§ Start with a 7th edition APA cover page. An example is provided by the instructor. The paper itself (not including cover page and references should be six pages or less)
§ Paragraph #1: This is your opening paragraph. Start with an introduction statement. What is your PICO question? Describe why was it important (share the dollars, morbidity / mortality, statistics, safety stats you found with citation)? Paragraph #1 does not have a heading. You should put the title of your whole paper in the center in bold font where a heading would go. For the rest of the paragraphs, use the following headings: Summary of Research Article, Major Variables, Strengths and Weaknesses, Practice Guideline, Fourth Resource, Conclusion.
§ Paragraph #2: What did your nursing quantitative research article add to your knowledge on this topic? State the design. Researchers use all sorts of different terms to describe designs, but you should use one of the broad terms mentioned in our textbook (descriptive, correlational, predictive correlational, experimental, or quasi-experimental). State the sampling method (also using one of the sampling method terms discussed in your textbook), and setting of the study (this should only take one sentence: e.g. “Smith and Johnson conducted a predictive correlational study using a convenience sample from a psychiatric outpatient clinic.”). State the major findings of the study (maximum 3 findings). The findings you share should come from the results or discussion settings and should be relevant to your PICO question and your practice as a nurse.
§ Paragraph #3. Mention the major research variables in your article. Do not include demographic variables unless they are important to the results of the study. For each major variable, give a conceptual and operational definition (if the authors did not give a conceptual definition you can say “not given”). However, you can always say something about the operational definitions for variables because the authors must discuss the way in which variables are measured. Give the level of measurement for each variable (nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio).
§ Paragraph #4: Using the skills you have learned in your critique of a research article, describe two strengths or two weaknesses (or one strength and one weakness) that you found as you read this article. Go back to what you learned in your article critique about sampling methods, measurement methods (ex. questionnaires), and data collection (how did they collect the data to make sure you are being thorough in your assessment. Be specific, so that your instructor, if reading the article, can find them too. Do not re-state the limitations provided by the authors of your study unless they have to do with the study’s sampling, measurement methods, or data collection. Do not discuss the research design or the descriptive or inferential statistics used by the authors as a strength or weakness of the study, as this is not related to with the study’s sampling, measurement methods, or data collection.
§ Paragraph #5: What is the name and of the clinical practice guideline that you found? Give a weblink and an APA citation for the guideline. Share at least three facts that you found within the guideline that is relevant to the PICO question and your practice as a BSN nurse and cite the guideline appropriately. Make sure the source you cite is actually a clinical practice guideline with advice directed toward healthcare professionals.
§ Paragraph #6: Identify the fourth resource you found (clinical “how-to” article, a nursing professional practice website, a systematic literature review, or a meta-analysis) that relates to your practice question. Share at least three facts that you found within this source that is relevant to the PICO question and your practice as a nurse, and cite appropriately.
§ Paragraph #7 (and #8 if needed): re-state your PICO question and briefly summarize what you have learned through your search. Include information from each of your sources, and be sure to cite them all. Then, give specific recommendations for nursing practice. What would you recommend, if anything, as a change in practice for nurses? Why? Remember, this is your closing paragraph(s).
§ Note to students about writing up your findings:
o This is a formal APA paper. Look at the Rubric for more APA information for this paper.
o Your paper must be between four and seven pages (double spaced). Use the following headings for paragraphs 2 through 7: Summary of Research Article, Major Variables, Strengths and Weaknesses, Practice Guideline, Fourth Resource, Conclusion. These headings should all be centered.
o Don’t use first person language (I, my, we, etc.) and don’t directly address the reader (you need to, etc.).
o Turn your paper (as a word document) and article (in pdf format) that you used for paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 in to the assignment submission link in Module Four at the due date and time listed in your syllabus.
PDF articles used must be included in finsihed assingment.
