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Assignment: PICOT & Literature Search
Please use and complete my uploaded ‘PICOT template’ that has some of mine scenarios/
clinical questions/PICOT/…
• Please create new scenarios for empty Domains as well as Expand/Modify my
scenarios appropriately to match PICOT questions and other subsections
• Please expand scenarios to make it long enough
• Review teacher/past student examples of subsections relating to PICOT assignment
• I uploaded my search screens for domains I have tried so you see the search
database, pattern and process
• Also, uploaded my ‘chosen’ articles, but please review and make adjustment if
needed
• Book to include in reference – Melnyk & Fineout Overholt (3rd edition): Ch. 2 & 3
Melnyk, B.M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2015). Evidence-based practice in nursing &
healthcare: A guide to best practice (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer/
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Useful Links:
1. PICOT examples (http://guides.lib.unc.edu/c.php?g=9032&p=45273)
2. Online Tutorial: University of California- San Francisco. (2018). “Searching the Literature for
Evidence-Based Medicine.” (if the link does not open, copy and paste it to your browser)
http://missinglink.ucsf.edu/lm/EBM_litsearch/
3. Practice searches using Cochrane, PubMed or OVID, and CINAHL.
4. What are systematic reviews? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egJlW4vkb1Y)
Assignment Objectives: This assignment requires students to demonstrate the ability to:
1. Formulate clinical foreground questions to inform advanced practice.
2. Identify the domain of clinical questions.
3. Utilize the PICOT strategy to define terms to facilitate the search for evidence.
4. Search academic databases such as CINAHL, Medline, and the Cochrane Library.
5. Utilize filters and Boolean operators to optimize the search.
6. Identify best evidence to answer the clinical question.
7. Submit scholarly work in APA (6th edition) format.
Instructions:
• Develop and write five brief patient-centered clinical scenarios that lead to an EBP
question (one paragraph/scenario).
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• Write one scenario for each of the following domains: Therapy, Harm, Prognosis,
Diagnosis, Qualitative (human response/meaning).
• For each scenario, write a foreground question (AKA a burning clinical question)
answerable by evidence.
• Identify the PICOT elements and synonyms for each of your questions. If one of the PICOT
elements is not relevant to the domain of interest, list the element and indicate “N/A”. (For
example in the qualitative domain the COMPARISON element is not always used and would be
N/A.) (Try to include T element because it’s important we place a TIME to evaluate
outcomes especially in therapy/harm/… domain)
• Perform and describe a thorough literature search of the appropriate databases (search at
least two databases for each question) and identify ONE study that represents the best
evidence to answer the clinical question (consider evidence pyramids).
• Describe your search detailed enough to be repeated by reader!
• Search the databases in the appropriate order based on domain/type of study.
o Searches should be conducted using the PICOT elements and synonyms.
o Use general guideline of search database depending on Domain of PICOT
o Filters and Boolean operators should be used to optimize searches.
• Review the results of the search and choose one article that represents the best evidence
to answer the clinical question.
• Include an APA style citation of the chosen article.
• Describe your rationale for choosing the article (why does it represent the best
evidence to answer your question) and how it answers your clinical question.
The assignment should be prepared according to APA style (6th Edition), using the template
provided. It should include a title page, be double spaced with appropriate margins, use
headings appropriately, and include a reference page as applicable. Papers not submitted in APA
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format will not be read or graded, but rather will be returned to students for revision, penalties
for lateness will be incurred.
Rubric/Grading Criteria: The assignment will be worth a total of 100 points. Each scenario/
clinical question/search will be worth 20 points and graded using these criteria:
Scenario contains necessary information to formulate the clinical
question. Scenario is patient centered.
2 pts.
Clinical question explicitly expressed and includes relevant PICOT
elements
2 pts.
PICO (T) elements and synonyms match clinical question and are
appropriately and uniquely identified per domain guidelines
4 pts.
Narrative description of search strategy is included and clear (detailed
enough to be repeated by reader)
4 pts.
Search strategy appropriate – combine, limit, explode and evidencebased
filters used as appropriate (appropriately widen or narrow
search)
2 pts.
Literature retrieved reports rigorous research consistent with “best
evidence” standards (i.e. systematic reviews and RCTs chosen where
available and appropriate). Rationale for the choice is explicitly stated
and logical.
3 pts.
Citation for chosen references in appropriate APA style. 3 pts.
Total Per Domain: ________/ 20 points