research critique

Research Critique
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Research Critique
Title Of The Research Article Hevener, S., Rickabaugh, B. & Marsh, T. (2016). Using a decision wheel to reduce the use of restraints in a medical-surgical intensive care unit. American journal of critical care, 25 (6), 479-486.
Type Of Research Quantitative research
The researchers have tried to quantify the information in numeric data for purposes of testing a theory. Additionally, the research focuses on the cause and effect relationship to determine if the use of restraints in the intensive care units can be reduced without increasing harm on the patients. The use of quasi-experimental design and the tools of data collection help the researchers to achieve the intended results and investigate the problem in a more effective way. The focus of the research is on a single subject and all the variables used in the study are aimed at achieving this single focused information. Moreover, the researchers have been able to use descriptive analysis to determine the perception of nurses on the use of tools to verify the appropriateness of restraints in the ICU.
Purpose of Study The purpose of the study was to determine if the use of restraints could be reduced in the medical-surgical ICUs without increasing harm to the patients. Secondly, the study sought to determine if a decision-making tool, namely, the restraint decision wheel (RDW), was useful for bedside nurses in determining if a restraint was necessary (Hevener, Rickabaugh & Marsh, 2016).

The use of restraints in the ICUs has been the cause of unnecessary deaths and injury among the patients. Therefore, it is necessary for healthcare facilities to reduce the use of restraints on patients by ensuring that these mechanisms are used in a mandatory situation.
The purpose of the study is clearly stated and the reasons for mandating the study clearly stated. The researcher uses very simple language at this level, thus making the material understandable to all the people, whether in the medical profession or otherwise. As such, the paper can be used by policymakers to come up with better strategies for ensuring the safety of the patients and the physicians in the ICUs. The research problems were measurable, testable, and answerable.
Methods/Sample The research used a quasi-experimental design to solve the problem of the study. Only bedside nurses assigned to the medical-surgical ICU regularly were eligible for the study. A group of 32 nurses was used to gather the information and the sample was from a single hospital (Hevener et al., 2016). The participants voluntarily accepted to be part of the study and approval from the relevant authorities was sought before the commencement of the research. The research used questionnaires and surveys to gather the necessary information.
Although the research was conducted in a single hospital, the choice of the institution is valid. The hospital serves a wide range of people from all lifestyles; therefore, data collected from the facility can be a representation of an entire population. Moreover, the facility is the only level 1 trauma center within the region and it houses about a hundred and fifty researchers and specialists. The ICU facility in which the research was conducted serves both adults and children, thus making it a viable source of information. Every detail of the research method was clearly explained thus making it an easy to follow study.
Results The frequency of device dislodgment reduced as the number of restrained patients reduced. The institution saw a 32% reduction in the use of restraints during the period of the study. Participants agreed that the RDW was a useful tool in deciding whether to use restraints. The participants also stated that it was important for them to rely on their training to decide when to restrain a patient. The research used SPSS, t-test, and thematic analysis to synthesize data (Hevener et al., 2016).
The reduction of the use of restraints did not increase the risk of harm to the patients. Although the use of RDW was significant, it is not possible to correlate the use of the device to the reduction of the use of restraints because some participants did not support its use. Using mitt as an alternative to restraints had a great contribution to the results of the study.
The results of the study were well organized addressing the specific issues that the research sought to examine. The use tables and narration help the reader to understand the findings in a better way.
Limitations Lack of mitts knowledge by the nurses
Reliance on self-reported data
A small sample size from a single ICU
The presence of the investigator
Other factors that affect the removal of devices were not considered
The limitations did not affect the results of the study by a great margin.
Conclusions There is an undeniable need to reduce the use of restraints in the ICUs today. To achieve this change, nurses handling patients in these institutions must be educated on patient rights, appropriate alternatives to restraints, as well as the need to use a certain tool in determining the appropriateness of restraints (Hevener et al., 2016). The use of mitts as an alternative to restraints was significant in this study, but the nurses were not aware of these devices. Educating nurses and conducting more research on this topic will go a long way in reducing the use of restraints in the ICUs.
The research was conducted in a simple yet profound way, making it useful for clinical and educational purposes.

References
Hevener, S., Rickabaugh, B. & Marsh, T. (2016). Using a decision wheel to reduce the use of restraints in a medical-surgical intensive care unit. American journal of critical care, 25 (6), 479-486.