| Course | NUR 411 Understanding Research to Guide Nursing Practice |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Short paper distinguishing research, EBP and QI |
| Length | About 1,040 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Southern New Hampshire University |
| Program | RN to BSN |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for NUR 411 Module 1
Six Blankets and Three Kinds of Inquiry: Research, Evidence-Based Practice and Quality Improvement Weighed for One Psychiatric Unit
[Student Name]
Southern New Hampshire University
NUR 411: Understanding Research to Guide Nursing Practice
Module One Short Paper
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The organization, setting and figures below are a composite written as a model document. No real employer, client, colleague or patient is described.
Six Blankets and Three Kinds of Inquiry: Research, Evidence-Based Practice and Quality Improvement Weighed for One Psychiatric Unit
Nurses often use the words research, evidence-based practice and quality improvement as if they meant the same thing: finding out whether something works. They overlap, but they answer different questions, follow different rules and produce different results. Shirey et al. (2011) compared the three and showed that confusing them leads to projects that ask the wrong question, collect the wrong data or skip the ethical review that research requires. This paper uses a single practice question from a composite adult inpatient psychiatric unit, 3 North, to show the difference. It argues that the unit's question, whether to offer weighted blankets at bedtime, is first an evidence-based practice question, that quality improvement becomes relevant only after a decision is made, and that original research is neither needed nor feasible for the unit right now.
The Question on 3 North
3 North admits adults with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders and psychosis. Many patients sleep poorly in the first nights after admission, and staff frequently hear requests for as-needed medication at night. An occupational therapist donated six weighted blankets, each about 7 kilograms, and suggested that nurses offer them to patients having trouble settling. Some nurses were enthusiastic, others worried about safety for patients who are sedated or at risk of self-harm, and the nurse manager asked what the evidence says before anything becomes routine.
Research
Research is a planned, systematic inquiry whose purpose is knowledge that applies beyond the people and place studied. A research study on this question would recruit participants under a written protocol, obtain informed consent, randomize or otherwise compare groups, measure outcomes with validated instruments and seek approval from an institutional review board before starting. Its goal would be to answer the question for patients like these in general, not only for 3 North. An example already exists. Ekholm et al. (2020) randomized 120 outpatients with depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to a weighted metal chain blanket or a light plastic chain blanket for four weeks and measured insomnia with a validated index. That is research: planned, controlled, reviewed and designed to be generalized. For 3 North, launching a similar study would require funding, investigators and months of work, and it would not answer the manager's question any faster.
Evidence-Based Practice
Evidence-based practice combines the strongest evidence that already exists with the judgment of experienced clinicians and the values of the patients involved, and uses all three to reach a practice decision. It does not generate new knowledge; it gathers, appraises and applies what already exists. The Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice model, now in its fifth edition, organizes this work into a practice question, evidence and translation phases (Bissett et al., 2025). For 3 North, an evidence-based practice project would frame a searchable question, find and appraise the published studies on weighted blankets, synthesize what they show about anxiety, sleep and safety, weigh that against the unit's patients and staff, and recommend whether and how to use the blankets. This is exactly what the manager asked for, and it can be done in weeks with library access and a small team.
Quality Improvement
Quality improvement uses data from a specific setting to improve a process, typically through small tests of change. It asks whether a practice is being carried out as intended here and whether local results are getting better. If 3 North decides to offer weighted blankets, a quality improvement project could track how often blankets are offered, how many patients accept them, whether safety checks are completed, whether night-time requests for as-needed medication change and whether any adverse events occur, adjusting the process as data come in. Shirey et al. (2011) note that quality improvement projects usually do not require the same review as research because they aim to improve local care rather than create generalizable knowledge, though organizations may still require an ethics determination.
Which Comes First and Why
The three kinds of inquiry form a logical sequence on 3 North. Evidence-based practice comes first because the unit needs a decision grounded in what is already known. If the evidence supports a trial of weighted blankets with safety criteria, quality improvement follows to implement and monitor the change locally. Research would only be appropriate if the evidence review revealed an important unanswered question, such as the safety of weighted blankets for patients receiving sedating medications, and if the organization had the resources and review structure to study it properly. Treating the question as research now would delay a decision; treating it as quality improvement now would skip the step of checking whether the practice is worth adopting.
Types of Research the Unit Will Meet
The evidence review will encounter several types of research. Quantitative studies measure outcomes numerically, from randomized controlled trials like the one by Ekholm et al. (2020) to quasi-experimental and descriptive studies. Qualitative studies explore experiences and meanings, for example how patients describe feeling under a weighted blanket or why some decline it. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses combine the results of multiple studies. Each type answers different questions, and the unit will need to judge both the findings of each study and the weight its design can bear, which is the focus of later modules.
The literature will also include material that is not research at all: product descriptions from blanket manufacturers, blog posts from clinicians and news stories about weighted blankets for sleep. These may raise useful questions, but they cannot answer them. Part of what this course teaches is the habit of asking, for every source, who produced it, how, and for what purpose, before letting it influence a decision about patient care. On 3 North, that habit will matter as soon as the first search returns more advertisements than studies.
Conclusion
One question about six donated blankets shows why the distinctions matter. Research would build new knowledge but is not what 3 North needs now. Evidence-based practice will tell the unit what existing studies support and how confident it can be. Quality improvement will then show whether the chosen practice works safely on this unit. Starting with the right kind of inquiry saves time and protects patients.
References
Bissett, K., Ascenzi, J., & Whalen, M. (2025). A guided introduction to the fifth edition of the Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice model. AJN, American Journal of Nursing, 125(11), 36-39. https://doi.org/10.1097/AJN.0000000000000174
Ekholm, B., Spulber, S., & Adler, M. (2020). A randomized controlled study of weighted chain blankets for insomnia in psychiatric disorders. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 16(9), 1567-1577. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.8636
Shirey, M. R., Hauck, S. L., Embree, J. L., Kinner, T. J., Schaar, G. L., Phillips, L. A., Ashby, S. R., Swenty, C. F., & McCool, I. A. (2011). Showcasing differences between quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and research. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 42(2), 57-68. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20100701-01
What the NUR 411 Module 1 instructions ask for
The Module 1 short paper in NUR 411 asks you to explain the differences between research, evidence-based practice and quality improvement and to describe the main types of research. Most prompts want definitions supported by scholarly sources, a comparison of purpose, methods and outcomes, and an example from practice showing how each approach would address a problem. Some sections ask you to identify a practice issue you will carry through the course. Expect two to four pages in APA 7. Choosing your course-long practice question now, and using it as the example, sets up the PICO question in Module 2 and every assignment after it, so pick one you genuinely care about.
How this NUR 411 Module 1 short paper example is built
This example uses one question from a composite inpatient psychiatric unit, whether to offer donated weighted blankets at bedtime, and runs it through all three kinds of inquiry. The research section defines research by its aim of knowledge that travels beyond one unit and describes a real randomized trial as an illustration. The evidence-based practice section links to the Johns Hopkins model and explains why this is the approach the manager needs. The quality improvement section shows what local monitoring would look like after a decision. A sequencing section explains which comes first and why, and a final section previews the types of research the unit will meet. All three sources are real.
Where the NUR 411 Module 1 rubric puts the points
Graders of this first paper usually look for accurate definitions of research, evidence-based practice and quality improvement, a clear comparison of their purposes and methods, an explanation of research types, an application to a practice example and competent APA writing. The comparison criterion rewards papers that go beyond definitions to show how the three differ in purpose, data, ethics review and output. The application criterion is strongest when one example is carried through all three approaches. Papers that also explain which approach fits the example, and in what order, tend to earn the highest marks because they show judgment rather than recall of course vocabulary. Citations for each definition are expected.
NUR 411 Module 1 help: the mistakes that cost points
Weak versions of this paper usually offer three separate definitions with no comparison, or three different examples that never let the reader see the approaches side by side. Another is calling any project that uses articles research, when it is usually evidence-based practice. Some papers forget that research requires ethical review and quality improvement often has its own review process. Others describe types of research without saying what each is good for, which leaves the section feeling like a glossary. Use one practice question throughout, compare the approaches directly, explain which fits your question first and connect research types to the kinds of answers they can give.
Get NUR 411 Module 1 written to your instructions
Tell us the practice question you plan to follow through NUR 411 and paste the Module 1 prompt and rubric. A paper that runs your question through research, EBP and QI is written in 24 to 48 hours, and the first sample is free. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Southern New Hampshire University document.
More NUR 411 papers and related RN to BSN samples
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NUR 411 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NUR 411 Module 1 short paper sample?
The full paper is free to read here: one question about weighted blankets on a psychiatric unit, run through research, evidence-based practice and quality improvement, with a sequencing section, a preview of research types, margin notes and three references. Versions built on your own practice question can be requested.
Is a literature review research or evidence-based practice?
Reviewing published studies to make a practice decision is evidence-based practice. Research generates new data through a planned study. A systematic review is a research method in its own right, but most student projects are EBP.
Does quality improvement need IRB approval?
Usually not, because QI aims to improve local care rather than produce generalizable knowledge. Many organizations still require a review to confirm a project is QI, so follow your organization's process.
What types of research should I describe in NUR 411?
Quantitative designs such as experimental, quasi-experimental and descriptive studies; qualitative designs that explore experience; and reviews that combine studies, such as systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Should I choose my NUR 411 practice question in Module 1?
If possible, yes. The course builds on one question, so choosing it early and using it as your example makes the PICO, appraisal and synthesis assignments easier.