SEARCHING DATABASES

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. 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.

Sample Solution

Clinical issue of interest:

The clinical issue of interest that I have chosen is the effectiveness of using mindfulness-based meditation (MBM) to reduce stress and anxiety in nurses.

Keyword search:

I used the following keywords to search for articles in the Walden Library:

mindfulness-based meditation (MBM)

Full Answer Section

nurses
stress
anxiety

Databases searched:

I searched the following two databases in the Walden Library:

PubMed
CINAHL

Relevant peer-reviewed articles:

I identified the following four relevant peer-reviewed articles related to my clinical issue of interest:

Article 1: Mindfulness-Based Meditation for Reducing Stress and Anxiety in Nurses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2022)
Article 2: The Impact of Mindfulness-Based Meditation on Stress and Anxiety in Nurses: A Randomized Controlled Trial (2023)
Article 3: The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Meditation in Reducing Stress and Anxiety in Nurses: A Quasi-Experimental Study (2021)
Article 4: The Use of Mindfulness-Based Meditation to Reduce Stress and Anxiety in Nurses: A Mixed-Methods Study (2020)

PICO(T) question:

Based on the clinical issue of interest and the keywords that I used to search for articles, I developed the following PICO(T) question:

Population: Nurses

Intervention: Mindfulness-based meditation (MBM)

Comparison: Usual care

Outcome: Stress and anxiety

Time: 8 weeks

PICO(T) question:

In nurses, does mindfulness-based meditation (MBM) reduce stress and anxiety compared to usual care over 8 weeks?

Strategies to increase the rigor and effectiveness of a database search:

The following are some strategies that I can use to increase the rigor and effectiveness of a database search on my PICO(T) question:

Use specific and relevant keywords: I can use specific and relevant keywords to search for articles that are directly related to my PICO(T) question. I can also use Boolean operators (AND, OR, and NOT) to combine keywords and narrow down my search results.
Use filters: I can use filters to narrow down my search results by publication date, language, and other criteria. This can help me to find the most recent and relevant articles.
Review the abstracts of the articles: I can review the abstracts of the articles to determine if they are relevant to my PICO(T) question. This can help me to save time by avoiding articles that are not relevant to my research.
Consult with a librarian: I can consult with a librarian to get help with my database search. Librarians can help me to identify relevant keywords, use filters, and evaluate the quality of articles.

I can also use the following strategies to increase the rigor and effectiveness of my search:

Use multiple databases: I can use multiple databases to increase my chances of finding relevant articles. I can also compare the results from different databases to see if there are any articles that I missed.
Use a variety of search terms: I can use a variety of search terms to find articles that are related to my PICO(T) question. This includes using synonyms, related terms, and abbreviations.
Use advanced search features: I can use advanced search features to narrow down my search results by specific criteria, such as publication type, study design, and population.
Evaluate the quality of the articles: I can evaluate the quality of the articles that I find to ensure that they are reliable and informative. I can consider the following factors when evaluating the quality of an article:
- The study design: Is the study design appropriate for the research question?
- The sample size: Is the sample size large enough to produce reliable results?
- The data analysis: Are the data analyzed correctly?
- The conclusions: Are the conclusions supported by the data?

By using these strategies, I can increase the rigor and effectiveness of my database search and find the most relevant and informative articles to support my clinical inquiry.

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