Critique

Critique

Title: Spilsbury, K., Nelson, A., Cullum, N., Iglesias, C., Nixon, J., & Mason, S. (2007). Pressure ulcers and their treatment and effects on quality of life: hospital inpatient perspectives. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 57(5), 494-504.

Introduction

The aims of the research are clearly identified in the article. The study aims to investigate about the perceptions of the hospital patients and their experiences about the effects of the pressure ulcer. In addition, the effects of treatment on life quality and health are also studied. It is stated by the researchers that the problem of pressure ulcer is a global problem and it produces effects on the patients and the healthcare system. Moreover, the issues of quality of life are also discussed in the chapter of background. A qualitative methodology is applied in the research and the qualitative methodology is suitable if the researcher wants to understand the experiences of the subjects about the research question (CASP, 2002). In this study the qualitative methodology is suitable to find out the perspectives of patients and their experiences about the effects of pressure ulcer on life quality and health.

Research Design

The research design of the study is properly justified by the researches. However, it is not clearly mentioned by the researcher but a phenomenological approach has been used in the study. According to Nieswiadomy (1993), this type of approach is used to identify the experiences of the people by the description they have provided. These types of experiences are named as live experiences. The objective of this type of research is to provide a meaning to the experiences of each person (Nieswiadomy, 1993). This approach was suitable to identify the perceptions of in-patients and their experiences of ulcer and its treatment on quality of life.

Methodology

The type of people selected for a research should be explained in detail to make it easy for the reader to judge (McCaughan, 1999). The topic of the study was to investigate the experiences and perceptions of the people so the sample that was selected for the recruitment contained the patients suffering from pressure ulcers. The method of purposive sampling was used for the selection of participants. Purposive sampling is a non random method of selection and it involves the hand picking of the subjects that is based up on the consideration of the researcher according to the requirement of the sample (Nieswiadomy, 1993). In addition, it is stated by the researcher that the selection of participants was completed from four different hospitals so that the core characteristics of the population can be portrayed. The sampling variables of the study were age, sex, reason of admission in hospital and location of ulcer. The issue of selection bias was minimized due to the selection of these variables. The sample of the study was not predetermined like it occurs in a qualitative research. 23 participants were selected in the period of two years among which 18 were women and 5 were men to ensure the reflection of core ...