PAH Clinical Informationist: Nursing: Research & Evidence-Based Practice

Evidence-Based Practice

Evidence-Based Medicine

Clinical Research

Nursing Research  

Please check the Franklin (Penn Libraries Catalog) to search for journal articles, books and eBooks.  For books not in our collection, please check with the librarian or request through our interlibrary loan service (Borrow Direct/E-Z Borrow)

"Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values."

(Sackett DL, Straus S, Richardson W, Rosenberg W, Haynes R. Evidence-Based Medicine: How to Practice and Teach EBM, New York: Churchill-Livingstone. Inc; 2000.

• Step 1. 
  • Ask the Question = Identify
  • Define the Patient/Problem
  • PICO
  • Types of Questions
• Step 2.  Acquire the Evidence
  • Study Design
  • Search for Evidence - Clinical Databases
• Step 3.  Appraise the Evidence
  • Critical Thinking 
  • Appraisal Tools
    • Systematic Review Critical Appraisal Sheet
    • Diagnosis Critical Appraisal Sheet
    • Prognosis Critical Appraisal Sheet
    • Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) Critical Appraisal Sheet
    • Qualitative Studies Critical Appraisal Sheet
    •  Biostatistics
      • Descriptive Statistics
      • Inferential Statistics
      • Biostatistical Terms - Therapies
      • Biostatistics Terms - Diagnostic Testing
    • Statistics Help

• Step 4.  Apply the Evidence
  • Applying the Evidence
  • Implementation
• Step 5. Assess the Results

How can my librarian help me?

Welcome to the Nursing Ph.D., DNP, and MSN information guide, the place to supplement your courses or begin your research with links to relevant library and other electronic resources, including databases, books, datasets, and journals, as well as tips on finding evidence-based information.

As your clinical information librarian,  I am able to:

• Assist you in building strategies for finding relevant journal literature
• Show you how to cite your sources and teach you about citation management tools (Refworks) that can save you time with your bibliography
• Provide links to other pertinent library resources
• Present topic based-sessions to classes or clinical teams
• Provide one-on-one advice about your research topic
• Teach you advanced tricks for database searching
• Orient you to the library resources available through PAH and the University Health System
• Assist in obtaining selected needed books for your programs

Topics Available

• Quality Improvement vs Research
• Types of Reviews
• Searching the literature
• Writing Style
  • Active vs passive voice
  • Books as resources
• Manuscripts and Publications
  • Journal selection (audience, journal aims/purpose, author guidelines/formatting, querying the editor)
  • Paper type
  • Writing an outline
  • Author resources
  • The publication process
    • Responding to reviewer critique
    • Writing etiquette
    • Open access/predatory publishing
    • Serving as a reviewer: Wiley online
    • List of "bad" open access journals (Beal)
• APA Formatting
• Technical formatting
• Healthy writing habits
  • Managing a Refworks library
  • Keeping up your writing skills
  • Scheduling writing skills
  • Scheduling writing time
  • Not staying stuck/self preservation/seeking help
  • Peer Feedback