Emergency Room Nurses Transitioning From Curative to End-of-Life Care: A Qualitative Critique

A Qualitative Critique
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A Qualitative Critique
1. Research Problem
"Emergency Room Nurses Transitioning From Curative to End-of-Life Care" by Roberta Rolland is a significant study that was meant to improve the skills of nurses working in the emergency room (ER). The research problem, how ER nurses transition from curative to end-of-life care, is clearly stated. The conceptual framework used aligned with the purpose of the study since it focused on how patients can experience good death, which reduces suffering for sick individuals, caregivers, and families.
2. Review of the Literature
Rolland's article combined primary and secondary literature to address the research question. The studies used within the article were not conducted within the last five years. Indeed, the oldest material used was published in 1997, and the latest in 2015 (Rolland, 2016). However, all the studies used were relevant to the topic of discussion, and they gave relevant insight toward addressing the research problem. The literature review provides support to the present study in various ways. For instance, Beckstrand et al. (2012) assert that the environment of the ER is fast-paced, has little or no privacy, loud, and not the best for end-of-life care. On the contrary, Bailey et al. (2011) make it clear that workload and time are the primary obstacles that caregivers encounter when trying to meet the needs of sick individuals in the ER together with their families (Rolland, 2016). In some cases, the family's understanding of proper life-saving measures does not align with those of the nursing staff, which results in conflicts. Limited resources while implementing palliative care was another challenge to proper end-of-life care. Some of the recommendations made to improve the end-of-life care in the emergency room were to reduce ER nurses' workload, provide proper resources, make family support clinician available, and the emphasis on spiritual and cultural considerations. As such, even though the findings from distinctive articles varied, they significantly contributed to answering the research question.
3. Research Design
The research design used was a survey. Participants were registered nurses who were 18 years and above old. Four counties were involved in upstate New York hospitals, and the sample was diverse since it involved nurses from rural and urban areas. Interviews were conducted to gather relevant information. A qualitative method was deemed the most appropriate since it would give data, which, when analyzed, will give accurate outcomes. 
4. Sampling
The researcher used random sampling to get participants who fulfilled the stated requirements. Respondents were selected through ER nurse managers who distributed the invitation letters to caregivers who met the inclusion requirements. For example, nurses were required to be not less than eighteen years of age, at least a year of experience in the ER, and English speakers. The sample size (N=10) was determined by obtaining an equal number of males and females who met the inclusion requirements (Rolland, 2016).
5. Ethical Consideration
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