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Nursing 121 (Crossman)

Nursing

 Nursing Reference Center Plus Tutorial

This tutorial demonstrates the features of EBSCO's Nursing Reference Center Plus interface.

Nursing Reference Center Plus provides staff nurses and nurse educators with a resource that supports education goals, encourages residents and students to access the original research, and provides options for patient care while preserving and supporting the essential learning opportunities that educators want to provide.

Note: If you are unable to view videos on YouTube, click the following PowerPoint link to view this tutorial.

Using the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) Headings Feature in CINAHL Plus

This tutorial demonstrates how to create a search using the CINAHL/MeSH Headings functionality in EBSCOhost. Courtesy EBSCO Help

How to Use PubMed Advanced Search Builder

A  tutorial on how to use the Advanced Search Builder to refine PubMed searches by the NIH U.S. National Library of Medicine 

PubMed - Need the Full Text Article?

A tutorial on how to get full text articles for PubMed citations, both free and for a fee by the NIH U.S. National Library of Medicine

Use MeSH to Build a Better PubMed Query

This tutorial shows how to build a targeted PubMed search starting in the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) database.

It includes very brief background on MeSH terms and indexing by NIH U. S. National Library of Medicine

CINAHL Databases - Basic Search Tutorial

This tutorial demonstrates the basic searching features of the suite of CINAHL databases on EBSCO.

CINAHL Databases - Advanced Searching Tutorial

This tutorial demonstrates the advanced searching features of the suite of CINAHL databases on EBSCO.

How to Read a Call Number

Unlike public and school libraries, most academic libraries use the Library of Congress Classification scheme to arrange books on the shelves.

Read call numbers line by line. 

  • First line: arranged alphabetically; P comes before PR.
  • Second line: read as a whole number; 96 comes before 3426.
  • Third and fourth lines: arranged alphabetically, then numerically, with the number treated as a decimal;  .3723 comes before .373.
  • Last line: shelved chronologically. 

 

What is Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)? 

The most common definition of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is from Dr. David Sackett. EBP is “the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of the individual patient. It means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research.” (Sackett D, 1996)

EBP is the integration of clinical expertise, patient values, and the best research evidence into the decision making process for patient care. Clinical expertise refers to the clinician’s cumulated experience, education and clinical skills. The patient brings to the encounter his or her own personal preferences and unique concerns, expectations, and values. The best research evidence is usually found in clinically relevant research that has been conducted using sound methodology. (Sackett D, 2002)

The evidence, by itself, does not make the decision, but it can help support the patient care process. The full integration of these three components into clinical decisions enhances the opportunity for optimal clinical outcomes and quality of life. The practice of EBP is usually triggered by patient encounters which generate questions about the effects of therapy, the utility of diagnostic tests, the prognosis of diseases, and/or the etiology of disorders.

Evidence-Based Practice requires new skills of the clinician, including efficient literature searching, and the application of formal rules of evidence in evaluating the clinical literature.

"Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice - Tutorial" by Duke University Medical Center Library and the Health Sciences Library at the  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (http://guides.mclibrary.duke.edu/content.php?pid=431451&sid=3529499) available under a  Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License     

The Steps in the EBP Process:

ASSESS the patient

 1. Start with the patient - a clinical problem or question arises from the care of the patient
ASK the question  2. Construct a well built clinical question derived from the case

ACQUIRE the evidence

 3. Select the appropriate resource (s) and conduct a search
APPRAISE the evidence  4. Appraise that evidnce for its validity (closeness to the truth) and applicability (usefulness in clinical practice) 
APPLY: talk with the patient  5. Return to the patient - integrate that evidence with clinical expertise, patient preferences and apply to the practice
Self-evaluation  6. Evaluate your performance with this patient

 

To access the entire six-step Interactive EBP tutorial developed by Duke University and the University of Carolina at Chapel Hill, select the link Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice

"Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice - Tutorial" by Duke University Medical Center Library and the Health Sciences Library at the  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (http://guides.mclibrary.duke.edu/content.php?pid=431451&sid=3529499) available under a  Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License       

 

APA Citation Style Resources


 
For the most authoritative information on APA Style, consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th Edition. Copies are readily available at the library reference desk.

You can also consult the following online resources to help with APA paper and citation format:

How to Cite

Examples are taken directly from either Purdue's Online Writing Lab (OWL) or from Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition. Please be advised that your instructor and the APA manual are the final authority on formatting, mechanics and citing references. This guide provides basic information only. Please refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) for detailed information.