EVIDENCE FOR NURSING: Assessment 1, PICO Framework, Search Strategy

This assignment solution addresses Evidence for Nursing Assessment 1, focusing on developing a PICO question and search strategy based on a clinical case scenario related to depression. The student utilizes the PICO framework (Patient/Problem, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) to formulate a structured question and identify relevant search terms. A detailed systematic search plan is created using Boolean operators (AND, OR) to refine the search in the Embase database. The student outlines inclusion criteria and provides a screenshot of their Embase search, demonstrating their ability to translate the search strategy into a database query. The assignment aims to evaluate the student's understanding of evidence-based practice, systematic literature searching, and the application of the PICO framework in a clinical context.

EVIDENCE FOR NURSING
Assessment Item 1: Finding the evidence Weight: 15% of overall mark for the subject
Submission: 5 pm, Wed 01st April 2020, through Turnitin.
Task: Using clinical case scenarios, you will develop a question to address the area of clinical uncertainty. You will
use the PICO framework to build a structured and searchable question and build a systematic literature search.
Important information before you begin:
 You need to develop your PICO questions before you begin your search in the database.
 Review the learning activities from Week 1, Week 2, and Week 3 to help you develop your PICO question
and develop search strategies.
 Use additional library drop-in sessions to get further help with this assessment.
How to do this assessment:
1. Choose one of the provided clinical case scenarios below.
2. Using the information from the case scenario, answer the questions in Assessment one templet to plan for your
systematic database search.
3. Enter your search terms into Embase (Elsevier Platform) and complete a search.
4. Take a screenshot of final search and paste it into the end of this document (see the example screenshot on the
last page).
Choose one of the following case scenarios to guide your work in Assessment one
Depression scenario
You are a community mental health nurse in Sydney. In a recent review of referrals to your service, it was noted that
there has been a large number of clients referred for treatment of depression. The treatment provided by your
service for these clients is antidepressant medication.
You are aware that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is offered as an alternative or adjunct to medication in other
mental health services. Your team is open to change and it is decided to search for evidence of an optimal care for
these clients.
Breast Cancer
As a new registered nurse, you are working in a community health center. One of your clients asks you about the
effectiveness of screening for breast cancer. She states that she has received mixed recommendations about the
regular mammography for early detection of breast cancer and its usefulness on reducing death rate from this
disease. You are interested to search for the available evidence on this topic.
Assessment Item 1: Finding the evidence Page 1

ASSESSMENT ONE: SUBMISSION TEMPLATE
Please complete your assessment activities in the following pages and submit this into Turnitin:
 PICO Worksheet
 A print screen of your search (must be readable in Turnitin).
PICO Worksheet – Development of PICO and terms to be used in search (2 marks)
1. Use the following categories to help define your problem and what you are looking at in simple terms
PICO: Patient/Problem/Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome. (Remember to use your readings to
help you if you are unsure)
Patient/Problem: Patient/Problem (P): Mentally ill or Patients with depression of Sydne
Intervention: cognitive behavioural therapy or talking therapy
Comparison: anti-depressants or antipsychotic drugs
Outcome: Improved mental health or mentally fit
2. Write down your PICO question (1 mark):
In (P), mentally ill patients does (I) cognitive behavioural therapy compared with (C) antipsychotic drugs (O) improve
their mental health or reduce depression?
3. What type of clinical question do you think this PICO question is? (0.5 mark)
Evidence based practice of therapy.
4. What kind of study/studies do you think would best answer your question? You can also refine your search based
on study types if you have a lot of papers (0.5 mark).
Randomized controlled trial otherwise a systemic review can be done.
5. The table below will help you to think of search terms that you need to look up when searching for evidence–
this is part of basic planning for a database search (2 marks).
We ask you to look up alternative terms because sometimes articles from health systems call things different names
– for example, in Australia we sometimes use the term ‘community nurses’, but in the UK they often talk about
‘district nurses’ – if you only searched under ‘district nurse’ you’d miss all the articles which used the other term –
you would be missing some of the picture! You can find alternative terms by googling synonyms or by looking in your
textbooks.
P I C O
Main term Clients with
depression
(Keyword)
Cognitive
behavioural
therapy
(Keyword)
Anti-depressant
medication
(Keyword)
Treatment of
depression
(Keyword)
Alternative term Patients with Talking therapy Anti-depressant Improved mental
Assessment Item 1: Finding the evidence Page 2

depression
(Keyword)
(Keyword) drugs
(Keyword)
health
(Keyword)
Alternative term Mentally ill
(Keyword)
Psychosocial
intervention
(Keyword)
Psychotic drugs Reduce
depression
(Keyword)
Alternative term Mentally
depressed
(Keyword)
Role playing
(Keyword)
Psychoactive
drugs
(Keyword)
Improved brain
function
(Keyword)
You must translate your search into a language that the database understands which means using OR and AND.
These are called search operators or Boolean operators. If you need further help understanding these operators,
please watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb7ya2wu9Bs
6. Now you need to design your systematic search plan below in the table. Demonstrate how to use your operators
below adding extra spaces to include all your keyterms (max 3.5 marks).
Keyterm Operato
r
Keyterm Operato
r
Keyterm Operato
r
Keyterm
Population Clients with
symptoms of
depression
OR Mentally ill OR Mentally
depressed
OR Patients with
depression
Operator AND
Interventio
n
Cognitive
Behavioural
Therapy
OR Talking
therapy
OR Psycho-
social
intervention
OR Roleplaying
Operator AND
Compariso
n
Antidepressan
t Medication
OR Antidepressan
t Drugs
OR Psychotropi
c drugs
OR Psychoactiv
e drugs
Operator AND
Outcome Improved
health status
OR Improved
mental health
outcome
OR Mentally fit OR Improved
brain
function
From the table, it can be understood that the search in the database requires certain use of operators or
Boolean operators that are recognized by the system and thus, provided with the match items. In the case of this
search, the use of OR and AND are the most commonly used operators that help in searching for the relevant articles
that are related to the PICO question formulated as in relation to the case scenario related to depression. The search
will help in addressing the issue of depression among a target population with the use of antidepressant medication
therapy and the comparison will be made with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for improving mental health.
7. Is there a particular group of people that you want to look at? List here any inclusion criteria (limiters) you might
use to refine your search if you have too many papers (0.5 mark):
Assessment Item 1: Finding the evidence Page 3

Gender: Both men and women Age Range: Any age
Publication Dates: 2019 to 2020 Language: English
8. Run your search in Embase (Elsevier) and paste in a picture (screenshot/screengrab) of the search that you did in
Embase (Elsevier Platform). The picture has to be readable!!! (2 marks).
In providing this you show your tutor that you are able to take your strategy and apply this into a database. You also
show us that you understand the systematic approach to searching and your understanding of how to use OR and
AND as tools to draw together the articles you are interested in. You can use limiters, but you would only do this if
you wanted to refine your search.
Assessment Item 1: Finding the evidence Page 4