My clinical issue of interest is the current staffing of inpatient acute psychiatric facilities. As any nurse who has ever done a rotation or worked in a hospital in the last decade will tell you, staffing correctly can make or break your day. Not only this but has a direct impact on patient care outcomes. At the facility that I work at, and other psychiatric facilities in my state, we are staffed based on numbers at the end of the previous night. So at midnight, whatever the patient count is, this is how we are staffed for the next day. Patients continue to admit throughout the night and through the next day, whether we have staff or not. There is no consideration put into the acuity of these patients. While most of our patients are inpatient with us due to increasing depression and suicide attempts, there are in fact patients who come to us severely psychotic, completely out of touch with reality, and some manic. This means that to help them, we are understaffed and struggling to give them the care they need. There are no current staffing laws at the state level to change this policy. “Formulating a clinical question in a systematic way makes it possible to find an answer more quickly and efficiently, leading to improved processes and patient outcomes” (Stillwell et al, 2010).
According to Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt, “Finding the right information in a timely way amid an overwhelming amount of information is imperative” (2019, p. 37). First I tried to search on the CINAHL database with just the words “staffing acuity”. This brought me to 120 results. I then always like to turn on the “peer-reviewed scholarly journals” and the “full text”. This brought me to about 101 results. To narrow this down further, I added after the “and” the word “psychiatric”. This brought my results down to 4. Using the word “and” in the search allows for the search to include more than the original words, making the search produce better results (Library of Congress, n.d.). My search is a difficult one as not much research has been done into psychiatric facilities staffing levels. I plan to also use the plans that have been used in multi-specialties hospitals, and relate them to psychiatric staffing needs.
Library of Congress. (n.d.). Search/browse help – Boolean operators and nesting. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/ui/en_US/htdocs/help/searchBoolean.html
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2018). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.
Stillwell, S. , Fineout-Overholt, E. , Melnyk, B. & Williamson, K. (2010). Evidence-Based Practice, Step by Step: Asking the Clinical Question. AJN, American Journal of Nursing, 110 (3), 58-61. doi: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000368959.11129.79.
Sample Answer 6 for NURS-6052 Discussion: Searching Databases
For years I have worked in the involuntary sector of mental health treatment and have struggled with the idea of forced medication administration. On one hand, as a health care provider, I understand that if medication is not being taken on a routine basis no improvement will be made which may lead to an escalation of mental health symptoms. On the other hand, I feel it is a traumatic experience to have medication forced on you by essentially a stranger and may lead to long-lasting effects such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Over the years I have witnessed miracles and complete turn arounds in patients who presented severely psychotic and met state hospitalization criteria, as a result of court-ordered forced medication treatment. If we logically think about it, a person in psychosis cannot make a coherent, informed decision to take medications thus by initiating forced injections for at least a few doses they may be able to clear up enough to understand the need for them to take oral medications.
I went to the Walden Library research databases, selected the Database A-Z, chose nursing as the subject, then chose the PsychINFO database. In the search fields I used “psychiatric AND forced medication”, this returned with approximately 51 sources. Most of the sources were referencing forced medication as being a type of coercive technique often used in the psychiatric setting. In my opinion in order to get more specific sources you may have to revise your PICOT question to identify a more measurable outcome as quality of care can be vague. Clarification of “quality of care” such as “patient satisfaction”, “symptom management/improvement”, “successful medication compliance”, these are all more specific outcomes. Maybe by searching these outcome keywords more sources will be available; just a theory.
Please let me know what great information you find as to outcomes, I am very interested.
Walden University Library. (n.d.-a). Databases A-Z: Nursing. Retrieved June 27, 2020, from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/az/php?s=19981
When you decide to purchase a new car, you first decide what is important to you. If mileage and dependability are the important factors, you will search for data focused more on these factors and less on color options and sound systems.
The same holds true when searching for research evidence to guide your clinical inquiry and professional decisions. Developing a formula for an answerable, researchable question that addresses your need will make the search process much more effective. One such formula is the PICO(T) format.
In this Discussion, you will transform a clinical inquiry into a searchable question in PICO(T) format, so you can search the electronic databases more effectively and efficiently. You will share this PICO(T) question and examine strategies you might use to increase the rigor and effectiveness of a database search on your PICO(T) question.
Resources
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
To Prepare:
- Review the Resources and identify a clinical issue of interest that can form the basis of a clinical inquiry.
- Review the materials offering guidance on using databases, performing keyword searches, and developing PICO(T) questions provided in the Resources.
- Based on the clinical issue of interest and using keywords related to the clinical issue of interest, search at least two different databases in the Walden Library to identify at least four relevant peer-reviewed articles related to your clinical issue of interest. You should not be using systematic reviews for this assignment, select original research articles.
- Review the Resources for guidance and develop a PICO(T) question of interest to you for further study. It is suggested that an Intervention-type PICOT question be developed as these seem to work best for this course.
*Library tip:
Walden Library recommends starting your search broadly with one concept or search word and adding more elements one at a time. Depending on your topic, the evidence will not necessarily address all the aspects of your PICO(T) question in one article. Select the most important concepts to search and find the best evidence available, even if that means assembling evidence from multiple articles.
Links to an external site. page, including Ask a Librarian
Quick Answers:
By Day 3 of Week 4
Post a brief description of your clinical issue of interest. This clinical issue will remain the same for the entire course and will be the basis for the development of your PICOT question. Describe your search results in terms of the number of articles returned on original research and how this changed as you added search terms using your Boolean operators. Finally, explain strategies you might make to increase the rigor and effectiveness of a database search on your PICO(T) question. Be specific and provide examples.
By Day 6 of Week 4
Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days and provide further suggestions on how their database search might be improved.
Sample Answer 7 for NURS-6052 Discussion: Searching Databases
Clinical Issue of Interest
The complication of Hip and Knee arthroplasty especially in older patient from 65 years and up with elective surgery. The Enhance Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) approach aims to address issues including surgical stress and organ malfunction that slow postoperative healing. A multi-source and integrated clinical care pathway uses ERAS protocols, which is a set of evidence-based interventions, as part of its overall care plan. They stand for a comprehensive strategy aimed at minimizing surgical complications, cutting down on hospital stays, raising patient satisfaction, and quickening recovery (Kaye et al,. 2019). Postoperative complications and length of hospital stay are strongly influenced by pre-existing illnesses such organ failure, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and coronary artery disease ( Alan et al,. 2019).
Most importantly, my clinical issue of interest is: If not ambulating the first day of hip or knee arthroplasty (total replacement) and blood glucose check can lead to complication in elderly people?
PICO Question
P: Older adult 65 years and up with post-operative hip and knee surgery
I : Early ambulation and post-operative blood glucose control
C: Post operation early ambulation on the day of surgery to no ambulation
O: Reduction of complication, hospital stay and early recovery with ERAS protocol
(T): Accomplish year-end performance measures.
PICO Question developed
In Older adult aged 65 and above, if not ambulating on the first day of surgery with the nurse or physical therapy and not checking blood glucose, can it lead to postoperative complications?
Database Search
Two database were selected for my search: CINAHL and PubMed ; PubMed literature search terms used “ Enhanced recovery after hip and knee replacements” and received 104 search results while in CINAHL search term “ ERAS Orthopedic” and received 27 search result. Using the exact word in my search provided many articles to select from.
Strategies to increase the Rigor and Effectiveness of Database search
By enabling the electronic health documentation sidebar summary and daily-tracking skills that are intended to validate appropriate documentation on ERAS elements, the ERAS task at this organization specifically aims to boost actual data tracking. In both articles, it emphasizes the essential components of an improved recovery program and explained the clinical use of ERAS.
References
Jentons, Alatia S., “Enhanced Recovery after Surgery: Effectiveness of Real Time Data Tracking Tools” (2021). Master’s Projects and Capstones. 1266.
https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/1266
Kaye, A. D., Urman, R. D., Cornett, E. M., Hart, B. M., Chami, A., Gayle, J. A., & Fox, C. J. (2019). Enhanced recovery pathways in orthopedic surgery. Journal of anaesthesiology, clinical pharmacology, 35(Suppl 1), S35–S39. https://doi.org/10.4103/joacp.JOACP_35_18
Gwynne-Jones DP, Martin G, Crane C. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for Hip and Knee Replacements. Orthop Nurs. 2017 May/Jun;36(3):203-210. doi: 10.1097/NOR.0000000000000351. PMID: 28538534.
Walden University Library. (n.d.-a).Databases A-Z: NursingLinks to an external site.Links to an external site.. Retrieved September 6, 2019, from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/az.php?s=19981
Sample Answer 8 for NURS-6052 Discussion: Searching Databases
In 2021, more than 107,000 Americans died from drug overdoses (FDA, n.d.). Today’s drug overdose crisis is multifaceted and has evolved beyond prescription pain medications. Illicit opioids, largely driven by fentanyl and heroin, have become key contributors. Naloxone is a safe medication that is widely used by emergency medical personnel and other first responders to prevent opioid overdose deaths (NIDA, n.d.). Naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing and save the life of a person who is overdosing. Improving Naloxone access and carrying to persons who inject drugs (PWID) may reduce overdose mortality associated with the influx of fentanyl and heroin in the market (Buresh et al., 2020).
Using the PICO(T) acronym (Stillwell et al., 2010), the following clinical question was developed: Among PWID and are participants in a syringe exchange program, how effective is the distribution of free Naloxone in reducing fatal overdoses during a time span of 12 months?
Database #1 Embase, had a PICO search tool which was helpful. After several attempts in adjusting the search words, I recovered 52,000 articles, then using the quick search mode with two – three words, I recovered approximately 17 articles, and these seemed to be most relevant to my research question. Database #2 CINAHL, required a little time to get the hang of using it and after several attempts, I was able to recover 1,797 articles related to my research question. Using the Boolean operator AND restricted the results and I found this to be unsuccessful, while using OR was helpful in providing articles for me to then go review and determine if they would be applicable to my research question.
Strategies I will use to increase the rigor of the database search will be experimenting with different words, phrases and trying different Boolean operators to obtain a series of articles that I am satisfied with. Also, if time permits, I will try a different database or refine the search parameters even more. There were times where I felt frustrated during the database search, so taking a few minutes for a break, then coming back to resume my search is a helpful strategy as well!
Buresh, M., Gicquelais Id, R. E., Astemborski, J., Kirk, G. D., Mehta, S. H., & Genberg Id, B. L. (2020). Fatal overdose prevention and experience with naloxone: A cross-sectional study from a community-based cohort of people who inject drugs in Baltimore, Maryland. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230127
FDA’s Overdose Prevention Framework Aims to Prevent Drug Overdoses and Reduce Death | FDA. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-voices/fdas-overdose-prevention-framework-aims-prevent-drug-overdoses-and-reduce-death
Naloxone for Opioid Overdose: Life-Saving Science | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/naloxone-opioid-overdose-life-saving-science
Stillwell, S. B., Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B. M., & Williamson, K. M. (2010). Evidence-based practice, step by step: Asking the clinical question: A key step in Evidence-Based Practice. American Journal of Nursing, 110(3), 58–61. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000368959.11129.79
Sample Answer 9 for NURS-6052 Discussion: Searching Databases
I enjoyed reading your post and think that you have an excellent PICOT question. I admire your work as a labor and delivery nurse, helping moms safely through delivery, brining babies into the world! Discussing your PICOT question with your nursing leadership and colleagues will be essential in determining the answer to your question.
The Cochrane Library is a great database to find high-quality systematic reviews and registered controlled trials related to your PICOT question (Cochrane Library n.d.). We have access to the Cochrane database through the Walden University Library. When trying to find articles related to your PICOT question, I used the keywords pregnancy “and” induction of labour or labor “and “spontaneous labour or labor resulting in 393 search results. I selected a Cochran Review document written by Middleton et al. (2020) noted in the short abstract, the question, “Does a policy of inducing labour at or beyond 37 weeks’ gestation reduce risks for babies and their mothers when compared with a policy of waiting until a later gestational age, or until there is an indication for induction of labour? A randomized control study was conducted, and a summary of findings was provided between labour induction versus expectant management of infant /child outcomes (p. 4). The data was measured using the GRADE method, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation. According to Melnyk and Overholt (2019), “GRADE provides a framework for specifying healthcare questions, choosing outcomes of interest and rating their importance, evaluating the available evidence, and bringing together evidence with considerations of values and preferences of patients and society to arrive at recommendations” (p. 243).
Reference
Cochrane Library. (n.d.). About the Cochrane Library.
https://pregnancy.cochrane.org/pregnancy-and-childbirth-groups-trials-register
Melnyk, B.M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2018). Evidence- based practice in nursing &
healthcare: A guide to best practice (4th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Middleton, P., Shepherd, E., Morris, J., Crowther, C.A., & Gomersall, J.C. (n.d.) Induction of
labour at or beyond 37 weeks’ gestation. Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews, 7.