Is there a difference between “common practice” and “best practice”?

When you first went to work for your current organization, experienced colleagues may have shared with you details about processes and procedures. Perhaps you even attended an orientation session to brief you on these matters. As a “rookie,” you likely kept the nature of your questions to those with answers that would best help you perform your new role.

Over time and with experience, perhaps you recognized aspects of these processes and procedures that you wanted to question further. This is the realm of clinical inquiry.

Clinical inquiry is the practice of asking questions about clinical practice. To continuously improve patient care, all nurses should consistently use clinical inquiry to question why they are doing something the way they are doing it. Do they know why it is done this way, or is it just because we have always done it this way? Is it a common practice or a best practice?

In this Assignment, you will identify clinical areas of interest and inquiry and practice searching for research in support of maintaining or changing these practices. You will also analyze this research to compare research methodologies employed.

To Prepare:

• Review the Resources and identify a clinical issue of interest that can form the basis of a clinical inquiry. Keep in mind that the clinical issue you identify for your research will stay the same for the entire course. 
• Based on the clinical issue of interest and using keywords related to the clinical issue of interest, search at least four different databases in the Walden Library to identify at least four relevant peer-reviewed articles related to your clinical issue of interest. You should not be using systematic reviews for this assignment, select original research articles.
• Review the results of your peer-reviewed research and reflect on the process of using an unfiltered database to search for peer-reviewed research.
• Reflect on the types of research methodologies contained in the four relevant peer-reviewed articles you selected.

Part 1: Identifying Research Methodologies

After reading each of the four peer-reviewed articles you selected, use the Matrix Worksheet template to analyze the methodologies applied in each of the four peer-reviewed articles. Your analysis should include the following:

• The full citation of each peer-reviewed article in APA format.
• A brief (1-paragraph) statement explaining why you chose this peer-reviewed article and/or how it relates to your clinical issue of interest, including a brief explanation of the ethics of research related to your clinical issue of interest.
• A brief (1-2 paragraph) description of the aims of the research of each peer-reviewed article.
• A brief (1-2 paragraph) description of the research methodology used. Be sure to identify if the methodology used was qualitative, quantitative, or a mixed-methods approach. Be specific.
• A brief (1- to 2-paragraph) description of the strengths of each of the research methodologies used, including reliability and validity of how the methodology was applied in each of the peer-reviewed articles you selected.

RUBRIC

Part 1: Identifying Research Methodologies

After reading each of the four peer-reviewed articles you selected, use the Matrix Worksheet template to analyze the methodologies applied in each of the four peer-reviewed articles. Your analysis should include the following:

*The full citation of each peer-reviewed article in APA format.

*A brief statement explaining why you chose this peer-reviewed article and/or how it relates to your clinical issue of interest, including a brief explanation of the ethics of research related to your clinical issue of interest.

*A brief description of the aims of the research of each peer-reviewed article.

*A brief description of the research methodology used. Be sure to identify if the methodology used was qualitative, quantitative, or a mixed-methods approach. Be specific.–

Excellent 81 (81%) – 90 (90%)Good 72 (72%) – 80 (80%)Fair 63 (63%) – 71 (71%)Poor 0 (0%) – 62 (62%)

Written Expression and Formatting—Paragraph Development and Organization:

Paragraphs make clear points that support well-developed ideas, flow logically, and demonstrate continuity of ideas. Sentences are carefully focused—neither long and rambling nor short and lacking substance. A clear and comprehensive purpose statement and introduction is provided, which delineates all required criteria.–

Excellent 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)Good 4 (4%) – 4 (4%)Fair 3.5 (3.5%) – 3.5 (3.5%)Poor 0 (0%) – 3 (3%)

Written Expression and Formatting—English Writing Standards:

Correct grammar, mechanics, and proper punctuation.–

Excellent 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)Good 4 (4%) – 4 (4%)Fair 3.5 (3.5%) – 3.5 (3.5%)Poor 0 (0%) – 3 (3%)Total Points: 100

On the Discussion Board we will be exploring conceptual models.

Hamric’s Integrative Model of Advance Practice Nursing

The AACN Synergy Model

Strong Memorial Hospital’s Model of Advance Practice Nursing

Shuler’s Model of Nurse Practitioner Practice

This week you will describe how these models may help APNs articulate professional role identify and function. Conceptual models will serve as a framework for organizing beliefs and knowledge about your professional roles and competencies and provide a basis for further development of knowledge.

Question: Select one model from the above list and read the original source description. Address how well the model meets the following purposes:

a. Helping to organize your beliefs and knowledge about advanced practice nursing

b. Providing structure for research on advanced practice nursing

c. Providing a coherent structure in which concepts important to advanced practice nursing are identified and related to one another

d. Guiding curriculum development for advanced practice nursing

e. Allowing practitioners to see the bigger picture so that they can provide holistic and comprehensive care.

Guidelines: Support your responses with scholarly academic references using APA style format. You are not writing an APA paper–but citing your sources in APA format.  Assigned course readings and online library resources are preferred. Weekly lecture notes are designed as overviews to the topic for the respective week and should not serve as a citation or reference.

In your discussion question response, provide a substantive response that illustrates a well-reasoned and thoughtful response; is factually correct with relevant scholarly citations, references, and examples that demonstrate a clear connection to the readings.