It is important for practical nurses to be able to understand and utilize research findings applicable to their practice to ensure positive patient outcomes. Critiquing and analyzing the evidence is an important step in evidence-based practice. Nurses must determine the value, feasibility and utility of the evidence in order to incorporate it into practice (Potter & Perry, 2014). Locating, collecting and comparing research are the skills needed to create an annotated reference list.

This assignment will demonstrate the student’s ability to meet the following outcomes:

1. Identify and access scholarly literature sources of nursing research.

2. Present research findings in an effective, concise and accurate manner.

3. Identify implications of a selected research studies for nursing practice, education and administration and for future research.

4. Compare and contrast research studies in a detailed topic area.

5. Present the material in a professional and factual manner.

This assignment is to be presented in the format of a scholarly paper and must include all the required elements of APA 6th edition. This includes a title page, in-text citations for any paraphrased content and quotes, and your annotated reference list itself (a separate reference list at the end is not required). Please consult the tools made available through Perdue OWL or updated APA manuals.

Steps

1. Search for research articles on a common theme using the Loyalist College library database. These must be peer reviewed, scholarly journal articles. Articles must have a publication date of 2012 to 2018.

You may wish to focus on areas such as pediatrics, gerontology, emergency, psychiatric nursing and others.

Please select a topic in nursing that genuinely interests you!

2. Choose three (3) articles on a related theme. One of the articles may be one that you have previously investigated, but two at minimum must be new articles to you.

3. Use these three articles to create an annotated reference list. Each annotation should not exceed 1.5 pages in length. The annotation is to provide an overview of the article, a critical reflection of the content, and commentary reading the usefulness of the article to your career as a PN.

4. A separate reference page is not required, but ensure that the reference entry above

each annotation is accurately completed according to APA standards.

Marking Scheme for Annotated Reference List (25 marks total)

Demonstration of Assignment Scope (10 marks)

-3 scholarly research articles centred on a related theme and meeting all standards of the assignment are selected (2 marks)

-an overview, critical reflection, and commentary regarding overall usefulness of each of the three articles are accurately and thoughtfully included; each section includes the appropriate amount of detail for the task and complements other sections (8 marks)

APA Style: Formatting, In-Text Citations, and Referencing (10 marks)

Formatting: title page, font size, font type, margins, running head, page numbers, spacing

(2 marks)

In-Text Citations: first and subsequent citations are correct, use of italics, use of page or paragraph number for direct or specific quotes, use of quotation marks, integration of quotes, proper punctuation surrounding the in-text citation, proper integration of author names, any uncertainties not covered in class are addressed using Perdue Owl, Cites and Sources, or by asking the instructor for guidance

(4 marks)

Reference Entries: each annotation has a complete reference entry above it (formatted properly to APA standard as if it were on a reference page), indentation and spacing is according to APA standards, ordering of entries, use of italics, use of capitals, corrections are made with the use of automatic citation tools

(4 marks)