Question

A nurse has decided to research the following PICOT question: “Adult clients who are admitted to the cardiac unit with congestive heart failure are more likely to develop nosocomial infections than other cardiac clients admitted to the cardiac unit.” A quantitative research design is planned for this project. From the PICOT question, determine the variables that can be included in the study.

Answer 1

Research refers to the process of identifying new facts and ideas. In nursing research it helps in practice evidence based practice and to identify solutions for the persisting problems. In the above scenario PICOT question used as a tool to develop answers for the research question.

P-Patient /population , I - Intervention, C - comparison, O- outcome

“Adult clients who are admitted to the cardiac unit with congestive heart failure are more likely to develop nosocomial infections than other cardiac clients admitted to the cardiac unit.”

Patient - In research population refers to group of people sharing common characteristics. Here the patient group selected for the research study is adult clients admitted in cardiac unit with congestive heart failure.

Intervention - Nosocomial infections occurs while patient encounter to health care services and infection occurs after admitting to health care. It occurs with 48 hours after receiving health care services. Intervention focused on following universal precautions like hand washing before and after touching patient, exposure to bodily secretions, continuing nursing education to update standard practices.

Comparison - The risk of nosocomial infection is compared between client with congestive cardiac failure vs clients with other cardiac disorders admitted in cardiac unit.

Outcome - To study the degree of clients with congestive cardiac failure affected with nosocomial infection admitted in cardiac unit.

Variables: variables in research study refers to the components that is measured in a research study. In the given study “Adult clients who are admitted to the cardiac unit with congestive heart failure are more likely to develop nosocomial infections than other cardiac clients admitted to the cardiac unit.” the dependent variable is clients with CCF and the independent variable is nosocomial infections.