PICO And Literature Search Assignment: PICO Questions Are Us

PICO And Literature Search Assignmentpico Questions Are Used By Resear

PICO questions are used by researchers to focus research questions and develop an efficient literature search strategy. You will create 3 PICO questions and a search strategy for each to find research studies that help answer one of your PICO questions. Write 3 PICO questions related to nursing. Use the PICO templates in the EBP Step by Step 3 article to help create your questions. Identify the PICO elements for each question. Develop a search strategy using at least 3 keywords, 1 synonym, and 1 MeSH term for each PICO question. Use one of your questions and its search strategy to locate 4 primary source quantitative research articles that align with the P, I, and C of your question, and are published no earlier than 2015. Obtain PDFs of these articles. Write each PICO question with its elements and search terms in a Word document, highlighting the question for which you selected articles, and providing APA references for the articles. Name each document accordingly. Submit all documents and PDFs as instructed.

Paper For Above instruction

The creation of precise PICO questions is a fundamental step in evidence-based nursing research, facilitating targeted literature searches and effective data collection. In practice, formulating well-structured PICO questions involves clearly defining the Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome components to guide the search for relevant research evidence. In this paper, three nursing-related PICO questions will be developed, accompanied by detailed search strategies and identification of PICO elements. Additionally, the process of locating four primary quantitative research articles for one chosen question will be illustrated, demonstrating adherence to the guidelines regarding publication dates and article types.

Development of PICO Questions

The first step involves formulating three specific PICO questions relevant to nursing practice. These questions serve as the foundation for comprehensive literature searches. For instance, the first question pertains to the impact of animal-assisted therapy on agitation among nursing home residents with Alzheimer's disease, relevant due to the growing interest in non-pharmacologic interventions for behavioral symptoms. The second and third questions will explore different nursing interventions, such as the effectiveness of music therapy in reducing anxiety in pediatric patients and the role of physical activity in managing depression among elderly populations, respectively.

Identification of PICO Elements

For each question, precise PICO elements are identified. These include defining the population (e.g., nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s disease), the intervention (e.g., animal-assisted therapy), the comparison (e.g., usual care), and the outcome (e.g., agitation levels). Accurate identification ensures the literature search targets appropriate studies. For the first question on animal-assisted therapy, the elements are as follows: P - nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s disease; I - animal-assisted therapy; C - usual care; O - agitation severity.

Search Strategy Development

Each question involves creating a search strategy incorporating at least three keywords, a synonym, and a MeSH term relevant to the PICO components. For example, for the first question, keywords such as “animal-assisted therapy,” “Alzheimer’s disease,” and “nursing home residents” may be used alongside synonyms like “dementia” or “agitation,” and MeSH terms such as “animal assisted therapy,” “Alzheimer disease,” and “psychomotor agitation.” This approach maximizes retrieval of pertinent articles from databases like PubMed or CINAHL.

Article Selection and Evaluation

Focusing on one PICO question, four primary source quantitative research articles will be selected based on relevance, publication date (post-2015), and methodological rigor. These articles should directly relate to the PICO components, providing empirical evidence on the intervention’s effects. The articles will be downloaded as PDFs, ensuring comprehensive review and extraction of data aligned with the P, I, and C elements of the question.

Documentation and Referencing

The final step involves compiling the PICO questions, elements, search strategies, and article references into a Word document. Each article will be cited in APA format, ensuring scholarly accuracy. Highlighting the selected PICO question within the document aids in clarity and focus. All documents and PDFs will be submitted as per instructions, demonstrating a systematic approach to evidence-based research and literature review.

Conclusion

In sum, constructing well-defined PICO questions and corresponding search strategies enhances the efficiency of locating relevant research articles. This systematic process supports evidence-based nursing practice by providing a clear pathway from question formulation to the synthesis of empirical findings. The adherence to specified criteria for article selection, publication date, and primary source status ensures the integrity and applicability of the evidence gathered, ultimately contributing to improved clinical decision-making.

References

• Majic, T., Gutzmann, H., Heinz, A., Lang, U. E., & Rapp, M. A. (2013). Animal-assisted therapy and agitation and depression in nursing home residents with dementia: A matched case-control trial. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 21(11), 1137-1145.
• Nordgren, L., & Engström, G. (2014). Effects of dog-assisted intervention on behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Nursing Older People, 26(3), 31-38.
• Olsen, C., Pedersen, I., Bergland, A., Enders-Slegers, M., Patil, G., & Ihlebæk, C. (2016). Effect of animal-assisted interventions on depression, agitation and quality of life in nursing home residents suffering from cognitive impairment or dementia: A cluster randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 31(12), 1345–1353.
• Swall, A., Ebbeskog, B., Lundh Hagelin, C., & Fagerberg, I. (2017). Stepping out of the shadows of Alzheimer’s disease: A study of older people with Alzheimer’s disease caring for a therapy dog. International Journal of Studies on Health & Well-Being, 12(1), 1349614.