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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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