• Identify and discuss basic designs, corresponding questions, analytical methods related to research questions, and limits on implications of findings (e.g., causal vs. relational)
• Review previous research and new research to complete.
• Capstone project topics cannot be used in this course due to the potential for self-plagiarism, a new topic must be chosen instead.
Step 2: Consider
• For your final paper, you will identify an issue in nursing and explore the evidence.
o What is the problem?
o What do you hope to achieve by addressing it?
o Identify your search strategies
o What level of evidence were you able to find?
o Write a literature review of at least 5 peer-reviewed journal articles to address your problem
Sample Answer
That's a thorough outline for an evidence-based practice (EBP) review paper. Since you need a new topic for this course, I'll provide a framework for the basic research designs and then demonstrate the rest of the steps using a new, common issue in nursing: Alarm Fatigue in Critical Care Nurses.
🔬 Research Designs: Basics and Implications
Research designs provide the framework for investigating a research question. They dictate the methods used and, most importantly, limit the types of conclusions that can be drawn from the findings (e.g., whether a relationship is causal or merely associational).
Applying the EBP Steps (New Topic Example)
New Issue in Nursing: Alarm Fatigue in Critical Care Nurses
1. What is the Problem?
Alarm fatigue is a serious, patient safety issue characterized by sensory overload when nurses are exposed to an excessive number of alarms, many of which are false or non-actionable. This leads to desensitization, delayed responses to true alarms, and potentially missed critical events.
2. What do you hope to achieve by addressing it?
The primary goal is to identify and synthesize evidence-based interventions (e.g., personalized alarm parameters, staff training, policy changes) that effectively reduce the rate of non-actionable alarms in critical care units, thereby improving nurses' response time and enhancing patient safety.
3. Identify your Search Strategies
A strong EBP search uses the PICO framework and relevant databases.
P (Population): Critical Care Nurses (or ICU/CCU environment).
I (Intervention): Alarm Management Strategies (e.g., customized limits, daily electrode changes).