Week 5: Data Collection and Measurement
Professor and Class,
Secondary data is data that has already been collected from other sources (Houser, 2018). Acquiring
secondary data for research is generally much easier, it saves time and money. It can also help make
primary data collection more specific since it can help us make out what gaps or deficiencies there are
and what additional information is still needed. I think the data in the ANA fast facts present information
to help nurses perhaps figure out where they need to go. They listed states that had the highest median
income and lowest, they also listed what percentage of BSN nurses are being preferred over ADN. If I
were looking for jobs and read this data I would strongly consider moving to one of the states that has
the best salary ranges. It is also showing that there is going to be a continued nursing shortage with
more jobs available than nurses coming out of school. It is also showing that the male nurse population
is expected to grow about 12% in the coming years which I think is wonderful (ANA, 2014)!
“In order for assessments to be sound, they must be free of bias and distortion. Reliability and
validity are two concepts that are important for defining and measuring bias and distortion (Heale,
2015).” Reliability is the ability of a test result to be repeatable with consistent results every time. For
example, a thermometer is a reliable tool since we get consistent results every time we use it. 100
degrees will be 100 degrees every time we measure it. Whereas Validity is the degree to which the
outcome of our data corresponds accurately in the real world. It can also be known as the accuracy of a
measurement. For example, if you are testing intelligence, it is only valid if you are measuring for
intelligence and not memory power or something like that. You can have reliability without validity, but
in order to obtain validity you must have reliability.
For my own nursing clinical issue I believe I could use primary and secondary data collection. Seeing
if prophylactic speech therapy can decrease dysphagia symptoms in head and neck cancer patients is
something I can research to see what data other studies have come out with for these types of patients, I
can also use primary data with my own patients, subjective and objective, in my practice and follow
them not only during their treatment course with me, but also follow up with them by phone interviews
and surveys to see. I can also have them follow up with our speech department a year after completion
of cancer treatments and measure the results.
American Nurses Association. (2014). Fast facts: The nursing workforce 2014: Growth, salaries,
education, demographics & trends. ANA.
https://www.nursingworld.org/globalassets/practiceandpolicy/workforce/fastfacts_nsgjobgrowth-
salaries_updated8-25-15.pdf (Links to an external site.)
Heale, R. (2015). Validity and Reliability in Quantitative Studies. Evidence – Based Nursing, 18(2),66-67
Houser, J. (2018). Nursing Research: Reading, Using and Creating Evidence, 4th Edition. Retrieved from
https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284138887.
This study source was downloaded by 100000829957125 from CourseHero.com on 02-05-2022 09:24:26 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/31406607/NR439-WK5docx/
Professor and Class,
Secondary data is data that has already been collected from other sources (Houser, 2018). Acquiring
secondary data for research is generally much easier, it saves time and money. It can also help make
primary data collection more specific since it can help us make out what gaps or deficiencies there are
and what additional information is still needed. I think the data in the ANA fast facts present information
to help nurses perhaps figure out where they need to go. They listed states that had the highest median
income and lowest, they also listed what percentage of BSN nurses are being preferred over ADN. If I
were looking for jobs and read this data I would strongly consider moving to one of the states that has
the best salary ranges. It is also showing that there is going to be a continued nursing shortage with
more jobs available than nurses coming out of school. It is also showing that the male nurse population
is expected to grow about 12% in the coming years which I think is wonderful (ANA, 2014)!
“In order for assessments to be sound, they must be free of bias and distortion. Reliability and
validity are two concepts that are important for defining and measuring bias and distortion (Heale,
2015).” Reliability is the ability of a test result to be repeatable with consistent results every time. For
example, a thermometer is a reliable tool since we get consistent results every time we use it. 100
degrees will be 100 degrees every time we measure it. Whereas Validity is the degree to which the
outcome of our data corresponds accurately in the real world. It can also be known as the accuracy of a
measurement. For example, if you are testing intelligence, it is only valid if you are measuring for
intelligence and not memory power or something like that. You can have reliability without validity, but
in order to obtain validity you must have reliability.
For my own nursing clinical issue I believe I could use primary and secondary data collection. Seeing
if prophylactic speech therapy can decrease dysphagia symptoms in head and neck cancer patients is
something I can research to see what data other studies have come out with for these types of patients, I
can also use primary data with my own patients, subjective and objective, in my practice and follow
them not only during their treatment course with me, but also follow up with them by phone interviews
and surveys to see. I can also have them follow up with our speech department a year after completion
of cancer treatments and measure the results.
American Nurses Association. (2014). Fast facts: The nursing workforce 2014: Growth, salaries,
education, demographics & trends. ANA.
https://www.nursingworld.org/globalassets/practiceandpolicy/workforce/fastfacts_nsgjobgrowth-
salaries_updated8-25-15.pdf (Links to an external site.)
Heale, R. (2015). Validity and Reliability in Quantitative Studies. Evidence – Based Nursing, 18(2),66-67
Houser, J. (2018). Nursing Research: Reading, Using and Creating Evidence, 4th Edition. Retrieved from
https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284138887.
This study source was downloaded by 100000829957125 from CourseHero.com on 02-05-2022 09:24:26 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/31406607/NR439-WK5docx/
