Masters in Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing

Objectives:
-To understand the assumptions, principles, and component parts of a problem statement and a research project;
-To identify the requirements necessary for experimental planning and understand the applications;
-To understand the principles, assumptions, and requirements of qualitative method approaches;
-To understand the principles of systematic reviews of literature for a clinical practice based on the best available evidence.
SKILLS:
-To complete a research project based on the models of experimental planning;
-To perform qualitative (inductive and deductive) and quantitative analyses with the support of Nvivo and SPSS;
-To conduct research on-line centred around clinical problems;
-To create a problem statement from empirical research and/or the systematic review of literature (SRL);
-To read research articles in a critical and analytical manner.

1.Introduction to qualitative and quantitative research methods
-Formulation of a research problem
-From problem to research project
-Research questions/hypotheses
-Types of qualitative and quantitative studies
-The process of sampling.
-Variables; implementation; measurement; instruments.
2.Experimental planning: concepts, designs, criteria of internal and external validity
-Pre-experimental
-Quasi-experimental
-Experimental
3.Qualitative method approaches:
-Phenomenological studies
-Grounded theory
-Ethnographic studies
4.Computer assisted data analysis
-Qualitative analysis of data using Nvivo
-Quantitative analysis of data using IBM-SPSS
5.Systematic review of literature and evidence-based practice.
-On-line bibliographic research (resources, processes, and practices).
6.Preparing reports and communicating the results of research.

The aim of the 1st stage of this unit is for students tounderstand the assumptions, principles and elements to consider in a problem statement and a research problem using qualitative and quantitative approaches.
The objective of the 2nd stage of this unit is the identification of the necessary requirements for experimental planning and understanding their assumptions and practical applications.
The 3rd stage underlies the second objective: to understand the principles, assumptions, and requirements of the qualitative method approaches, placing emphasis on its application to nursing, and for this reason it is based on the most widely used approaches, namely phenomenology, grounded theory, and ethnography.
The 4th stage of this unit is more operative in character, and its application is carried out through the use of software such as IBM-SPSS. The 5th and 6th stages place emphasis on the performance of practices based on the best available evidence and the communication of science.

Teaching methods will be expository and interactive within the classroom, where the course contents of this curricular unit are presented by the teacher in order to reach the previously established learning objectives.
It also includes:
Reading articles;
Bibliographic research on-line using reference databases (eg: CINAHL, MEDLINE);
Computer assisted practice using data analysis programmes;
Critical analysis of empirical research articles.
EVALUATION
Evaluation of the curricular unit will be carried out by testing through a written test given a grade of 0 to 20, based on the content taught in class. There is a written exam graded on a scale of 0-20 points.

The, contents, objectives, and methods of this curricular unit were selected taking into consideration the theoretical and practical basis of investigation which is to be expected of students at this level of study, and are aimed at the development and use of research tools as well as the improvement of scientific discourse, emphasising the principles of the preparation of empirical research reports and the skills needed to critically analyse and communicate results.
With the proposed methods and the established objectives, the idea is for students to review and broaden the knowledge and skills they have already obtained from previous training, not from a purely theoretical standpoint, but based on implementation and the application of practice-oriented tools to allow them to become researchers.

APÓSTOLO, João L. A.; GAMEIRO, Manuel G. H.–Referências Onto-Epistemológicas e Metodológicas da Investigação em Enfermagem: Uma Análise Crítica. Referência, 2ª Série, nº 1 (Dezembro de 2005) pp.29-38.
FORTIN, Marie-Fabienne–Fundamentos e Etapas do Processo de Investigação. Loures: Lusodidacta, 2009.
FLICK, Uwe–Métodos Qualitativos na Investigação Científica. Lisboa: Monitor, 2005.
LOUREIRO, Luís.-Adequação e Rigor na Investigação Fenomenológica em Enfermagem – Crítica, Estratégias e Possibilidades. Revista de Enfermagem Referência 2, 2: (2006).21 - 32.
LOUREIRO, Luís.; GAMEIRO, Manuel G. H.-Interpretação crítica dos resultados estatísticos: para lá da significância estatística. Revista de Enfermagem Referência, 3, (2011) 151-162.
PESTANA, M. H.; GAGEIRO, J. N.–Análise de dados em Ciências Sociais. 4ª Ed. Lisboa: Sílabo, 2006.
STREUBERT, Helen J.; CARPENTER, Dona R.–Investigação Qualitativa em Enfermagem: Avançando o Imperativo Humanista. 2ª ed. Loures: Lusociência, 2002.