One of the noteworthy observations made while working on this project up to date was that the literature on the subject rarely, if ever, focuses on the nurses’ role in the management of diabetes. For instance, an article by Schnell, Crocker, and Weng (2016) discusses the importance of conducting fasted glycemia for the early detection of diabetes. One may interpret this article as an example of leadership in combatting diabetes by integrating new knowledge on diabetes diagnostics, but the article does not concentrate on the nurses’ role in detail. Another similar case is the study by Schwartz, Marling, and Bunescu (2018) that discusses the possible impact of wearable physiological sensors designed for the management of diabetes. While the article discusses the crucial importance of technological innovations as a way to improve the patients’ well-being, it still does not focus on the nurses specifically, omitting the role of this particular group. This lack of attention to the nurses as a specific group in diabetes management is a persistent feature of the literature in the subject. As such, it confirms the necessity of the project that concentrates on nurse leadership.
The work in this project has also revealed some of the difficulties that proved harder to solve than initially anticipated, such as developing the relevant questionnaire for the research in the field. It has already been mentioned in the project proposal that surveys, along with the round table discussions, will constitute the bulk of the primary sources for this project. It is also evident that a well-designed questionnaire filled by a sufficient number of participants is essential for an effective study (Locke, Spirduso & Silverman, 2014). Yet formulating a precise list of questions that would, if included in the survey and answered, provide the best assessment of this situation proved to be a more laborious task than suspected. Relying on simple, straightforward questions, such as “In your experience, are the nurses included in the development of patient care policies for the prevention and management of diabetes?” would not yield the desired results. A more detailed questionnaire is necessary to address the specific variables associated with nurse leadership in diabetes management. Identifying these variables to eventually compile the questionnaire proved to be a significant barrier.
Another notable difficulty encountered so far while working on this project also relates directly to the field part of the research and amounts to calculating the necessary sample size for this particular study. As already mentioned in the project proposal, the sample population or the survey will be gathered from the three local hospitals. Generating a sample of sufficient size is pivotal for conducting reliable research in the field and also crucial to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the project (Locke, Spirduso & Silverman, 2014). However, the population sample should not only include a large enough amount of subjects to be roughly representative. It also has to be small enough to operate successfully and – which is essential as well – not overstretch the admittedly modest budget of this particular project. This fact begs a legitimate question of how large a sample should be to satisfy both criteria simultaneously without sacrificing either representability of operability and affordability. Calculating the necessary sample size for this research proved to be one more notable barrier encountered while working on the project so far.
References
Locke, F. L., Spirduso, W. W., & Silverman, J. S. (2014). Proposals that work. New York, NY: SAGE.
Schnell, O., Crocker, J. B., & Weng, J. (2016). Impact of HbA1c testing at point of care on diabetes management. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, 11(3), 611-617. Web.
Schwartz, F. L., Marling, C R., & Bunescu, R. C. (2018). The promise and perils of wearable physiological sensors for diabetes management. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, 12(3), 587-591. Web.