At the end of this section, you will be able to:
‹ Identify the basic concepts associated with samplingUsing Samples to Provide Evidence
Ann H. White
11.1 Fundamentals of Sampling
Nurses make decisions every day and are using the best evidence from research as one method to guide
these decisions (Hopp, 2012). The ultimate goal of evidence-based practice (EBP) is high-quality health
care with beneficial outcomes (Hall & Roussel, 2014). Collecting evidence to change clinical practice by
identifying relevant nursing research on clinical topics is critical. After research studies are identified,
nurses must appraise whether the research is valid and relevant to clinical practice. One consideration
when appraising evidence is to determine whether the sample and the sampling method were appropriately
selected for the study.
Learning the Terms
When designing a research study, researchers must define the population as specified in the research
question. A population is the entire group of elements that meet study criteria (Fawcett & Garity, 2009).
Elements, also called population units, are the basic unit of the population and may be people, events,
experiences, or behaviors (Fawcett & Garity, 2009). When elements are people, they are referred to as
subjects. After determining the population of interest, researchers must create a sampling plan that includes
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