6.7 : The Scientific Method in Nursing Process

The scientific method provides the foundation for any research. It is the most reliable and objective of all forms of gaining knowledge and guides in applying research-based evidence in practice and conducting future research.

When using research findings to change practice, one must understand the process used to guide a study. The scientific method is a systematic, step-by-step process that supports the data's validity, reliability, and generalizability. As a result, findings can be safely applied to similar subjects in other research.

Researchers use the scientific method in nursing to understand, explain, predict, or control nursing phenomena. Systematic, orderly procedures reduce the possibility of error. Although this possibility always exists, the scientific method minimizes the chance that a researcher's bias will influence the study's results. Most of the time, the information used in nursing practice is taken from other disciplines, such as biology, physiology, and psychology. Often nurses apply this information to their practice without testing it. For example, nurses facilitate a distraction-free environment to help patients sleep.