Planning, Developing, And Designing Research Compare and contrast reliability and validity in nursing research.

"Reliability refers to the extent to which assessments are consistent" (Reliability and Validity, 2012, FCIT). A reliable research study produces consistent results in the test population, over the course of multiple trials, like a reliable car that predictably starts every morning. "Validity refers to the accuracy of an assessment -- whether or not it measures what it is supposed to measure. Even if a test is reliable, it may not provide a valid measure" (Reliability and Validity, 2012, FCIT). Just like a bathroom scale can mistakenly read the wrong weight every morning, a study design may be reliable, but not measure the phenomenon it is supposed to measure (Reliability and Validity, 2012, FCIT). For example, the study may fail to take into consideration correlating factors that can produce the result, versus the experimental variable being tested.

Describe an effective pilot study

"To test...

An effective pilot study will be sufficiently reflective of the test population of the larger proposed study, be conducted under similar conditions, and will ideally have a control group. There will also be efforts to effectively track all data to further refine the research conducted in the final study.
Discuss the role of qualitative and quantitative studies in advanced nursing roles.

Qualitative studies, although not data-driven, are phenomenological in nature and can inform nurses of the human aspects of experiencing illness and health. They can enable an APN to better empathize with patients and bring her personal experience to the role of nurse. Quantitative studies provide nurses with scientific evidence for the choices they make in their practice, and better enable APNs to think on their feet and make swift, accurate decisions…