Purpose

This week’s graded topics relate to the following Course Outcome (CO).

• CO 1: Examine the sources of evidence that contribute to professional nursing practice. (PO 7)
• CO 2:Apply research principles to the interpretation of the content of published research studies. (PO 4 & 8)
• CO 5: Recognize the role of research findings in evidence-based practice. (PO 7 & 8)

Discussion

Professional nurses rely on research findings to inform practice decisions; they use critical thinking to apply research directly to specific patient care situations.

Think about an independent nursing practice problem you care passionately about and would be interested in searching for evidence. The below problems should not be used:

*medical/doctor/physician problems such as medications, or medications administration or effects, diagnostics such as EKGs, labs, cardiac catherizations.

*staffing, nurse-to-patient ratios, workforce issues are organizational/system /political/administrative/multi-stakeholder problems which nursing cannot solve independently.

• Describe a significant nursing clinical issue, topic of interest, or practice problem that is important to you. Describe why you chose the problem/topic.
• Write your clinical question in the PICO(T) format for your nursing practice problem. *To write your clinical question in the PICO(T) format, use the NR439_Guide for writing PICOT Questions and Examples found in your required reading or access the following link:

NR439_Guide for writing PICOT Questions and Examples (Links to an external site.)

• List each of your PICOT elements.

Share why you care about this nursing practice problem and why you believe the problem would benefit from finding the best evidence.