The essay facilitates the application of the principles

Running Head: RESEARCH CRITIQUE
RESEARCH CRITIQUE
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author Note

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RESEARCH CRITIQUE
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Discussion..................................................................................................................................2
Evidence based practice and its significance in nursing........................................................2
Outline of the chosen research paper and rationale...............................................................5
Analysis using the CASP framework.....................................................................................6
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................10

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RESEARCH CRITIQUE
Introduction
The purpose of this essay is to develop an understanding of the theoretical as well as
practical aspects of evidence-based practice (EBP) with the help of critiquing a primary
research paper using the CASP appraisal tool. The essay facilitates the application of the
principles of EBP in order to critique the research paper effectively and consider its relevance
to clinical nursing practice. This essay will begin with an overview of EBP and the
implication of evidence based nursing in the present healthcare scenario. It will briefly
outline, analyse and justify the chosen research paper, and then discuss the significance of the
findings for professional improvement and nursing practice. The chosen article is of
particular importance to the clinical nursing settings as it addresses a vital age-related health
complication of hyperosmolar dehydration (HD) in elder adults (65 years and above),
admitted to the emergency department of a hospital and evaluates the effect of HD in the
short and long term health impacts. The prevalence of such cases is frequently associated
with poor health in older adults, and therefore, findings of this paper can shed light on this
concern.
Discussion
Evidence based practice and its significance in nursing
EBP may be described as “the integration of best research evidence with clinical
expertise and patient values” that when adopted by experts and professionals, eventually lead
to enriched patient outcomes and encourage safe healthcare practices (Rousseau and Gunia
2016). The three major components of EBP are:
 finest evidence that is typically found in research which is clinically relevant and has
been conducted using a rigorous methodology,

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RESEARCH CRITIQUE
 scientific or clinical expertise based on cumulative education, experience and clinical
skills of the clinician and
 each clinical encounter that the clinician comes across, which brings forth unique
patient preferences, apprehensions and outlooks.
It is the assimilation of these three components that classify a clinical resolution to be
evidence-based (Young et al. 2014). There are five A’s of EBP through which this
integration can be effectively achieved (Peterson et al. 2014; Stillwell et al. 2010). These are:
 ASK a relevant and answerable question-
Formulation of a well-built clinical question that is relevant and answerable at the
same is vital for the process of EBP. The clinician must possess these skills of
developing such questions to focus their efforts precisely on the areas of concern
successfully. Such questions are generally generated via patient encounters which
produce queries about aspects of the clinical practice like diagnosis, treatment,
prediction or aetiology.
 ACQUIRE the evidence most appropriate-
The second step is to find relevant evidence for the developed problems. This step
encompasses recognising search terms from the thoughtfully fabricated question
developed in the beginning and selecting resources for the search to be directed. An
effective search strategy can be framed by incorporation of MESH terms and filtering
the search results.
 APPRAISE the obtained evidence
Critical appraisal is the next step after the accumulation of appropriate evidence
through database searches. It is imperative to be capable of critical appraising so that
studies can be further clarified based on their type and level of strength. It can be