CONDUCTING A LITERATURE REVIEW

 literature search 

Discussion :

This discussion is divided in two parts

1.

Main discussion post

2. Two replies

1.

CONDUCTING A LITERATURE REVIEW

For this Discussion, view the webinar in this week’s resources by a Walden University librarian on strategies to conduct a successful literature search. The webinar provides information on available databases, the use of search engines, and the selection of search terms. Then, you will conduct a literature search on research conducted in the last 5 years on the patient safety problem you identified in Week 1.

Nursing and Health Library Research: Introduction – YouTube

Post the following:

For the 
literature search, describe the following in your post:

· The databases, search engines, and search terms you used in your literature search.

· The number of research articles you found on your patient safety problem that were published in the last five years.

· The challenges you encountered locating research articles and how you overcame them.

· Who you would go to for help in your work setting if you needed help with a literature search.

Note: Post a 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 

evidence
 Links to an external site.

,
 

in-text citations
 Links to an external site.

, and 

essay-level Links to an external site.

writing skills, including the use of 

transitional material Links to an external site.

and 

organizational frames Links to an external site.

. Use the writing resources and the Discussion Rubric to develop your post.

Respond to two  of your colleagues with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information.

Zandra Harrold

                       Discussion 2: Conducting a Literature Review

           The concepts of patient safety, medication errors, and quality care are important considerations when providing quality care. The benefits of these practice concepts inspired the decision to seek evidence-based theoretical insights from the different online databases. The subject literature research provided additional information on which clinical knowledge would be expanded. In the recently conducted secondary research on patient safety and the quality of care, the study relied upon published sources from two online databases, EBSCO Host and Medline. The two databases were considered because they contain authoritative, peer-reviewed, updated, and complete medical journals and articles. Indeed, these online databases were crucial to the clinical research since we found at least 963 relevant articles and journals. I applied specific search terms, such as medication error, patient safety, patient outcomes, and quality of care. Initially, there were tens of thousands of articles and journals related to these topics, but I narrowed the search to sources published in the last five years. The publication is often considered in nursing research to ensure only up-to-date evidence is applied when making clinical decisions. New research findings could challenge existing theories, justify recent trends in healthcare and allow the study to capitalize on discoveries to expand practice knowledge. Other considerations influencing the overall number of relevant journal articles include the research context, the type of study conducted, and relevance to the keywords.

           Information overload and misinformation were the primary challenges when doing my research. During my research, I often needed help with the problem of information overload, such that it takes pretty long to filter multiple sources and settle for a narrower set of articles and journals. Such challenges make it quite hard to harness web-based information while equally wasting time before the researcher can settle for a specific number of reliable sources (Roetzel, 2019). Fortunately, I overcame this problem by narrowing the number of retrieved sources. The number of published sources can be limited through relevance and currency. Lastly, misinformation was a considerable challenge during my research because most web sources did not contain accurate data. Such resources would compromise the quality of research by providing inaccurate information. Therefore, researchers can overcome such challenges by relying on verifiable, authoritative, complete, peer-reviewed journals and articles.

           Nurse research consultants could significantly assist me in identifying, analyzing, narrowing down, and applying evidence from published resources. Nurse consultants are trained and registered nurses with advanced knowledge and skills in various fields of nursing. The nursing consultant would be the ideal supervisor to consider at work due to the specialist’s professional experience and expertise in consultant services. Indeed, working closely with the clinical nurse research consultant would be an added advantage in my research process since this specialist can help me identify research and knowledge gaps and assist in retrieving valuable sources of clinical data. Overall, the decision to seek help from the consultant would be informed by the specialist’s sufficient background in research and the clinician’s overall knowledge of nursing concepts.

                                                                                     References

Roetzel, P. G. (2019). Information overload in the information age: a review of the literature from business administration, business psychology, and related disciplines with a bibliometric approach and framework development. 
Business Research, 
12(2), 479-522. 

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40685-018-0069-z

Respond to two  of your colleagues with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information.

Tiesa Steen

      The major problem I identified in our hospital was the prevalence of pressure ulcers. To help provide additional information regarding this, I used the library to begin my search. To start my search, I chose 
CINAHL PLUS and 
Education source as my databases as they focus specifically on nursing and provide more scholarly articles related to my topic. I started by researching “pressure ulcers” to narrow my search only to mention pressure ulcers. While there were many articles related to pressure ulcers, I needed specific articles that referenced the Braden scale as well. So, I utilized the second box to include the “Braden scale” in conjunction with pressure ulcers. While several methods play a role in preventing ulcers, such as turning patients, providing heel lift boots, etc., the Braden scale aids in providing a passive preventative method to prevent ulcers. As cited in a 
Relation between the diagnosis of pressure injury risk and the Braden scale, using a validated measurement scale and nursing diagnoses expands critical thinking about the reasons that heighten the risk of developing pressure injuries (Almeida, 2021). I also used Google as one of my search engines as it is easy to use and provides thousands of databases regarding pressure ulcers and the Braden scale. Though Google is broad for searching articles, it can be very beneficial if you know how to narrow down your search.  

       Surprisingly, there were quite a few articles regarding pressure ulcers and the Braden scale. There were 450 results related to my topic. Since there were so many articles regarding my subject, I felt confident in my search. While many believe that the Braden scale has no impact on preventing ulcers, it does because it provides insight into potential patients who are at risk based on mobility, age, physicality, etc. Most nurses do not accurately assess skin. They chart based on what the previous nurse charted, which puts patients at greater risk because no one is looking at their skin. It should be assessed on admission and each shift and documented accordingly. A study conducted at Government Stanly Medical College and hospital concluded that the Braden scale was highly significant and highly predictive in predicting pressure sores (A.J., 2020). Of course, the Braden scale alone is not an active participant in the actual care of patients, so nurses are expected to assess and turn patients every two hours, provide preventative methods, and keep them clean and dry to prevent any breakdown. The Braden scale should be used to ensure nurses assess patients accordingly and classify them based on whether they are low risk, moderate risk, or high risk for skin issues.  

       My search related to pressure ulcers and the Braden scale was relatively easy as it is a well-known issue that persists today. I am confident in navigating the library as I have used it for previous courses. It is also beneficial that if challenges arise, the library has a “ask a librarian” tool to assist with any questions. Pressure ulcers are an ongoing issue, and further research must be conducted to determine how best to prevent them from occurring. My workplace is helpful in answering questions I may have. If I need help with my research, I will go to our unit educator, who typically points us in the right direction regarding inquiries related to policies and procedures. She has her master’s degree and is very knowledgeable on topics related to nursing. Another resource would be my friends who are in school online for their NP. This is helpful because most are further in their programs and have done similar work regarding research. I have a considerable number of resources to guide me through the program. 

Reference 

de Araujo Almeida, A. G., Pascoal, L. M., Tavares Palmeira Rolim, I. L., Stabnow Santos, F., Santos Neto, M., & Lima de Melo, L. P. (2021). Relation between the diagnosis of pressure injury risk and the Braden scale. Revista Enfermagem UERJ, 29, 1–9. 

https://doi.org/10.12957/reuerj.2021.61666 Links to an external site.

R., A. J., & J., K. (2020). A study on predictive value of pressure sore by the Braden scale in surgical intensive care units. 
International Archives of Integrated Medicine, 
7(10), 100– 105.