COURSE AIMS and LEARNING OUTCOMES

The main aim of this section of the eResource is to introduce the principles of searching  electronic databases and other evidence based sources for evidence to support professional practice.

 By the end of this section you should be able to:-

LINKING THE THEORY TO PRACTICE

Please view the following short video clip. This link should help to demonstrate the relevance and applicability of using evidence to support clinical practice.

SELF DIRECTED ACTIVITIES

1. Click on the link below and read the article ‘Finding the Research for Evidence-Based Practice - PART ONE - The development of EBP’ by Jane Fitzpatrick. The article highlights the process undertaken to identify primary and secondary sources of data. 

Finding the Research for Evidence-Based Practice

Consider the following the differences between primary sources of evidence and secondary sources of evidence  and why you would use different websites to retrieve secondary sources of evidence.  

2. The Cochrane Library is the main source for reviews (summaries of the evidence) on the effectiveness of interventions in healthcare.   Click on the link below to view the presentation on how to use the Cochrane Library and then try a simple search using a key word related to an area of nursing practice.  (You will be asked to register your name and email address to access this resource)

Cochrane Library

3. Research evidence informs and underpins the development of guidelines used in nursing practice.  The National Institute of Clinical Evidence (NICE) produces evidence based guidelines which are implemented in practice to improve care.  In preparation for the summative examination questions in this section, log onto the NICE website and browse through the links on NICE pathways and NICE guidance to discover the sources of evidence available.  

NICE Guidance

FORMATIVE QUESTIONS

Following on from the above activity, please attempt to answer the following three formative assessment questions. You can click to receive immediate feedback on your answers. These three formative assessment questions are not marked and will not affect your overall module score.  You are strongly encouraged to undertake the formative assessment questions before proceeding and prior to undertaking the summative assessment questions at the end of this section.

SECTION SUMMARY

This section should have introduced you to the principles of searching  electronic databases and other evidence based sources for evidence to support professional practice. 

You should now be in a position to:

1. Identify different types of databases and other  evidence-based sources (eg NICE, Cochrane).

2. Identify how to search for relevant literature from evidence based sources through developing a list of search terms and a basic search strategy.

3. Carry out an online evidence based search to identify useful and relevant information pertinent to clinical practice 

Before leaving this section, please ensure that you have achieved the learning outcomes for this section of the course.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Only when you have completed all of the above activities should you attempt the summative QuestionMark test. Your QuestionMark username and password are the same as your QOL login details. All assessments can be accessed from the 'Assessment' tab within the NFM1105 Module on Queen Online. To navigate to QOL and log into the summative assessment program 'QuestionMark' and attempt the Phase 2 Section C Test (Click here)