There are many requirements for the work of nurses, and the use of creativity in treatment is one of them. Creativity has a significant impact on the professional activities of nurses. They often need to make decisions quickly, develop and implement new and non-standard ideas, and be flexible when solving various tasks. The use of creativity in treatment may have a beneficial influence, but it is necessary to understand what opportunities are available to test its effectiveness. This paper considers a personal example of using a creative solution and discusses applying quantitative research methods to it.
Creativity helped me improve outcomes for a patient whose treatment did not produce results, as she was constantly anxious. A 40-year-old woman holds the responsible accountant position in a large organization and is always stressed. The patient expressed reluctance to take additional medicines to address anxiety, as she had already taken many drugs and was afraid of side effects. After asking about her habits and routine, I learned that the client spends enough time outdoors and is engaged in physical exercises, but despite these measures, her anxiety remains. I offered to introduce a new hobby she had not previously tried – drawing. I considered the possibilities not requiring developed artistic skills but enjoyable and relieving stress – a suitable option was paint-by-numbers kits for adults. The new activity fascinated the patient, helped cope with stress, reduced anxiety, and improved the treatment results.
Using quantitative methods to measure the effectiveness of the described approach is possible by assessing the anxiety level and health indicators before and after using the technique. While measuring health indicators and their changes takes time, a researcher can quickly determine anxiety levels. Some examples of tools for measuring anxiety include Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7), Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A), self-reported questionnaires, and other instruments (“Psychological assessment,” n.d.). Reducing anxiety after drawing will be an indicator of beneficial effects.
Essential elements of the experimental study are variables that help determine whether a particular action affects the problem. In the considered case, an independent variable that a researcher can control is the use of paint-by-numbers kits. The dependent variable that the researcher intends to influence is the level of anxiety. Confounding variable, which is not regulated in such a case but can also affect the outcome, can be medical problems, disorders, or habits like alcohol, which increase the likelihood of anxiety. It is crucial to form a group of participants with similar characteristics in research to reduce the impact of the mentioned confounding variables on the study. Another possibility to control the confounder is to include it as a control variable in the analysis. The researchers aim to include a larger sample in the experiment and reduce such subjectivity in assessing the outcome for a more objective result.
Thus, a creative approach to treating patients can help find non-standard and practical solutions. A personal example of using creativity included suggesting the patient use paint-by-numbers kits in order to reduce the anxiety that interfered with recovery. Checking the effectiveness of this method is potentially possible using quantitative research methods, which will allow evaluating the level of anxiety before and after drawing. In this case, an independent variable is a new occupation, a dependent one is the level of anxiety, and confounding – medical causes or other uncontrolled factors influencing anxiety onset.
Reference
Psychological assessment tools for mental health. (n.d.). Psychology Tools. Web.