Unit 6 Critique-Nu 310 Kaplan

Unit 6 Critique

NU 310

October 25, 2013

The purpose of this paper is to critique the design, sampling methodology and ethical considerations of the following research articles, “The Experience of Patients Undergoing Awake Craniotomy” and “The Effects of Crossed Leg on Blood Pressure Measurement”. “The Experience of Patients Undergoing Awake Craniotomy” is a qualitative study. According to Palese, Skrap, Fachin, Visioli, and Zannini (2008), this study was conducted to increase our understanding of the experience of patients undergoing awake craniotomy. The article “The Effects of Crossed Leg on Blood Pressure Measurement” is a quantitative study. According to Foster-Fitzpatrick, Ortiz, Sibilano, Marcantonio, and Braun (1999), this study was conducted to determine if crossing of a leg at the knee during blood pressure measurement has an effect on the patient’s blood pressure reading.

Identification of Design

In the article “The Effects of Crossed Leg on Blood Pressure Measurement” by Foster-Fitzpatrick, et al. (1999), a comparative-experimental method design was used. The abstract describes the method as a convenience sample of 100 male hypertensive subjects (Foster-Fitzpatrick, et al. 1999). In the article “The Experience of Patients Undergoing Awake Craniotomy” by Palese, et al. (2008), a phenomenology study was conducted involving a purposive sample to describe the lived experience of 21 patients undergoing awake craniotomy.

Critique of Design

Quantitative

A pretest-posttest experimental design was used in the quantitative study. The pretest-posttest experimental design would be considered a quasi-experimental design. The question being asked is does crossing the leg at the knee cause an increase in blood pressure readings. The research question does concern a possible causal relationship between blood pressure (independent variable) and the acquisition about cross-leg (dependent variable).

“Quasi-experiments, called controlled trials without...