A literature review critically analyzes published works on a given topic. It is an integral part of research as it enables the researcher to understand the existing knowledge on the subject, identify gaps in the literature, and build upon existing knowledge. It also helps the researcher to develop an argument and support a claim. Literature reviews can be used to inform decision-making and policy-making and to provide evidence of best practices. In short, literature reviews are an essential part of research as they provide an overview of the existing literature on a required topic and an understanding of the current state of knowledge.
The search for “evidenced-based practice and nursing” was conducted in the PubMed and CINAHL databases. In PubMed, the search yielded a total of 6,614 results. The research topics included the effectiveness of evidence-based practice in nursing, patient outcomes, and the use of technology in evidence-based practice. The majority of the results were relevant to the search query. In the CINAHL database, the search yielded a total of 316 results. The research topics included the effectiveness of evidence-based practice in nursing education, the impact of evidence-based practice on patient outcomes, and the role of evidence-based practice in healthcare. Similarly, the vast majority of results were pertinent to the keyword search.
Furthermore, the results from the PubMed database showed a much larger number of results than the results generated from the CINAHL database. This is expected given the larger size of the PubMed database, which covers a broader range of topics. The topics covered by the results from each database were similar, with both databases covering the effectiveness of evidence-based practice in nursing, patient outcomes, and the use of technology in evidence-based practice. However, the CINAHL database results were more specific to nursing-related topics, such as the effectiveness of evidence-based practice in nursing education, the impact of evidence-based practice on patient outcomes, and the role of evidence-based practice in healthcare.
The credibility of the two sources of information selected from PubMed can be evaluated. The first source was authored by Treasa Leming-Lee, who holds a Ph.D. in Nursing, and Richard Watters, who has a Ph.D. in Nursing Science (Leming-Lee & Watters, 2019). The article was published in Nursing Clinics of North America, an established and reputable journal. The research presented in the article is of high quality, providing an in-depth review of the evidence-based practice and quality improvement movement. The second source was authored by Alison Mathieson, Graziella Grande, and Kathryn Luker, who all hold PhDs in Nursing. The article was published in Primary Health Care Research & Development, a renowned and respected publisher. The research presented in the article is of high quality, providing a systematic review and qualitative synthesis of strategies, facilitators, and barriers to implementing evidence-based practice in community nursing (Mathieson et al., 2019). Hence, both sources of information selected from PubMed provide credible information and are reliable sources of evidence-based practice and quality improvement research.
The sources selected from CINAHL provide credible information as they are both academic journal articles from reputable sources. The first source is the Journal of Clinical Nursing, a reputable source for nursing research (Levett‐Jones & Cant, 2020). The second source is from PLOS ONE, an open-access journal authorized by the Public Library of Science, a well-respected publisher (Ryan et al., 2022). While there is no information in the database about the credentials of the article’s authors, it is known that they have written other peer-reviewed studies, which adds further credibility to the studies. Overall, the journal articles are credible sources for nursing research.
In conclusion, the two sources from PubMed and the two from CINAHL provide credible information and are reliable sources of evidence-based practice and quality improvement research. The authors of the sources have either authored or been involved in peer-reviewed studies, and the journals they are published in are established, reputable publications. Hence, the sources provide reliable information and can be used to inform decision-making and policy-making, as well as to provide evidence of best practices.
References
Leming-Lee, T. ‘Susie,’ & Watters, R. (2019). Translation of evidence-based practice. Nursing Clinics of North America, 54(1), 1–20. Web.
Levett‐Jones, T., & Cant, R. (2020). The empathy continuum: An evidenced‐based teaching model derived from an integrative review of contemporary nursing literature. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29(7–8), 1026–1040. Web.
Mathieson, A., Grande, G., & Luker, K. (2019). Strategies, facilitators and barriers to implementation of evidence-based practice in community nursing: a systematic mixed-studies review and qualitative synthesis. Primary Health Care Research & Development, 20, e6. Web.
Ryan, N. F., Berkery, E., O’Malley, B., O’Donnell, C., & Purtill, H. (2022). An evidence-based approach to understanding and informing talent management practices for internationally trained nurses in healthcare: A systematic review protocol. PLOS ONE, 17(12), e0278048. Web.