Is this a quantitative or qualitative research article?
Rome, Luminais, Bourgeois, & Blais (2011) article is based on qualitative research with a particular inclination on review of literature and descriptive statistics to explore the aspect of palliative care within the context of end of life. There is no primary data or any form of experimentation within this study (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2015).
What are the problem and purpose of the research article?
Rome, Luminais, Bourgeois, & Blais (2011) indicate that palliative care is an essential component of the nursing process. For patients in end of life care, there is s tendency for patients to die in suffering and pain especially with the notion that death should be treated as an illness. However, patients in end-of-life should be managed in such a manner that affords them comfort and minimal suffering. The progression to end of life is at times characterized by increasing intensity of the condition calling for aggressive palliative care as a response. Once the patient dies, palliative care does not stop and it turns the attention to the family for support, bereavement and coping. The purpose of the article while not clearly expounded can be implied as the need to seek a standard agreement on the expectations of palliative care to the patient and the family based on a review of existing literature and evidence.
What are the hypotheses or research questions/objectives of the study?
The researchers have not in any way out rightly mentioned the objectives of the article but based on the abstract and introduction sections we can deduce that the researchers sought to determine the role of palliative care to the patient and their family even in post death. Similarly, the authors did not indicate any hypothesis and thus leaving the reader with a task to determine or make judgments as to what the researchers were seeking to support or reject. However, the introduction section briefly explores the intentions of the researchers and thus helping cover this gap (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2015).
Was the discussion of findings related to the framework?
The paper has been set out in a logical manner, first by exploring the concept of pain, then focusing on exploring the strategies for pain management as well as psychosocial and spiritual support in bereavement and then transiting to the inevitable of death. This has provided a systematic approach to the implied objective and purpose founded in the earlier sections of research (Tappen, 2011).
Were those the expected findings?
The researchers in combining the discussions across the explored subsections note that palliative care should be set out to cater for the patient and the family. As the level of illness progresses and patients experience greater pain, the intensity of palliative care should become more aggressive (Tappen, 2011). Once the patient has died, the families, who have of course witnessed this process of dying, should be afforded similar care that seeks to empathize with and support them. These findings are in line with the expectations and thus met the study objectives.
Were they consistent with previous studies?
These findings do not in any way contradict previous findings but they add to the growing list of literature that calls for palliative care to focus on giving patients a comfortable death and minimize the extent of suffering. Further the research also offers the perspective of helping families of the patients make medically appropriate decisions in this period (Meir & Bishop, 2011).
Are any serendipitous (i.e., accidental) findings described?
The research did not report any contradictory or unexpected results even within the subsections which imply that the literature used in the review and descriptive levels had a perspective of agreement on the issue under investigation (Rome, Luminais, Bourgeois, & Blais, 2011).
Are the conclusions and implications drawn by the author warranted by the study findings?
The researchers may not have ignored any evidence that may have contradicted with the implied hypothesis and the other findings especially based on the fact that they utilize standard national guidelines of palliative care from recognized professional bodies and organizations to back up their arguments. The conclusions are thus within the study findings and not designed with any bias whatsoever (White & Dudley-Brown, 2011).
Does the author offer legitimate recommendations for further research? -How might this research inform your practice?
The researcher does not explore any concept that would elicit further research and leaves it at the point of emphasizing on the study findings which purposely touch on the roles of palliative care. The research findings are useful within palliative care settings as they offer a systematic framework on which nurses can manage each specific aspect of the end-of-life and more so the acre to the families that are left behind up death of the patient. The researchers provide a vital perspective that until families are afforded palliative care in post-death, then the process is incomplete. This can be used as the basis for redefining the approach of the nurse to palliative care (Meir & Bishop, 2011).
References
Meir, D. E., & Bishop, T. F. (2011). Palliative care: benefits, services, and models of care. Waltham, MA: UpToDate.
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2015). Evidence-based practice in nursing and healthcare: A guide to best practice (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Rome, R. B., Luminais, H. H., Bourgeois, D. A., & Blais, C. M. (2011). The role of palliative care at the end of life. The Ochsner Journal, 11(4), 348-352.
Tappen, R. M. (2011). Advanced nursing research: From theory to practice. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
White, K. M., & Dudley-Brown, S. (2011). Translation of evidence into nursing and health care practice. Springer Publishing Company.
