Assessment of Research Design Selection for Clinical Nursing Scenarios

Assessment

Scenario 1: Gerontology and Acute Care

You are working as a clinical nurse consultant attached to a general medical ward. The ward admits a high number of older patients, presenting with multiple morbidities, frailty and sometimes including cognitive impairment, but are concerned that they are not being well assessed. You are aware that there are risk screening tools available and wonder which tool will comprehensively assess them on admission. You ask a researcher for advice on the best type of research study or approach to investigate this.

Step 1: Choose a case scenario

Select one of the scenarios provided below. The scenarios represent a range of specialties, so hopefully you can find a topic that interests you. Please note that you are not writing a paper about the scenario topic – you are writing a paper about using a particular research study design to address an issue in practice, so it doesn’t have to be your specialty area.

Please clearly identify which scenario you have chosen at the top of your assessment task.

Step 2: Identify appropriate study design

In step 2, you need to identify an appropriate research study design to address the issue that has been raised in the scenario. There is often more than one research study design that would be appropriate, so you can choose the research design that you think best addresses the issue in the scenario. This should take into account the nature of the issue, the context in which it is taking place, and ethical considerations.

Step 3: Justify why study design chosen

In step 3, you need to justify your chosen research study design, explaining why you think this is the most appropriate research study design to address the issue in your chosen scenario.

In your justification, you need to clearly explain why this research study design would be a good approach to addressing what is being asked in the scenario. The justification needs to demonstrate that you understand the key aspects of the chosen research study design (this can include strengths and weaknesses) and apply this to the chosen scenario. Please ensure that all aspects of your discussion are supported with references to show where you found the information.

The library has excellent resources to assist you to find research and other evidence relevant to your discussion. This is the home page for Library Essentials Online (LEO): Library Essentials Online (LEO) Home. From this home page you can access information, including short (2 minute) videos, that explain where to find information and how to search for research evidence.

Assessment structure

• Introduction – provides a road map for the paper (what you are going to discuss in 1-2 sentences)

• Chosen scenario
  • Clearly identify the chosen case scenario but do not repeat it in your paper. The markers all know the scenarios.

  • Brief context around the scenario – no more than 2-3 sentences.

• Best research approach/design
  • Clearly identify the research design that is best to address the research problem in the scenario.

  • Explain what the research design is.

• Justification for the research design – Note the criteria with the highest marks allocated.
  • Justify why your chosen research design is the most appropriate to address the research problem. Keep asking yourself why?

  • Can link some aspects back to the research problem in the scenario and be guided by the characteristics of the research design.

• Conclusion – 1-3 sentences briefly summarising what you covered in the paper.

Suggest using headings like this and sub-headings. They work like signposts.

Assessment Requirements Brief Summary

The assessment focuses on choosing an appropriate research study design to address a clinical practice issue presented in a case scenario. In this case, the chosen scenario was Scenario 1: Gerontology and Acute Care, which raises concerns about the comprehensive assessment of older patients admitted with multiple morbidities and frailty.

Key pointers to be covered in the assessment include:

• Clearly identifying the chosen case scenario.
• Providing a brief context around the issue.
• Selecting the most suitable research study design for investigating the problem.
• Explaining what the research design involves.
• Justifying why this study design is the best fit for the scenario, including strengths, weaknesses, ethical considerations, and applicability to practice.
• Supporting the justification with references from credible sources.
• Concluding with a short summary of findings.

The paper must follow a structured format with headings such as Introduction, Chosen Scenario, Best Research Design, Justification, and Conclusion.

Mentor-Guided Approach – Step by Step

Step 1: Understanding the Scenario

The academic mentor first guided the student to carefully read Scenario 1 and extract the core issue: older patients with multiple morbidities are not being well assessed on admission, despite available screening tools. The mentor emphasized narrowing the focus to the research design rather than writing about gerontology itself.

Step 2: Identifying Possible Research Designs

Together, the mentor and student brainstormed potential designs such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies, or systematic reviews. The mentor highlighted the need to evaluate which design would provide the most comprehensive, ethical, and practical evidence for assessing older patients.

Step 3: Selecting the Best Design

The student, under guidance, selected a systematic review of existing screening tools and assessment models as the most suitable design. The mentor explained that this design allows evaluation of multiple tools, compares their effectiveness, and provides evidence-based recommendations without exposing vulnerable older patients to unnecessary risks.

Step 4: Explaining the Design

The mentor encouraged the student to describe what a systematic review involves collating, analyzing, and synthesizing findings from multiple studies to draw reliable conclusions. This section also included a brief explanation of how systematic reviews differ from other designs (e.g., RCTs or case studies).

Step 5: Justifying the Choice

The student was guided to build a strong justification by linking the design’s characteristics to the scenario. For instance, a systematic review:

• Provides comprehensive coverage of available evidence.
• Minimizes bias by following structured inclusion/exclusion criteria.
• Avoids ethical concerns associated with directly experimenting on frail patients.
• Helps practitioners make evidence-based decisions.

The mentor emphasized backing each point with scholarly references.

Step 6: Structuring the Paper

The mentor suggested using clear signposted headings:

• Introduction (overview of the task)
• Chosen Scenario (context in 2–3 sentences)
• Best Research Approach/Design (systematic review explained)
• Justification (why it is the most appropriate)
• Conclusion (1–3 sentence wrap-up).

Step 7: Reviewing and Refining

The mentor guided the student in reviewing the draft, ensuring concise writing, logical flow, and alignment with the marking criteria. Citations were double-checked for accuracy.

Final Outcome & Learning Objectives Achieved

Through this step-by-step mentoring process, the student was able to:

• Clearly interpret the assessment requirements.
• Identify and select a systematic review as the most appropriate research design.
• Explain the design in detail and justify its application to the chosen scenario.
• Structure the paper logically with clear, concise sections.
• Apply academic research and referencing skills effectively.

The learning objectives covered included critical thinking in research design selection, academic writing structure, evidence-based reasoning, and application of research to clinical practice.

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