Overview If you encounter a problem in a professional practice setting, you will need to be equipped to find appropriate information to assess the problem and propose an evidence-based recommendation. Evidence-based recommendations are supported by a large amount of scientific research. As a nurse, you can make a difference by learning what research exists to address problems and make informed decisions regarding patient care. Evidence-based practice (EBP) provides a path for decisions that can make an impact on your unit, department, or organization. For this purpose, there are systematic steps nurses take. In this course, these steps are grouped as follows: 1.Develop a PICO question for a professional practice problem. (COMPLETED) 2.Conduct a scholarly search and appraise the research. 3.Organize and evaluate evidence against the PICO question. 4.Synthesize research to formulate a recommendation. 5.Communicate and disseminate a recommendation.
In this assignment, you will address steps two and three. You will engage in an appraisal of research articles that address your PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcome) question. By appraising these articles, you will deepen your understanding of the subject matter and gain the ability to identify high-quality research and complete step three in Project One. Directions Conduct four appraisals of research articles that answer your PICO question to find an evidence-based recommendation. Critique each of the four articles for their results, strengths, limitations, application to the PICO question, and application to the PICO population. In the next module, you will complete four more appraisals for a total of eight appraisals. To appraise each research study, choose an appropriate critical appraisal tool found in the Required Resources “Critical Appraisal Tools” section of the module. Since you will be choosing a tool appropriate for each study’s design, different tools can be selected. Use the Modules Two and Three Project Preparation Template in the What to Submit section below to provide information from each of your appraisals. Note that you do not need to submit the appraisal tools themselves as part of the assignment. During your selection of these articles, continue to use the Search Tracker worksheet introduced in Module One. The search tracker is a valuable tool in documenting research articles when conducting a literature review. Its primary purpose is to help you keep a record of your search strategy, the sources you have searched, and the articles you have identified during the research process. The Search Tracker worksheet will be due in Module Four.
