NURS432 Nursing Capstone: Search Tips

Here are a few things to consider when searching for information for your capstone presentation.

1. PICO Worksheet
   
   You may find it helpful to use the PICO worksheet to help you think about your topic and plan your search strategy. Use the worksheet and write down possible search terms and synonyms for the concepts in your topic.
    
2. Types of Sources
   
   The capstone requirements state that you need a minimum of 6 sources from scholarly/professional literature. There needs to be at least 3 nursing sources. 
   
   Nursing sources include: articles from nursing journals, information from a nursing book, guidelines/recommendations from a nursing association, or articles published in biomedical journals that are authored/co-authored by nurses. For example, this article, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2015.11.003 from the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, is a co-authored publication by several nurses and physicians. 
    
3. Search for articles in CINAHL Complete or PubMed.
   
   When searching for articles, is there a literature review or systematic review related to your topic? These types of articles are excellent places to begin your research and get an overview of your topic. In PubMed, use the "Article Types" filter on the left-hand sidebar. This is an example of a "review" article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=28945712  It is a little easier to identify "review" articles in PubMed as compared to CINAHL Complete.
   
   When seeking information for making recommendations for improving nursing practice, what is the highest level of evidence available in the literature? Are there systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, or other evidence-based guidelines related to your topic?
   
   Note: There are links to CINAHL and PubMed on the "Find Articles" tab. 
    
4. Evidence-based Care Sheets in Nursing Reference Center
   
   The evidence-based care sheets in Nursing Reference Center are also a great source of background information. 
   Example: Compassion Fatigue in Nursing: An Overview
    
5. Professional Organizations and Government Information
   
   Is there a professional organization or association that is related to your topic? It may be a nursing association, a non-profit organization, or an organization that focuses on a disorder or disease process. Use Google to find this type of information. For example, you could use this strategy in Google:
   
   "compassion fatigue" organization or association or society
   
   The first result is the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project: http://www.compassionfatigue.org/index.html
   
   Specialty nursing organizations, such as the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), have some free resources available such as Competencies, Position Statements, and Standards and Guidelines. On websites, look for a resources or more information section. The ONS has many free resources available: https://www.ons.org/explore-entrance
   Click on the "Find Practice Guidelines" tab for more information.
   
   Government websites can also be great sources of information. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has an entire website devoted to sepsis: https://www.cdc.gov/sepsis/index.html
    
6. Books
   
   Books can also be useful resources for the capstone especially if you need information about pathophysiology, pharmacology, or nursing considerations.  Click on the "Find Books" tab for more information about using Fusion to find print and online books. Nursing books count towards the requirement of having at least 3 nursing references.
   
   A few examples from the print collection are shown below: