NR 505 Week 2 Discussion – Collaboration Café
There are a number of entities that go into conducting a research study. There are four types of research purposes that can be conducted. These include descriptive, explanatory, predictive, and prescriptive. The two that we will focus on are predictive and prescriptive research studies.
Predictive research studies are generally used to determine what combination of variables best predicts an outcome. Chamberlain College of Nursing describes these studies as generally being used within the healthcare industry and are of utmost importance. These studies address questions of risk, eventually being able to produce a theory (2017). Prescriptive research is able to determine whether certain interventions will eventually lead to an outcome by potentially finding a cure or solution. I believe when it comes to bicycle safety in children and adults, whether or not wearing a helmet helps prevent a traumatic brain injury falls under the predictive research category. Questions are being asked to determine if a specific variable can be used to predict an outcome or theory.
Independent variables are known to be phenomena caused by something. Dependent variables are the end result or outcome caused by the phenomenon, and mediating variables are alternate explanations for the outcome of the study (including age, gender, and comorbidities) (CCN, 2017). The article that I chose to discuss is titled “Bicycle helmets work when it matters most.” The independent variable is wearing a helmet vs. not wearing a helmet, the dependent variable is a traumatic brain injury/head trauma, and the median variable would be the age and gender of the child or adult. Being able to decipher the independent, dependent, and mediating variables is imperative to help identify what is being tested. Thus giving the reader a better understanding of exactly what is being measured during the particular research study.
The study showed that the risk factors involved were mostly males in their 30s who were uninsured and unhelmeted. It was also found that teenagers had the lowest compliance with bicycle helmet use (Joseph et al., 2017). The final outcome of the study found that “bicycle helmet use provides protection against severe TBI, reduces facial fractures, and saves lives even after sustaining an intracranial hemorrhage” (Joseph et al., 2017).
As nurses, we are continuously trying to make our patients’ lives better and for them to live healthier lives. We strive to fix issues or problems that arise. Some nurses go on to conduct research in an attempt to fix these health problems.
References:
Chamberlain College of Nursing. (2017). NR 505- Week 2. Purpose and Design of Research Studies. [Online lesson]. Downers Grove, IL: DeVry Education Group
Joseph, B., Azim, A., Haider, A. A., Kulvatunyou, N., O’Keeffe, T., Hassan, A.,… Rhee, P. (2017). Bicycle helmets work when it matters the most. The American Journal of Surgery, 213(2), 413-417. doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy.chamberlain.edu:8080/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2016.05.021
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Question 
Review the differences in predictive and prescriptive studies and select a predictive or prescriptive article that you found in your literature search. What are the independent variables (IV), dependent variables (DV), and mediating variables (MVs) that you find in the article? How do determining IVs, DVs, and MVs help you discern the theory tested in the research? In your particular article, what risk factors are identified, or what recommendations are provided?