Assessment 1

Analyzing a Research Paper

Identify and write a summary of the various factors that contribute to the credibility of a research article related to a diagnosis of interest that you identified from the Sentinel U simulation on Patient Management & Delegation. In the module, there are 10 patients listed with various diagnosis. Select one diagnosis of interest to you from the simulation.

Introduction

Evidence-based practice (EBP) integrates the best evidence available to guide optimal nursing care, with a goal to enhance safety and quality. EBP is crucial to nursing practice because it incorporates the best evidence from current literature, along with the expertise of the practicing nurse. The concern for quality care that flows from EBP generates a desired outcome. Without these factors, a nurse cannot be an effective leader. It is important to lead not only from this position but from knowledge and expertise. To gain the knowledge, you require a good understanding of how to search for scholarly resources, as well as make decisions regarding the content of the scholarly resources.

Professional Context

As a baccalaureate-prepared nurse, you will be responsible for providing patient-centered, competent care based on current evidence-based best practices. You will be required to do research, analysis, and dissemination of best evidence to stay abreast of these best practices. Understanding where to go to find credible evidence, determining the type of evidence and being able to make decisions based on the findings of credible evidence is the foundation of evidence-based care.

Preparation

Review the What Is Scholarly? 🟹 Campus page. Specifically, look at the following two items on the page:

• What Are Peer-Reviewed Articles?

• Anatomy of a Scholarly Article.

These will give you the factors that contribute to credibility, which you will need to identify in the article you choose for this assessment.

Also, look at the “Find EPB Articles” section of the Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing & Health Sciences 🟹 library guide (found in the guide’s left-hand menu). This may help you locate an article to use for this assessment.

Instructions

Write a 2-page analysis of a scholarly research article, demonstrating your ability to locate credible, useful evidence related to a diagnosis of interest selected from the Sentinel U simulation on Patient Management & Delegation. There are 10 patients, each with a different medical diagnosis. Select one patient with a diagnosis of interest to you.

Once you have chosen your diagnosis of interest from the Sentinel U simulation, complete the following:

• Use a credible search engine to locate a research article on your topic.

• Review the article for the following criteria:

  • Type of study (quantitative or qualitative, the level on the pyramid of evidence, methodology).

  • Credibility factors.

  • Importance of content to selected diagnosis.

  • The ability to apply the content in your current workplace or patient population.

• Take a screenshot of the abstract and paste it into a Word document (see the Example of Screenshot [PDF] document). You can refer to the instructions in the Taking Screenshots [PDF] document.

• Create a table or series of text boxes next to or below the screenshot and use that to label each criterion.

• Also take a screenshot of the patient and the diagnosis from Sentinel U simulation you used.

• Write up a summary of your findings on the second page. Note what information is important to your specified diagnosis. How credible is the article you’ve found and how useful is it related to your specified diagnosis and your ability to apply it?

• Include a link to your article.

• Include a reference to your article in APA format.

Review the Analyzing a Research Paper scoring guide for specific details of grading prior to submission.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Interpret findings from scholarly quantitative, qualitative, and outcomes research articles and studies.

• Determine the type of study and the level of evidence according to the pyramid of evidence.

• Identify the credibility factors of an article.

• Summarize the findings of an article, noting what information is important to a specified diagnosis.

• Competency 2: Analyze the relevance and potential effectiveness of evidence when making a decision.

• Summarize the ability to generalize article findings in a specified work space and patient population.

• Competency 5: Apply professional, scholarly communication strategies to lead practice changes based on evidence.

• Provide an APA-formatted reference and link to an article.