Introduction

Question 1

Why do we need research in midwifery?

Answer 1

o To ensure the delivery of safe, effective, high quality care
o To meet clinical governance requirement
o To facilitate the autonomy of nurses and midwifery

Question 2

What is evidence based practice (EBP)?

Answer 2

is the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values.

Question 3

What are the essential components of evidence based practice?

Answer 3

o Patient preference
o Research evidence
o Resources
o Clinical experience

Question 4

What are the different types of evidence midwives can use?

Answer 4

• Expert opinion
• Traditions
• Personal experience
• Audit
• Research

Question 5

What are the challenges that midwives can face in supporting women to make decisions?

Answer 5

o Understand what good evidence is
o Make a judgement about how rigorously it was produced
o Determine how applicable it is to the individual

Question 6

What are the five levels of evidence?

Answer 6

Level 1: Opinion
Level 2: Qualitative Studies 
Level 3: Cohort and case-control studies
Level 4: Randomised Controlled Trials
Level 5: Systematic Reviews

Question 7

What are the levels of hierarchy prioritised by?

Answer 7

Rigour and generalisation

Question 8

What is opinion used for?

Answer 8

Opinions produces variations in practice and in the end we do not find out what opinion is the most useful. There are many aspects where EBP still does not exist and therefore opinions are what people rely on.

Question 9

What are qualitative studies used for?

Answer 9

essential part of EBP as they often provide valuable insight into patient preference and other aspects of care that cannot be quantified or measured in any different way

Question 10

What are cohort and case-control studies used for?

Answer 10

studies that can measure the effectiveness of interventions. Cohort studies is a study of a group of defined people who are followed over a time period. The rationale for this type of research is that it is not always ethical to experiment on people. Cohorts can reflect an element of time which is useful epidemiological resource. Case-control studies are retrospective epidemiological studies where people gave contracted a particular disease and are compared with a group of people that didn’t retract the disease.

Question 11

What are randomised control trials used for?

Answer 11

evaluate interventions by comparing two or more treatments using a strict scientific process. The principle is to conduct a fair test and minimise the occurrence of bias, which might lead the researcher to make the wrong conclusions and to exclude the possibility of chance.

Question 12

What are systematic reviews used for?

Answer 12

Collecting all the studies that address the same research question and analysing them in one mass to see if they will give a clearer answer. Analyse existing research rather than collecting new data.

Question 13

What is the process of EBP?

Answer 13

Assess
Ask
Acquire
Appraise
Application

Question 14

Assess

Answer 14

identify the clinical problem.

Question 15

Ask

Answer 15

Frame the problem in the form of a structured clinical question. Structuring a questions is done by PICO.
 Population- the group of people that are interested in and want to find research studies.
 Intervention and Counter intervention- is used to mean any treatment or care option that we want to consider to solve the problem. We also need a counter intervention. This needs to be fair. There may be no counter intervention so in that case you use ‘standard care’.
 Outcome- this should be aligned to the solution we hope to find and as close the the originals choice.

Question 16

Acquire

Answer 16

search for research studies. PICO can be useful when looking for reaserch too

Question 17

Appraise

Answer 17

read the papers that meet the criteria, analyse the quality and validity and also the clinical significance of the finding.

Question 18

Apply

Answer 18

return to the patient and evaluate your performance.

Question 19

What are the different types of knowledge?

Answer 19

Traditional knowledge-Originally based on traditionally held beliefs which over time was passed on. Possessing the knowledge also created a sense of identity and empowerment.

Personal knowledge- a source of knowledge developed by individual midwives through their experience and expertise.

Intuition- instinctively knowing the best care.

Knowledge from other disciplines- psychology, human biology, medicine, pharmacology and physiology. It is imperative that it is applied to midwifery to ensure problems that arise can be individualised. Important that midwives generate their own body of knowledge rather than relying solely on knowledge from other disciplines

Research- well-conducted research studies provide the most reliable source of knowledge for midwifery practice. All the other types of knowledge should be underpinned by relevant research-based evidence.

Question 20

What are Research paradigms ?

Answer 20

a framework that consist of ideas, beliefs, opinions and values. These are sometimes referred to as ontological, epistemological and methodological beliefs. The paradigm therefore provides a philosophical underpinning and it also shapes the way a research study is conducted and the way the new knowledge is developed.

Question 21

What are the two research methodologies?

Answer 21

qualitative (aims to understand the meaning individuals give to their experience, thoughts and feelings- subjective) and quantitative (tests a theory- structured fixed designs).

Question 22

What are the most common research paradigms used in healthcare?

Answer 22

Positivism
Interpretivism
Pragmatism

Question 23

What the the other less common used paradigms?

Answer 23

Post-positivism: quantitive approach aim to find correlation and relationships.
Feminism: think positivism and post-positvism is male centred. Aim to work alongside participants

Question 24

What is positivism?

Answer 24

foundation is sciences and maths. Facts and events have underlying causes. An objective reality exists. Quantitative approach- testing a theory, prediction, measurement and objectivity. To become objective the researcher adopts a position of neutrality.

Question 25

What is interpretivism?

Answer 25

also known as Naturalism or constructivism.
counter movement to positivism. Truth consist of multiple realities that are subjectively perceived by individuals. They acknowledge that it is quiet likely that will be close similarities between the understanding and meaning of individuals who have encountered similar experiences. Use flexible qualitative methods.

Question 26

What is pragmatism?

Answer 26

aims to seek meaning and the context is also regarded as being important. Researchers believe that a person’s experience is determined by the situation. Uses aspect on both quantitative and qualitative. Outcome is more important than the process. Researcher selects a more appropriate approach. By combing both methods it strengthens the whole study.

Question 27

What is the philosophy behind research methodologies?

Answer 27

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY IS THE PHILOSOPHY OR PRINCIPLES OF AN APPROACH TO RESEARCH WHICH DETERMINES THE WAY IN WHICH A RESEARCH METHOD IS CARRIED OUT. IT INCORPORATES A NUMBER OF RESEARCH METHODS WHICH IS SPECIFIC WAYS IN WHICH A STUDY IS CONDUCTED.