Losing a partner: Do continuing bonds bring solace or sorrow?

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study, underpinned by the humanbecoming paradigm, was to bring forth a deeper understanding about continuing bonds with a deceased spouse and describe the transformative process of losing a partner. Each of six participants dialogued with researchers on three to four occasions about the life and death of their loved one, continuing bonds with the deceased, struggles they have encountered, and dreams of the future. It was discovered that participants told a story that changed over time, struggled with continuing bonds, suffered with loneliness and desired new intimate relationships.

The What, Who, and How of Power.

This column concerns the power of an RO1 grant from the federal government of the United States. To that end, a discussion of the philosophical viewpoints of power, the process of applying for federal grants, and a consideration of a more inclusive process will ensue.

Best Available Evidence or Truth for the Moment: Bias in Research.

The subject of this column is the nature of bias in both quantitative and qualitative research. To that end, bias will be defined and then both the processes by which it enters into research will be entertained along with discussions on how to ameliorate this problem.

Vulnerability.

A brief consideration of the concepts of vulnerability and resilience are presented in this column. It will serve as an introduction to the main article that considers conducting qualitative research on vulnerable populations during the time of COVID-19.

Privacy: An Elusive Concept.

The subject of this Research Issues Column is privacy as it applies to healthcare. To that end, the notion of privacy from the perspective of the law is considered, followed by a consideration of its linkage to healthcare. This serves as an introduction to research on opinions of physicians and nurses in Turkey about the nature of privacy for the patients they serve.

The Necessity of Diversity for Expanding Knowledge.

Consideration of the idea of diversity of knowledge is the subject of this column since it is meant as an introduction to the article about recruitment strategies in minority populations during Covid-19.

Reflexivity: Should It Be Mandated for Qualitative Reporting?

Reflexivity and its importance to the process of qualitative research is examined in this column. To that end, the definition of reflexivity is entertained followed by a discussion related to its inclusion in several versions of standards of qualitative research. Finally, a consideration of how reflexivity in articles should be written is undertaken.

Videoconferencing: Is It Satisfactory.

Consideration of the impact of COVID-19 on conducting research studies is the subject of this column. First, it is argued that presence is critical to some qualitative methods and especially for those who use the Parse methods. Second, the use of e-mail, telephone, and videoconferencing is examined in terms of their advantages and disadvantages in relation to obtaining knowledge about a phenomenon of interest.

Grit: Is It Required for Nursing Research?

The following is a short introduction to the column concerning barriers and insights in recruiting participants for nursing research. It supports the notion that grit is required for nursing research and that consists of perseverance and passion.

New Knowledge for the Profession: Case for Using Nursing Theory.

First, the authors of this column reiterate the need for using nursing theory as a foundation for nursing research and practice. A study underpinned by Johnson's behavioral model is presented as an excellent example of the use of nursing theory to guide research in the care of people with heart failure.

Nurse-led Care Program with Patients with Heart Failure Using Johnson's Behavioral System Model: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Patients with heart failure experience system imbalance and have multiple symptoms. A nurse-led care program based on Johnson's behavioral system model was used to improve the balance of the behavioral system of heart failure patients. One hundred and fifty patients were randomly assigned into two groups. In the experimental group, the patient's status was evaluated by a behavioral subsystem assessment tool related to the level of imbalance. The patients in the intervention group received care individually based on their worst subsystem scores over a period of 2 weeks. The results showed significant improvement in restorative, ingestive, eliminative, aggressive/protective, dependency, and achievement (p < .05) subsystems in the experimental group. However, no significant difference was seen in sexual and affiliative (p > .05) subsystems.

Patients' Perceptions of Nursing Care in a University Hospital.

Patient satisfaction with nursing is an important indicator of the quality of the nursing services. This study used The Patient Perception of Hospital Experience With Nursing (PPHEN) scale (Dozier, Kitzman, Ingersol, Holmberg, & Schultz, 2001) to determine the nursing care perception of patients in a Turkish tertiary care hospital. The study design was descriptive comparative and used convenience sampling. In total, 566 patients volunteered to take part in the study. The patient satisfaction level with nursing was found to be below average; patient satisfaction showed no meaningful differences between genders, marital status, or the clinics where the patient was hospitalized, but significantly higher levels of satisfaction were found with higher levels of education, younger age, higher incomes, and being employed. Overall, the patients considered that nursing care needs improvement, especially in terms of the provision of information and psychosocial support.

Introduction to Research Issues Column.

The following introduction discusses education related to evidence-based practice in nursing curricula.

Meta-Aggregation: Just What Is It?

This is a brief introduction to the Research Issues Column.

The Nature of Truth: The Need for Peer Review.

The necessity of having peer review is the subject of this column. To that end, the nature of truth, standards by which quantitative and qualitative research studies are judged, and predatory publishing are considered along with an example of the adverse impact of scientific misconduct. Finally, a call for more intense peer review is put forth.

Collaboration: Does It Require Pragmatic Thought?

The authors of this column consider the subject of collaboration in terms of healthcare practice, research, and education. To that end, the concept of pragmatism is discussed as a precursor to collaboration followed by consideration of specific instances of collaboration in practice, research, and education. Additionally, the consequences of collaboration are discussed.

Nurses' Experiences in End-of-Life Care in the PICU: A Qualitative Systematic Review.

The experiences of end-of-life care by nurses in the pediatric intensive care unit are the subject of this systematic review. Six qualitative articles from three different countries were chosen for the review using methods from Joanna Briggs Institute. The themes discovered included the following: insufficient communication, emotional burden, moral distress from medical futility, strengthening resilience, and taking steps toward hospice. These themes are discussed in detail followed by recommendations for practice to assist nurses in their quest for a good death for their pediatric patients.

Prevent Betrayal by Predatory Publishers: Trust But Verify.

In this column, the concept of betrayal is considered as it relates to publishing. The definition of betrayal is discussed, followed by information regarding the cost of publishing and why this led to the formation of open access publishing as a remedy. The Gold and Green Open Access models are examined along with why they may have inadvertently set the stage for predatory publishing practices. Finally, information will be provided on how to spot and avoid betrayal on the part of predatory publishers.

Re-Envisioning Evidence Gap Maps With Qualitative Research.

Evidence gap maps (EGMs) are the concern of this column. A brief history of evidence summaries including literature and systematic reviews is presented followed by a discussion of the process of creating an evidence map. Then, concerns about a lack of inclusion of qualitative nursing research in particular are addressed.

Transformative Research: A New Frontier for Nursing?

In this column, the definition of transformational research is explored followed by a discussion of mixed methods as the preferred process for those who conduct such studies. Finally, there is consideration of why transformational research may be useful and a natural approach for the specific concerns of the profession of nursing.