students in: the nature of research-evidence (authority), the
type of research required in clinical practice (relevance),
the potential power of research to transform, and improve
practice (utility)” (p. 2792).
Lander (2005) further details the ties between research
and EBP by delineating competencies nursing students
should possess to complete this connection themselves:
They need to know what sources of information are reliable and credible and
how to gain access to them. They need some specific skills that enable them
to comprehend designs and specific design issues. They need to know how
to differentiate poor quality from good quality reports of studies, systematic
reviews, and clinical guidelines. They need an approach for assessing the
value of an intervention for clinical practice. Above all, they need access to
computers and technical resources. (p. 300)
These are competencies needed to perform quality literature reviews, not just
an academic exercise left behind when your diploma is in hand.
Whether you are performing a literature review for the 1st, 15th, or 50th time,
consider it a part of your practice worth doing well every time. Just as patients
are assessed before treatment recommendations are made, literature reviews
are assessments of topics before the research or practice continues. Whether
the literature review is part of an EBP proposal in your workplace, a research
question in your graduate studies, or an academic paper as an undergraduate,
the process is the same. Depending on the situation, search complexity and
access to resources may be different; however, the procedural steps and atten-
tion to quality work remain the same. This is because the desired outcome
stays the same: Research questions or practice considerations must be based
on informed, ethical opinions resulting from consideration of evidence that
is currently available.
With ever-increasing amounts of information available via the Internet
and the proliferation of journal and monograph materials, skilled literature
review practices have never been more necessary. Although it is well known
that anyone can publish anything on the Internet, today’s more sophisticated
tools, such as wikis and blogs, increase the challenge of evaluating the validity
of information. Information of all types travels rapidly from source to source.
This results in mixing hoaxes, urban legends, and other types of misinforma-
tion along with accurate and reliable information. Nurses face this situation
not only as information consumers but also as patient advocates. Patients are
bombarded with information as well. Their desire to be knowledgeable about
their illnesses and health care often makes them even more vulnerable to
misinformation. Most patients do not have the knowledge base nurses haveFYI
Research questions and practice considerations
must be based on informed, ethical opinions
resulting from consideration of evidence that
is currently available. This requires a detailed
review of the literature.94 CHAPTER 4 Finding Sources of Evidence