PICOT& Literature Review
Purpose: To identify a problem or concern that nursing can change and select key words for a literature search.
Directions:Use the form below to complete the PICOT assignment in Milestone #1. This includes filling in the table with information about your research question and your PICO(T) elements, as well as answering the Search Technique questions.
Step 1: Identify the Problem.What have you noticed in your work or school environment that isn’t achieving the desired patient or learning outcomes? What needs to change in nursing, what can you change with the support of evidence in the literature? Determine the focus of the research question “ Assessment, Diagnosis, Etiology, Prevention, Prognosis, or Therapy.
Step 2: Identify a potential solution. Do you have an idea of what could be done to solve the problem?
Step 3:Create your research question. State your full question. For example: For new students entering an online program would a mandatory orientation course improve retention by increasing computer literacy and professional writing proficiency?
Step 4:Select the key PICOT terms for searching the evidence.Is the potential solution something for which you (as nurse or student) can find a solution through evidence research? In the above example the PICOT search terms would be:
P = students entering online program
I = mandatory orientation
C= elective orientation or none
O = increased retention
T = second semester
Your research question:
Focus of the question:
Your PICO(T) Elements
P = Patients(s) or problem
Patient, patient population or presenting issue
I = Intervention underConsideration
C = Comparison
O = Outcome
What is the effect of the œI on œP? What is desired outcome?
T = Time
Is there a need to limit the timeframe for the intervention?
Search Techniques:Please answer the following questions below.
1. What three database(s) in the best address your research question (CINAHL, Cochrane, Medline, ERIC, (others; i.e. what subject heading would you use to perform your search)?
2. How can you focus or expand the search if initial search results are not satisfactory?
3. Describe ways you might refine your general search to reduce the number of results from your search. Can you use the EBSCO subject headings? What about the advanced search option using Boolean limiters such as AND. Once you have a reasonable number of relevant search results (10-30) what final limiters will, you set to reduce the search results further (i.e., English language limiter, age limiters, publication
