Nursing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Nursing research - Essay Example In line with this, the objectives of the study were to investigate whether staffing predicted nursing teamwork and determine the relationship between the levels of staffing and the subscales teamwork. Hence, the study focused on two research questions that were based on the research objectives. The first question asked, â€Å"Does the level of staffing predict nursing teamwork?† Conversely, the second question asked, â€Å"Does the level of staffing predict subscales of teamwork† (Kalisch & Lee, 2011, p.83). Based on the research study, the hypothesis was that in instances when the unit level case mix index (CMI) and the size of the healthcare facility were controlled, the levels of staffing had an effect on the levels of teamwork. In addition, the researchers also hypothesized that the size of the hospital affected teamwork exhibited by the staff members (Kalisch & Lee, 2011). Independent variable An independent variable in a research study is the factor that causes ch ange or an effect on another variable, which in most cases is change on the dependent variable in the research study (Polit & Beck, 2004). In this research study, staffing is the independent variable in the study since the levels of staffing in an organization affected the outcome in terms of teamwork. In this case, it is evident from the research findings that hospitals with high staffing levels experienced high levels of teamwork. On the other hand, since big hospitals have high staffing levels, they experienced high levels of teamwork. Dependent variable The dependent variable in a research study is the variable that may be changed or influenced by the independent variable (Polit & Beck, 2004). In line with this, the dependent variable of the research study by Kalisch and Lee (2011) is the level of teamwork in a hospital, which is a result of the staffing levels in the hospital. Research variables In a research study, research variables are concepts in a study, and these are conc epts that vary as the name suggests (Polit & Beck, 2004). One concept, or research variable in this study, is the skills mix among nurses, which affect the level of teamwork in nurses and vary from one hospital to another hospital. On the other hand, the size of the hospital is another research variable since all hospitals are not equal in size. In fact, this research study identifies the importance of the size of the hospitals remaining controlled. Research attributes and demographic variables Research attributes and demographic variables are the characteristics of the subjects in the study (Polit & Beck, 2004). In this regard, the research attributes and the demographic variables in this study are the age and professional qualifications of the research subjects. In this case, the age of the nurses is essential in evaluating their skills mix, which influences the teamwork of the nurses in a hospital. On the other hand, it is essential to point out that the professional qualificatio ns of the nurses play a crucial role in the skills of the nurses. In this case, the professional qualifications of nurses classify the nurses in the study as those who possessed a degree or a higher qualification, and those who did not hold a degree. In effect, these qualifications provide nurses with skills that contribute to trust among nurses, team orientation, and team leadership with these factors affecting the levels of teamwor