Critiquing a Research Article Essay

Critiquing a Research Article Essay

Critiquing a Research Article Essay

Research critique is an important role of the DNP-prepared nurses. The critique provides them enhanced insights into the possibility of use of different research interventions and outcomes into their practice. DNP-prepared nurses assess different areas of a research such as its topic, methods, data analysis, and results to conclude on its need for use in their practice. Therefore, this research paper undertakes a critique of a research to determine its strengths, weaknesses, proposed changes, and implications to the nursing practice.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE ON;Critiquing a Research Article Essay

Overview of the Study

The selected study for the critique is a the one by Zuccarini and Stiller (2022). The study compared the effectiveness of two different approaches to treatment of opioid use disorder on the treatment adherence rate. The approaches included the use of peer support-based treatment methodology in combination with increased medication-assisted treatment and treatment as usual. The adopted study design by the authors was retrospective review of data using a quantitative experimental design to analyze and compare data from two samples of population. The population sought treatment for opioid substance abuse disorder in a medical facility. The outcomes included the number of treatment encounters in the patients’ electronic medical records for a six-month period. The researchers assessed data from 1570 patients aged 18-65 years suffering from opioid abuse disorder. The inclusion criteria included clients with at least one diagnosis of opioid use disorder and those who met the stated level of care requirements.

Strengths

One of the strengths of the study by Zuccarini and Stiller (2022) is that it utilized a large sample size. The researchers obtained data for their retrospective data from electronic medical records of 1570 clients. The use of large sample size increases the generalizability of the authors’ findings in the research. Nurses and other healthcare providers can translate the study interventions into a larger population of patients suffering from opioid use disorder. In addition, the use of a large sample size minimized threats to the study’s reliability. Practitioners are assured of consistent outcomes should the researchers’ interventions be translated in other settings using patients with opioid use disorder. The use of a large sample size also enhanced the accuracy of the study results. Accordingly, the reported findings have lower standard deviation from the mean and small error margins (Fain, 2020). Therefore, the confidence level of using the study interventions and results in nursing practice is high.

The second strength of the study by Zuccarini and Stiller (2022) is the introduction of the experimental concept into the retrospective study. The researchers used a quantitative experimental design with the aim of analyzing and comparing two samples from the target population. They compared outcomes from the treatment as usual and treatment as usual supplemented with peer support-based treatment and increased medication-assisted treatment. The benefit of using the experimental design is that it provides a clear understanding of the effectiveness of each arm of intervention in the study (Fleming & Robb, 2019). It also provided researchers with a high control level where they isolated variables effectively and determined the true impact of each intervention on opioid use disorder treatment outcomes.

Weaknesses

Despite the above weaknesses, the study by Zuccarini and Stiller (2022) is associated with some weaknesses. One of them lies on the adopted study design. The researchers utilized a retrospective study design that analyzed past records of patients with opioid use disorder. Retrospective studies do not provide information about the population’s exposure to a health problem such as opioid abuse. In this case, the researchers did not collect information that could provide cues on the participant factors that predisposed them to opioid abuse and potential targets in the treatment process (Dang et al., 2021). The adoption of a retrospective study design also limited the sampling methods that the researchers could have used. For example, Zuccarini and Stiller (2022) utilized convenient sampling, where the data that was available at the time of the investigation was used to compare the effects of the interventions. The use of such sampling methods lowered the level of evidence since the data did not represent the entire population of opioid abusers (Talari & Goyal, 2020). It also predisposed the study to selection bias, hence, lowering the accuracy and applicability of the study findings.

The second weakness associated with the study by (Zuccarini & Stiller, 2022) is that the authors did not focus on the treatment outcomes of the interventions under comparison in their research. The authors assumed that the number of service utilization by the participants was an indicator of treatment effectiveness. However, they did not follow-up the participants to determine the true effect of repeated service utilization on their level of treatment adherence. Therefore, the study interventions and findings cannot be relied upon wholly in nursing and healthcare practice.

Proposed Changes

One of the proposed recommendation for the study by (Zuccarini & Stiller, 2022) is the use of human subjects and experimental study design such as randomized controlled trial to compare the effectiveness of the two treatments. Approaches such as randomization, control, and manipulation of the study will enhance the accuracy and reliability of the obtained findings on the effectiveness of the two interventions. The second intervention that is proposed for the study by (Zuccarini & Stiller, 2022) is extend the investigation further to determine the impact of repeated service utilization on adherence levels and other outcomes in patients with opioid use disorder. Such an intervention will provide accurate understanding of the effectiveness of usual treatment or the combined treatment on opioid use disorder outcomes.

Implications

The study by (Zuccarini & Stiller, 2022) has considerable implications for nursing practice. First, the study informs the different interventions that nurses can utilize to enhance outcomes in opioid abuse disorder. Nurses can translate the study interventions into their practice to enhance treatment adherence levels among patients with opioid abuse disorder. They can also implement the intervention as a practice change initiative to transform the organization’s culture of patient care. The other practice implication is that the study informs future researches on the interventions used in opioid abuse disorder. Researchers can build on the weaknesses in the research by (Zuccarini & Stiller, 2022) to determine the true effect of the interventions on outcomes of opioid abuse disorder treatment.

Conclusion

In summary, the study by Zuccarini and Stiller (2022) was chosen for this review. It compared the effectiveness of two interventions in improving outcomes in opioid use disorder. The study was associated with strengths such as the use of experimental methods and large sample size. However, it had some weaknesses such as the selected design that affected its reliability. Despite this, the study findings have considerable implications for nursing practice.

References

Dang, D., Dearholt, S. L., Bissett, K., Ascenzi, J., & Whalen, M. (2021). Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals: Model and Guidelines, Fourth Edition. Sigma Theta Tau.

Fain, J. A. (2020). Reading, Understanding, and Applying Nursing Research. F.A. Davis.

Fleming, V., & Robb, Y. (2019). A critical analysis of articles using a Gadamerian based research method. Nursing Inquiry, 26(2), e12283. https://doi.org/10.1111/nin.12283

Talari, K., & Goyal, M. (2020). Retrospective studies—Utility and caveats. The Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 50(4), 398–402. https://doi.org/10.4997/JRCPE.2020.409

Zuccarini, M. M., & Stiller, C. (2022). The Effect of Peer Support on Treatment Engagement for Opioid Use Disorder. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 10783903221128062. https://doi.org/10.1177/10783903221128062

BUY A CUSTOM-PAPER HERE ON;Critiquing a Research Article Essay

Please use the case study below

Nursing practice issue: The lack of continuity of care for individuals with opioid and substance use disorders.

Case Study: Zuccarini, M. M., & Stiller, C. (2022). The Effect of Peer Support on Treatment Engagement for Opioid Use Disorder. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 10783903221128062.

ARTICLE CRITIQUE

DNP graduates are expected to apply research findings and integrate nursing science into evidence-based practice. To develop your skills in this high level of nursing practice, you will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a research study over the next several weeks using the concepts presented throughout the course.

·        A brief, 1- to 2-paragraph overview of the study that you selected.

·        An explanation of two to three strengths of the study and support for your selection (i.e., why is this a strength?). Be specific.

·        An explanation of two to three weaknesses of the study and support for your selection (i.e., why is this a weakness?). Be specific.

·        Note: The strengths and weaknesses that you identified should be in relation to design, sampling, data collection, statistical analysis, results, and discussion of the study that you selected.

·        An explanation of proposed changes that you would recommend to improve the quality of the study, capitalizing on the strengths and improving on the weaknesses that you identified in the study. Be specific and provide examples.

·        A final summary of the implications of this study for nursing practice.

The purpose of the analysis is to help you develop a deeper understanding of the research process, to inspire you to think critically and deeply about research on a specific topic, and to strengthen your ability to integrate research findings into evidence-based nursing practice. This Assignment also gives you practice in analyzing the research literature, which will support you when you begin your DNP project. Before you proceed, please review the rubric for this Assignment. Keep in mind that you will be working on your article critique throughout Weeks 8 through 10 with your critique due by Day 7 of Week 10.

RESOURCES

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.

Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.

WEEKLY RESOURCES

The Assignment: (5–7 pages)

·        Select a research article from the body of literature that you have reviewed related to the practice gap you have identified and for which you will develop for your DNP Project.

·        Review the various quantitative research designs presented in the textbook readings and research articles.

·        Consider the research design used in your selected article. Ask yourself the following questions.

o   Is the design appropriate for the study? Why or why not?

o   Would a different design provide better results? Why or why not?

You are not required to submit this Assignment this week.

Reminder: The College of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. The Sample Paper provided at the Walden Writing Center Links to an external site.provides an example of those required elements. All papers submitted must use this formatting.