Literature Review & Searching for Evidence

QUESTION

Purpose

This week’s graded topics relate to the following Course Outcomes (COs).

CO 1: Examine the sources of evidence that contribute to professional nursing practice. (PO 7)
CO 2: Apply research principles to the interpretation of the content of published research studies. (POs 4 & 8)
CO 4: Evaluate published nursing research for credibility and clinical significance related to evidence-based practice. (POs 4 & 8)

Due Date

During the assigned week (Sunday the start of the assigned week through Sunday the end of the assigned week):
- Posts in the discussion at least two times, and
- Posts in the discussion on two different days

Directions

Discussions are designed to promote dialogue between faculty and students, and students and their peers. In discussions students:
- Demonstrate understanding of concepts for the week
- Integrate outside scholarly sources when required
- Engage in meaningful dialogue with classmates and/or instructor
- Express opinions clearly and logically, in a professional manner
Use the rubric on this page as you compose your answers.
Best Practices include:
- Participation early in the week is encouraged to stimulate meaningful discussion among classmates and instructor.
- Enter the discussion often during the week to read and learn from posts.
- Select different classmates for your reply each week.

Discussion Questions

You must access the following article to answer the questions:

Boyle, D. K., & Thompson, S.A. (2020). CMSRNs’ continuing competence methods and perceived value of certification: A descriptive study. MEDSURG Nursing, 29(4), 229-254. https://chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=145282314&site=eds-live&scope=siteLinks to an external site.

Locate the literature review section. Summarize using your own words from one of the study/literature findings. Be sure to identify which study you are summarizing.
Discuss how the author’s review of literature (studies) supported the research purpose/problem. Share something that was interesting to you as you read through the literature review section.
Describe one strategy that you learned that would help you create a strong literature review/search for evidence. Share your thoughts on the importance of a thorough review of the literature.

ANSWER

Literature Review and Searching for Evidence

Question 1

Di Leonardi et al. (2020) study is cited in the literature review. The authors reviewed 50 articles published since 2012 on continuing competence (CC). “Validating competencies” was among the four themes they identified in their study. According to the authors, professionals use eight methods to validate their CC. These methods include attending formal and informal educational sessions, completing a written examination, portfolios, scholarship through a professional presentation, documenting practice hours in their specialty, and performing a formal 360-degree assessment. Attendance in formal and informal educational programs was the most common method for maintaining CC.

Question 2

The study’s literature review helps demonstrate a lack of consensus on recertification requirements and methods for demonstrating continuing competence (CC) [research problem]. Therefore, the authors aim to contribute to this dialogue by determining current methods of CC, facilitators & barriers, and practitioners’ perceptions of the value of certification [research objective]. The literature review identifies the problem and the need for the study: to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on CC by establishing current methods for demonstrating CC, etc.

One interesting thing I learned is that attending an educational program does not guarantee practice changes or CC (Boyle & Thompson, (2020). First, some professionals enroll in educational programs based on their affordability and convenience and not quality. Also, these programs do not guarantee that the attendees will retain or use the provided information in practice, invalidating their competence.

Question 3

One search strategy I learned about is the Boolean operators. This strategy involves using AND, OR, and NOT operators to broaden or refine a search. The AND operator, placed between two keywords or phrases, will generate articles that contain both phrases. The OR operator retrieves studies containing either of the keywords or phrases, while NOT eliminates articles containing the keyword or phrases.

Developing a well-focused question is essential in clinical research, and a thorough literature review can help researchers formulate these questions (Grewal et al., 2016). A thorough literature review also helps identify research gaps and evidence conflicts or inconsistencies, helping the authors justify the need for their study. It also helps identify appropriate research methods and a conceptual and theoretical framework in quantitative studies (Grewal et al., 2016).

References

Boyle, D. K., & Thompson, S.A. (2020). CMSRNs’ continuing competence methods and perceived value of certification: A descriptive study. MEDSURG Nursing, 29(4), 229-254.

Grewal, A., Kataria, H., & Dhawan, I. (2016). Literature search for research planning and identification of research problem. Indian Journal of Anaesthesia, 60(9), 635. NCBI. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5049.190618