and give the public the best possible service (John Mee, 1963)

Functions of management are:

Planning Oorganizing Directing Coordinating and Controlling Reporting and Recording Budgeting

Planning Planning means to decide in advance what is to be done. It charts a course of actions for the future. It is an intellectual process and it aims to achieve a coordinated and consistent set of operations aimed at desired objectives. Essentials of good planning

Yields reasonable organizational objectives and develops alternative approaches to meet these objectives. Helps to eliminate or reduce the future uncertainty and chance. Helps to gain economical operations. Lays the foundation for organizing. Facilitates co-ordination. Helps to facilitate control. Dictates those activities to which employers are directed.

Organizing

Once the objectives have been established through planning, management concern must turn to developing an organization that is capable of carrying them out. The management function of organizing can be defined as ,relating people and things to each other in such a way that they are all combined and interrelated into a unit capable of being directed toward the organizational objectives. Work activities required for the organizational performance are separated through

Horizontal differentiation (i.e.. Dividing the organization into operational units for more effective and efficient

performance.)

Vertical differentiation (i.e.. Establishes the hierarchy and the number of levels in the organization

The formal organization depends on two basic principles: a) Responsibility: responsibility n an organization is divided among available personnel by grouping the functions that are similar in objectives and content. This should be done in a manner that avoids overlaps and gaps as much as possible. Responsibility may be continuing or it may be terminated by the accomplishment of a single action. b) Authority: when responsibility is given to a person, he must also be given the authority to make commitments, use resources and take the actions necessary to carry out his responsibilities. Staffing

Staffing is the selection, training, motivating and retaining of a personnel in the organization. Before selection we have to make analysis of the particular job, which is required in the organization., then comes the selection of the personnel. It involves manpower planning to have the right person in the right place and avoid square peg in the round hole. Manpower planning involves the following steps.

1. Scrutiny of present personnel strength. 2. Anticipation of manpower needs. 3. Investigation of turnover of personnel. 4. Planning job requirements and job descriptions. Directing

Directing means the issuance of orders, assignments and instructions that permit the subordinate to understand what is expected of him, and the guidance and overseeing of the subordinate so that he can contribute effectively and efficiently to the attainment of organizational objectives. Directing includes the following activities

Giving orders Making supervision Leading Motivating Communicating

Giving orders: the central task in directing is giving orders. The order is the technical means through which a subordinate understands what is to be done. To facilitate this there are certain characteristics of good orders which manager should be aware of: The order should be clear, concise and consistent to give sufficient information to ensure understanding Order should be based on obvious demands of a particular situation, it seems logical to the subordinates and not just

an arbitrary whim of the manager. The tone of the order is very important. The manner in which the manager delivers the order has a great deal to do with its acceptance by the subordinate. Whenever possible, the reason for the order should be given. A subordinate will accept an order more readily if he understands the need for it. In some instances the manager uses delegation of authority instead of issuance of orders for avoiding too many specific orders.

Supervision:

Supervision is the activity of the management that is concerned with the training and discipline of the work force. It includes follow up to assure the prompt and proper execution of orders. Supervision is the art of overseeing, watching and directing with authority, the work and behaviour of other.

Leading:

Leadership is the ability to inspire and influence others to contribute to the attainment of the objectives. Successful leadership is the result of interaction between the leader and his subordinates in a particular organizational situation. There are number of styles of leadership that have been identified such as autocratic, democratic participative leadership. The continuum of leadership styles, ranges from the completely authoritarian situation with no subordinate participation to a maximum degree of democratic leadership, enabling the subordinate to participate in all phases of the decision making process.

Motivating:

Motivation refers to the way in which the needs (urges, aspirations, desires) control, direct or explain the behaviour of human beings. The manager must motivate, or cause, the employee to follow directives.

Communicating:

Communication is the passing of information and understanding from a sender to receiver. Communication is vital to the directing function of the management, one way to visualise this importance is to view the manager on one side of a barrier and the work group on the other. Communication is the means the manager has of reaching through the barrier to attain work group activity. Coordinating

It is the act of synchronising people and activities so that they function smoothly in the attainment of organization objectives. Coordination is more important in the health services organization, because functionally they are departmentalized. Different kinds of organization require different amount of coordination. Basic approaches to coordination:

Corrective co ordinations are those coordinative activities that rectify the present error or correct a dysfunction in the organization. Preventive coordination comprises those coordinative activities that are aimed at preventing the occurrence of

anticipated problems of coordination, or at least minimizing the impact of these problems.

Regulatory coordination comprises those coordinative activities that are aimed at the maintenance of existing structural and functional arrangements in the organizations. Promotive coordination has those coordinative activities that are aimed at attempting to improve the articulation of the parts of the organization, or to improve the existing organizational arrangements without regard for specific problems.

Controlling

Controlling can be defined as the regulation of activities in accordance with the requirements of plans. Steps of control:

The control function, whether it is applied to cash, medical care, employee morale or anything else, involves four steps.

1. Establishments of standards. 2. Measuring performance 3. Comparing the actual results with the standards. 4. Correcting deviations from standards. Reporting and recording Reports are oral or written exchanges of information shared between caregivers or workers in a number of ways. A report summarizes the services of the person, personnel and of the agency. Reports are written usually daily, weekly, monthly or yearly. Purposes of reporting:

To show the kind and amount of services rendered over a specified period. To illustrate progress in reaching goals. As an aid in studying health conditions. As an aid in planning. To interpret services to the public and to the other interested agencies.

Records and reports must be functional, accurate, complete, current organized and confidential. Budgeting

Budgeting, though primarily recognized as a device for controlling, becomes a major part of the planning process in any organization. It is expressed in financial terms and based on expected income and expenditure. Budget is the heart of administrative management. It served as a powerful tool of coordination and negatively an effective

device of eliminating duplicating and wastage. Features of budget:

Should be flexible. Should be synthesis of past, present and future. Should be product of joint venture & cooperation of executives/ department heads at different levels of management. It should be in the form of statistical standard laid down in specific numerical terms. It should have support of top management throughout the period of its planning and supplementation

Conclusion Managers address complex issues by planning, budgeting, and setting target goals. They meet their goals by organizing, staffing, controlling and problem solving. The nurse manager can assist the staff to think strategically about what it is doing and what it should be doing for its clients , for example, in todays world of cost containment, examining what clients pay for the care they receive from the health care professionals. References 1. Basavanthappa B T. Nursing administration. Ist edn. New Delhi: Jaypee brothers medical publishers (p) ltd; 2000. Wise P S. Leading and managing in nursing. Ist edn. Philadelphia: Mosby publications; 1995. Koontz H & Weihrich H . Essentials of management an international perspective. (Ist edn). New Delhi: Tata Mc Graw Hill publishers; 2007. Koontz H & Weihrich H. Management a global perspective. 1st edn. New Delhi: Tata Mc. Graw Hill publishers;2001. Anthony M K, Theresa S, JoAnn Glick, Martha Duffy and Fran Paschall. Leadership and nurse retention, the pivotal role of nurse managers. JONA. Vol 35, Mar 2005. Beyers Marjorie. Nurse executives perspectives on succession planning. JONA. Vol 36. June 2006.

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