PICOT/Evidence Appraisal

To identify a problem or concern that nursing can change and develop a PICOT question to guide the change project. 

Directions: Use the required form below to complete the Week 3 Assignment PICOT Evidence Worksheet. This includes filling in the table with information about your research question and your PICOT elements and the second part is filling in the Evidence Worksheet. 

Step 1: Select the key PICO terms for searching the evidence. Clearly define your PICOT question. List each element P (problem, population, or problem), I (intervention), C (Comparison with other treatment/current practice), and O (Desired outcome), T (Time Frame).  Is the potential solution something for which you (as nurse or student) can find a solution through evidence research? Look in your book for guidelines to developing your PICOT question and also read the required articles. 

Step 2: Identify the problem. What have you noticed in your work or school environment that isn’t achieving the desired patient or learning outcomes? What needs to change in nursing, what can you change with the support of evidence in the literature? Describe the problem or practice issue that you want to research. What is your practice area; clinical, education, or administration? (This is NOT where you will list your PICOT question)

Step 3: How was the practice issues identified? How did you come to know this was a problem in your clinical practice? Review the listed concerns and check all that apply. 

Step 4: Identifies and documents four sources of evidence. What evidence must be gathered? What sources of reliable information will be helpful for your particular question? Describes rationale for all checked types of evidence

Step 5: What terms will you use in order to make sure that your search is wide enough to obtain required information but narrow enough to keep it focused?  How will you narrow your search if needed?