Tag: Clinical-Nursing

  • NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research

    NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research

    Discussion – Week 1

    Pregnancy is a crucial time for the development of a human life. There are many changes and growth that is happening during nine months of pregnancy. The pregnant mother must alter her lifestyle to meet the needs of her growing baby. Some of these changes include ending drug and alcohol abuse, eating appropriate foods and avoiding harmful foods, receiving proper prenatal care and staying active to promote a healthy pregnancy.

    BUY A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

    Place your order now, we write everything from scratch

    Patient Safety Problem

    I live near an American Indian reservation and I have encountered countless mothers who had late or no prenatal care. In 2017, American Indians were most likely to report late or no prenatal care in 12 percent of births (Late or No Prenatal Care, 2019). The lack of prenatal care poses a risk for both mother and baby. In my experience, when a mother is not receiving prenatal care, they are also involved in reckless activities that are actively harming her and baby. Some of these reckless activities include using drugs and abusing alcohol. Using tobacco and drinking alcohol during pregnancy has been linked to increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can also increase the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, problems with vital organs and having a small head (What is prenatal care and why is it important, 2017). There are countless, long-term effects of children who have been born from a mother who used illegal substances during pregnancy while not receiving proper prenatal care. NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research.

    Change in Practice

    A change that could be beneficial for pregnant mothers on the reservation would be completing home visits. Research has shown that a home visiting program for pregnant women and their infants brings about participation and knowledge that will increase positive maternal and infant outcomes (Johnson, 2020). Often, these pregnant mothers do not have the means to go to an appointment or to provide a healthy lifestyle in pregnancy. A home visit would literally meet the expecting mother where she is, she wouldn’t have to try to find a ride to the clinic. Prenatal care and education would be completed, along with supplying necessary vitamins that include folic acid. Enrolling a mother in a drug or alcohol rehab that is safe for pregnancy could improve pregnancy outcomes for both mom and baby.

    Research Question

    Would home prenatal visits to low-income, high-risk expecting mothers improve pregnancy outcomes for mother and baby?

    This question is an example of quantitative research. Common demographic variables utilized in quantitative research are gender and ethnicity (Grove, et al., 2013). Quantitative research contains probable designs, and this research question falls under the quasi-experimental category because it measures the cause and effect of prenatal care via home visits. I think that this type of research would best fit the question posed because quality prenatal care correlates with positive pregnancy outcomes. The other three types of research, descriptive, correlation and explanation, are not useful for this research question simply because they are not focused on the independent variable (prenatal care) that causes change in the dependent variable (pregnant mothers and their baby) (Grove, et al., 2013). NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research.

     

    Late or No Prenatal Care. (2019, May 3). Retrieved July 14, 2020, from 
    https://www.childtrends.org/indicators/late-or-no-prenatal-care

    What is prenatal care and why is it important? (2017, January 31). Retrieved July 14, 2020, from 
    https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/pregnancy/conditioninfo/prenatal-care

    Johnson, M. B. (2020). Prenatal Care for American Indian Women. 
    MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing,
     
    45
    (4), 221-227. doi:10.1097/nmc.0000000000000633

    Grove, S. K., Burns, N., & Gray, J. (2013). 
    The practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence
    . St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Saunders.

    Week 1: Overview of Research

    What is research, and how does research relate to nursing practice?

    Nursing practice is based on outcomes and best practices supported by research findings. That is, issues related to health are examined, and proposed solutions to promote patient safety and health care quality are tested to best determine nursing protocols for professional practice. Consider for example, current nursing protocols to minimize patient falls in health care settings. Without research, extensive testing, and an awareness of how to promote solutions to minimize the risk of falls, there is an increased risk that this very real patient problem would get worse.

    This week you explore an overview of the different types of research uses in health care settings. You examine how each type of research is used by nurses in providing quality of care and in promoting positive patient safety outcomes. The week will conclude with an overview of the basic elements of the research process: (a) problem identification, (b) review of literature, (c) implementation of research methods, (d) analyses and presentation of findings, and (e) conclusions about implications for practice.NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research.

    Learning Objectives

    Students will:

    Describe steps of the research process to advance knowledge about quality of care and patient safety

    Develop a research question that guides the development of a study on patient safety

    Develop a research question that guides the development of a study

    Identify different types of research and their contribution to health care

    Learning Resources

    Required Readings

    Gray, J. R, Grove, S. K., & Sutherland, S. (2017).
    The practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence
    (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

    Chapter 1, “Discovering the World of Nursing Research” (pp. 1-15)

    Chapter 2, “Evolution of Research in Building Evidence-Based Nursing Practice” (pp. 18-34)

    Chapter 5, “Research Problem and Purpose” (pp. 76-93)

    Chapter 6, “Objectives, Questions, Variables, and Hypothesis” (pp. 98-117)

    Martinez, K., Battaglia, R., Start, R., Mastal, M.F., & Matlock, A.M. (2015). Nursing sensitive indicators in ambulatory care. Nursing Economics, 33(1), 59-64.

    Document:
    Developing a Good Research Question in Nursing (PDF)

    Writing Resources and Program Success Tools

    Walden University. (n.d.). Walden templates: General templates: APA course paper template with advice (7th ed.). Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general

    Document:
    Academic Writing Expectations (AWE) Checklist (Word Document)

     

    This checklist will help you self-assess your writing to see if it meets academic writing standards for this course. NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research.

    Discussion: Choosing the Type of Research for a Research Problem

    How do you choose the type of research to conduct to address a research problem? What information should you keep in mind to ensure that your research process will adequately address your research problem?

    Understanding the different types of research is a critical skill for the nurse researcher and nursing professional. As a current nursing professional, consider how understanding the different types of research may be conducive to achieving a particular mission in your health care setting, such as developing an intervention to address a quality or patient safety problem. This knowledge can also be a step toward assuming a nursing leadership position. As a critical component of your nursing toolkit, differentiating between the types of research is a fundamental step toward enacting change through the process of research.

    For this Discussion, please review the following:

    Think about clinical practice problems you have seen in health care that compromise patient safety and health outcomes. For example, nursing-sensitive indicators reflect high-priority practice problems, which are described in the article by Martinez, Battaglia, Start, Mastal, and Matlock (2015).

    Choose one of the clinical practice problems you have seen in your current or past job in a health care setting. Consider the possible causes of this problem and how you think it is, or was, affecting patient outcomes.

    Some patient safety problems are solved by making changes in clinical practice. For example, decreasing catheter-associated urinary tract infections in hospitalized patients often requires changes in clinical practice such as better adherence to preventive measures when catheters are inserted (e.g., use of disposable gloves, maintaining sterile fields, cleansing urethral meatus). For the problem you identified, what specific change in practice do you think is needed?

    When a practice change is implemented, it is important to verify whether or not the change has improved patient outcomes. One way to determine this is by conducting research. One of the first steps in the research process involves developing a research question that will later serve as the foundation for your study. Using information from Chapter 5 in your textbook and the handout on developing research questions, think about a research question and about the effectiveness of the practice change you proposed in improving patient outcomes.

    Another step in the research process involves identifying which type of research could be conducted to best answer your research question. In Chapter 5 of your textbook you will find a list of different types of research in the first column in Table 5-2, and Table 5-3. You can learn more about these different types of research in both Chapter 2 and the Glossary in your textbook. To locate even more information, you can also use an Internet search engine for more in-depth descriptions and examples. After learning more about the different types of research, think about which one you think is best for determining how well the clinical practice change you identified will improve patient outcomes.

    By Day 3

    Post
     a description of how you would address the following:

    Part 1: Patient Safety Problem

    Describe the patient safety problem you identified, its causes, and the impact you think it has on patient outcomes. For this problem, describe a specific change in practice that could help improve patient outcomes.

    Part 2: Research on Patient Safety Problem

    Develop a research question that tests the effectiveness of your practice change in the improvement of one or more patient outcomes. What type of research would you use to answer this question? Describe the reasons why you think this is the best approach and why you would not use the other three types of research.

    Note:
     
    Post
     a three paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 
    evidence
    , 
    in-text citations
    , and 
    essay-level
     writing skills, including the use of 
    transitional material
     and 
    organizational frames
    . Use the writing resources to develop your post.

    By Day 7

    Read two or more
     of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question.

    Respond
     to 
    two or more
     of your colleagues with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information.

    Post a Discussion entry on 
    3 different days of the week
    . See the Rubric for more information.

    Submission and Grading Information

    Grading Criteria

    To access your Rubric:

    Week 1 Discussion Rubric

    Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 7

    To participate in this Discussion:

    Week 1 Discussion

    Quiz: Nursing Research

    By Day 7

    Complete the quiz which covers content in the assigned readings for this week. The quiz includes questions that are multiple choice, true/false, and matching.

    Note on Quiz Content:
    This quiz will cover (a) definition and importance of nursing research, (b) nursing research trends in the 21st century, (c) basic steps in the research process, (d) clinical origins of research problems (e.g., nursing sensitive indicators), and (e) feasibility of conducting research in clinical settings. The content is covered in this week’s Learning Resources. NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research.

    Submission and Grading Information

    Submit Your Quiz by Day 7

    To submit your Quiz:

    Week 1 Quiz

    Week in Review

    Now you
    … know the necessary steps to a research process and developed a research question that guides the development of a study and patient safety, including the impact it has on patient outcomes. 
    Next week you will
    … conduct a literature review including all the components and demonstrate an understanding of ethical issues in conducting clinical research.

    Week 2: Conducting a Literature Search on a Clinical Research Question

    Have you ever conducted a literature search before? What does a literature search entail, and why might it be important for nursing practice?

    As a nursing professional, you may engage in conducting a literature search in order to refine a clinical research question that you might examine through the research process. Examining, reviewing, and considering the literature in the field will help you to hone your research question and think about new ways you might address or answer a research question with clinical practice.

    This week, you examine the skills needed to conduct a literature search to locate other studies that have been conducted on a clinical practice problem. Given the importance of ethical considerations throughout the research process, you will also explore the ethical implications of clinical research. You will examine the definition of research ethics, explore a historical overview of ethical problems in research, consider the ethics of using existing data in research, and the implications of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) on research. NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research.

    Learning Objectives

    Students will:

    Perform a literature search on a research topic

    Describe components of a literature review

    Demonstrate an understanding of ethical issues in conducting clinical research

    Learning Resources

    Required Readings

    Gray, J. R, Grove, S. K., & Sutherland, S. (2017).
    The practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence
    (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

    Chapter 7, “Review of Relevant Literature” (pp. 120-136)

    Chapter 9, “Ethics in Research” (pp. 157-188)

    Purdue Online Writing Lab. (2015). Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/07/

    Walden University Library. (2015b). Keyword searching: Finding articles on your topic: Searching basics. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/keyword

    Walden University Library. (2015a). How do I find databases by subject? Retrieved from http://academicanswers.waldenu.edu/faq/73256

    Walden University Library. (2015c). Searching and finding information in the library databases: Overview. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/searchingfinding

    Writing Resources and Program Success Tools

    Walden University. (n.d.). Walden templates: General templates: APA course paper template with advice (7th ed.). Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general

    Document:
    Academic Writing Expectations (AWE) Checklist (Word Document)

     

    This checklist will help you self-assess your writing to see if it meets academic writing standards for this course.

    Required Media

    Walden University Library. (2019, June).
    Introduction to nursing research in the Walden Library
    [Webinar]. Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/nurs3150/week2discussion

    Discussion: Conducting a Literature Review

    For this Discussion, view the webinar in this week’s resources by a Walden University librarian on strategies to conduct a successful literature search. The webinar provides information on available databases, the use of search engines, and the selection of search terms. Then, you will conduct a literature search on research conducted in the last 5 years on the patient safety problem you identified in Week 1. NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research

    By Day 3

    Post
     the following:

    For the 
    literature search
    , describe the following in your post:

    The databases, search engines, and search terms you used in your literature search

    The number of research articles you found on your patient safety problem that were published in the last year

    The challenges you encountered locating research articles and how you overcame them

    Who you would go to for help in your work setting if you needed help with a literature search

    Note:
     
    Post
     a three paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 
    evidence
    , 
    in-text citations
    , and 
    essay-level
     writing skills, including the use of 
    transitional material
     and 
    organizational frames
    . Use the writing resources to develop your post.

    By Day 7

    Read two or more
     of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question.

    Respond
     to 
    two or more
     of your colleagues with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information.

    Post a Discussion entry on 
    3 different days of the week
    . See the Discussion Rubrics for more information.

    Submission and Grading Information

    Grading Criteria

    To access your Rubric:

    Week 2 Discussion Rubric

    Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 7

    To participate in this Discussion:

    Week 2 Discussion

    Quiz: Ethical Implications of Research

    By Day 7

    Complete the quiz which covers content in the assigned readings for this week. The quiz questions are multiple choice.

    Note on Quiz Content:
     This quiz will cover (a) ethics in research, (b) human rights in research, and (c) clinical research. The content is covered in this week’s Learning Resources.

    Submission and Grading Information

    Submit Your Quiz by Day 7

    To submit your Quiz:

    Week 2 Quiz

    Week in Review

    Now you
    … have conducted a literature review that includes a number of research articles, shared the challenges encountered in locating them and ways to overcome them. 
    Next week you will
    … be introduced to quantitative research designs and the strengths and weaknesses of those methods.

    Week 3: Quantitative Research Designs and Methods

    Andre is a nursing student who has just completed the first 2 weeks in a nursing research course. He has defined a clinical research question for his health care setting and has also determined that the research problem exists in the literature. However, his approach to defining a solution for his research question requires that he receive approval from his health care setting before testing it. However, Andre is not quite sure what he needs to do next. Eager to start, Andre jumps ahead in the course syllabus and sees that in the following weeks he will read about quantitative research design and methods. Slightly confused, he is not quite sure what is meant by quantitative research design and methods and begins drafting an email message to his instructor to see if he might be able to use this information for testing

    his research question in practice. NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research

    What is quantitative research design? What different methods might exist for engaging in quantitative research for nursing practice?

    As you have explored in this course, your next step in the research process is to determine what type of research design and methods you will use to engage in research for your research question. While it is possible that many research designs and methods might be appropriate for your particular research question, gaining a firm understanding of different research designs and methods is another useful skill for engaging in nursing research and practice.

    This week, you explore the different categories of quantitative research designs used in a clinical research studies. These include experimental, quasi-experimental, descriptive and correlational designs. You will examine the basic characteristics of each design (e.g., causality, control, bias, validity, randomization, probability). You will also examine the basic features of the methods used to conduct most quantitative research designs, such as sample selection, data collection and measurement of variables, as well as data management and analyses.

    Learning Objectives

    Students will:

    Demonstrate an understanding of the basic characteristics of quantitative research designs

    Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of methods used in quantitative research designs

    Learning Resources

    Note: 
    To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the 
    Course Materials
     section of your Syllabus.

    Required Readings

    Gray, J. R, Grove, S. K., & Sutherland, S. (2017).
    The practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence
    (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

    Chapter 3, “Introduction to Quantitative Research” (pp. 37-58)

    Chapter 10, “Quantitative Methodology: Noninterventional Designs and Methods” (pp. 192-215)

    Chapter 11, “Quantitative Methodology: Interventional Designs and Methods” (pp. 217-248)

    Chapter 15, “Sampling” (pp. 329-360)

    Labrague, L. & McEnroe-Petitte, D. (2016). Influence of music on preoperative anxiety and physiological parameters in women undergoing gynecologic surgery. 
    Clinical Nursing Research, 25
    (2), 157-173.

    Sand-Jecklin, K., & Sherman, J. (2014). A quantitative assessment of patient and nursing outcomes of bedside nursing report implementation. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 23(19/20), 2854–2863.

    Steelman, V. M., Graling, P. R., & Perkhounkova, Y. (2013). Priority patient safety issues identified by perioperative nurses. AORN Journal, 97(4), 402–418.

    Document:
    Journal Club Template for Quantitative Research (Word Document)

    Writing Resources and Program Success Tools

    Walden University. (n.d.). Walden templates: General templates: APA course paper template with advice (7th ed.). Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general

    Document:
    Academic Writing Expectations (AWE) Checklist (Word Document)

     

    This checklist will help you self-assess your writing to see if it meets academic writing standards for this course.

    Required Media

    Laureate Education (Producer). (2015c).
    Quantitative research designs
    [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

     

    Note:
    The approximate length of this media piece is 27 minutes.

    Optional Resources

    Fitzpatrick, J. J. (Ed.). (2017).
    Encyclopedia of nursing research
    (4th ed.). New York, NY: Springer.

    Grove, S. K., & Gray, J. R. (2018).
    Understanding nursing research: Building an evidence-based practice
    (7th ed.) (pp. 214–263). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

    Discussion: Reliability and Validity of Research Methodology

    Selection of the appropriate sample is critical to the reliability and validity of research methodology. The sample must be representative of the population that is being studied. Researchers often report both the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the sample. There are many different methods for selecting a sample and random sampling provides the high control of outside variables but is often difficult to utilize in many studies.

    For this Discussion, please review the following:

    For this assignment, read the article by Labrague, L. & McEnroe-Petitte, D. (2016). Influence of music on preoperative anxiety and physiological parameters in women undergoing gynecologic surgery. 
    Clinical Nursing Research, 25
    (2), 157-173
    ,
     listed in the resource section for this week.

    By Day 3

    Prepare at least a 350-word post discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the sampling method used in this study and if the sampling method promoted reliable and valid results. Include in the discussion if there is anything the researcher could have done to improve the sampling process.

    Note:
     
    Post
     a three paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 
    evidence
     from the readings and include 
    in-text citations
    . Utilize 
    essay-level
     writing practice and skills, including the use of 
    transitional material
     and 
    organizational frames
    . Use the writing resources to develop your post.

    By Day 7

    Read two or more
     of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question.

    Respond
     to 
    two or more
     of your colleagues with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information.

    Post a Discussion entry on 
    3 different days of the week
    . See the Discussion Rubrics for more information.

    Submission and Grading Information

    Grading Criteria

    To access your Rubric:

    Week 3 Discussion Rubric

    Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 7

    To participate in this Discussion:

    Week 3 Discussion

    Quiz: Basic Characteristics of Quantitative Research Designs

    By Day 7

    Complete the quiz which covers the content in the Quantitative Research Design PowerPoint webinar and assigned readings for this week. The quiz includes questions that are multiple choice, true/false, and matching. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the following five characteristics of quantitative research designs: (a) causality, (b) control, (c) randomization, (d) reliability, and (e) validity.

    Note on Quiz Content:
     This quiz will cover: (a) four basic quantitative designs along with their overall strengths and weaknesses, (b) characteristics of quantitative research designs, (c) problems with the commonly pretest-posttest study [one type of quasi-experimental design], and (d) value of randomized clinical trials in health care.

    Submission and Grading Information

    Submit Your Quiz by Day 7

    To submit your Quiz:

    Week 3 Quiz

    Assignment: Application: Methods Used in Quantitative Research

    As you have explored this week, there are various methods a researcher may use to engage in quantitative research design. While the methods presented this week are not exhaustive, they do introduce numerous features that you will likely encounter when reviewing, accessing, and researching the nursing practice literature. Whether you are creating new research or searching the literature to add support for a research question you are interested in, understanding the quantitative research designs that may be used for nursing practice will likely inform how you will conduct research for your health care setting. As you continue to build upon your research skills as a nursing researcher and professional, understanding how to engage in quantitative research design is a valuable asset.

    For this Assignment, view this week’s Quantitative Research Designs PowerPoint webinar and pay close attention to its content on the basic elements of research methods (e.g., sample, data collection, measurement, analysis). Then, be sure to review the research study by Sand-Jekline and Sherman (2014), included in this week’s resources.

    Note:
     While not a required resource, you might find the definitions in the Encyclopedia of Nursing Research helpful for this assignment.

    This assignment involves identifying and describing the strengths and weaknesses of the research method used in the Sand-Jecklin and Sherman (2014) research article in this week’s resources.

    Focus on the research design, sample data collection methods, tools used for data collection, and the plan for data analysis as discussed in the Sand-Jecklin and Sherman (2014) article.

    Identify at least two strengths and two weaknesses of the study based on reliability and validity by including additional support with citations from resources not assigned this week.

    Use the copy of the Journal Club Template for Quantitative Research located in this week’s resources. The template includes an area for each element discussed in the study.

    Be brief, paraphrase and summarize each of the elements clearly on the form.

    Provide the full citation of the article used for this Assignment on the template.

    By Day 7

    Once this is complete, save your file and submit the Journal Club Template for Quantitative Research to the submission link.

    Submission and Grading Information

    To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

    Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK3Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.

    Click the 
    Week 3 Assignment Rubric 
    to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.

    Click the 
    Week 3 Assignment 
    link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.

    Next, from the Attach File area, click on the 
    Browse My Computer
     button. Find the document you saved as “WK3Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click 
    Open
    .

    If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for 
    I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database
    .

    Click on the 
    Submit
     button to complete your submission.

    Grading Criteria

    To access your Rubric:

    Week 3 Assignment Rubric

    Check your Assignment draft for authenticity

    To check your assignment draft for authenticity

    Submit your Week 3 Assignment Draft, and review the “SafeAssign Originality Report”

    Submit Your Assignment by Day 7

    To submit your Assignment:

    Week 3 Assignment

    Week in Review

    Now you
     have examined the basic characteristics of quantitative research designs used in nursing for clinical research questions including causality, control, randomization, reliability and validity. 
    Next week you will
    ….analyze the elements, strengths, and weaknesses of methods used in qualitative research designs and examine the differences between quantitative/qualitative research designs.

    To go to the next week:

    Week 4

    Week 4: Qualitative Research Designs and Methods

    [Qualitative research] is more than simply conducting research on a single individual or situation. This approach has the potential to deal with simple through complex situations. It enables the researcher to answer “how” and “why” type questions, while taking into consideration how a phenomenon is influenced by

    the context within which it is situated.

    – Pamela Baxter and Susan Jack,

    “Qualitative Case Study Methodology”

    How does qualitative research differ from quantitative research? How might a research question best be answered by using a qualitative research design approach?

    Last week, you explored different quantitative research designs used in nursing research for clinical research questions. While quantitative research designs are appropriate and useful for a wide range of research questions, you might find that adopting a qualitative approach may yield different insights that might best support solutions for a given research question. Understanding the differences between quantitative/qualitative research designs, and their methods, will contribute to effective nursing practice and your role as a nursing professional.

    This week, you examine qualitative research designs and methods. You will first explore the different types of qualitative research approaches used in clinical research studies, including obtrusive (e.g., participatory action, ethnography), unobtrusive (e.g., non-participatory observation, audiovisual), and observational (e.g., focus groups, in-depth interviews). Then, you examine the basic characteristics of each approach (e.g., inductive reasoning, narrative descriptions, process orientation), as well as the characteristics of different approaches used to conduct qualitative research designs, such as sample selection, data collection, data management, and interpretative techniques.

    Learning Objectives

    Students will:

    Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of methods used in qualitative research designs

    Analyze elements of qualitative research designs

    Learning Resources

    Required Readings

    Gray, J. R, Grove, S. K., & Sutherland, S. (2017).
    The practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence
    (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

    Chapter 4, “Introduction to Qualitative Research” (pp. 62-73)

    Chapter 12, “Qualitative Research Methods” (pp. 251-281)

    Bamm, E. L., Rosenbaum, P., Wilkins, S., Stratford, P., & Mahlberg, N. (2015). Exploring client-centered care experiences in in-patient rehabilitation settings. Global Qualitative Nursing Research, 2, 1–11.

    Sarvestani, R. S., Moattari, M., Nasrabadi, A. N., Momennasab, M., & Yektatalab, S. (2015). Challenges of nursing handover: A qualitative study. Clinical Nursing Research, 24(3), 234–252.

    Stiffler, D., Cullen, D. & Luna, G. (2014). Diabetes barriers and self-care management: The patient perspective. Clinical Nursing Research, 23(6), 601-626.

    Walsh, A., Meagher-Stewart, D. & Macdonald, M. (2015). Persistent optimizing: How mothers make food choices for their preschool children. Qualitative Health Research, 25(4), 527-539.

    Document:
    Journal Club Template for Qualitative Research (Word Document)

    Writing Resources and Program Success Tools

    Walden University. (n.d.). Walden templates: General templates: APA course paper template with advice (7th ed.). Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general

    Document:
    Academic Writing Expectations (AWE) Checklist (Word Document)

     

    This checklist will help you self-assess your writing to see if it meets academic writing standards for this course.

    Required Media

    Laureate Education (Producer). (2015b).
    Qualitative research design
    [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

     

    Note:
    The approximate length of this media piece is 11 minutes.

    Discussion: Basic Characteristics of Qualitative Research

    As a nursing professional, you will likely engage in research for your health care setting. Depending on the research question you seek to address, you might choose to use a qualitative research design. Understanding when and why it is appropriate to choose a qualitative research design will be important as you develop research skills for nursing practice. As you continue throughout this course, think about what considerations you should keep in mind when choosing to engage in qualitative research. In what ways might qualitative research be more preferred than quantitative research for informing nursing practice?

    For this Discussion, be sure to review the qualitative article by Sarvestani et al. (2015). Then, view this week’s Qualitative Research Design PowerPoint webinar that describes each step of the qualitative research process and different approaches used to conduct qualitative research.

    By Day 3

    You will need to prepare and post a 350-word response that addresses the following:

    Qualitative research often is viewed as not having the same rigor and adherence to objective standards as quantitative studies. Using the references provided to assist you, prepare an argument to either support or refute this claim and post it to the Discussion. In your response, explain if qualitative research does or does not have the controls needed to generate the results that contribute to the nursing knowledge base.

    Then, explain if qualitative research could be used to investigate the patient safety problem you identified in Week 1.

    Note:
    Post
     a three paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 
    evidence
     from the readings and include 
    in-text citations
    . Utilize 
    essay-level
     writing practice and skills, including the use of 
    transitional material
     and 
    organizational frames
    . Use the writing resources to develop your post. NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research

    Evidence

    In-text Citations

    Essay-Level

    Transitional Material

    Organizational Frames

    By Day 7

    Read two or more
     of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question.

    Respond
     to 
    two or more
     of your colleagues with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information.

    Post a Discussion entry on 
    3 different days of the week
    . See the Discussion Rubrics for more information.

    Submission and Grading Information

    Grading Criteria

    To access your Rubric:

    Week 4 Discussion Rubric

    Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 7

    To participate in this Discussion:

    Week 4 Discussion

    Assignment: Application: Methods Used in Qualitative Research

    In order to achieve credible and trustworthy results from qualitative studies, the methodology must be designed very carefully. That is, you must consider the process of conducting qualitative research to address your research question. Important considerations include selecting the research question, collecting data, engaging in data analysis and management, and selecting appropriate

    interpretive techniques.

    For this Assignment, be sure to view this week’s Qualitative Research Design PowerPoint webinar and pay close attention to its content on the basic elements of qualitative research methods (e.g., sample selection, data collection, plans for interpretive analysis). Then, review the two research studies presented in this week’s resources for this assignment.

    Note:
     While not a required resource, you might find the definitions in the Encyclopedia of Nursing Research helpful for this assignment.

    This assignment involves identifying and describing different elements of the research method used in the Walsh et al. (2015) article.

    Focus on the research design, sample selection, data collection methods, and plan for data analysis as discussed in the Walsh et al. (2015) article.

    Identify at least two strengths and two weaknesses of the article’s research method based on trustworthiness. You must provide support for your explanation with citations from additional sources.

    Use the Journal Club Template for Qualitative Research located in this week’s resources.

    The template includes an area for each element discussed in the study.

    Be brief, paraphrase and summarize each of the elements clearly on the form

    By Day 7

    Once this is complete, save your file and submit the Journal Club Template for Qualitative Research to the submission link.

    Submission and Grading Information

    To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

    Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK4Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.

    Click the 
    Week 4 Assignment Rubric 
    to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.

    Click the 
    Week 4 Assignment 
    link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.

    Next, from the Attach File area, click on the 
    Browse My Computer
     button. Find the document you saved as “WK4Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click 
    Open
    .

    If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for 
    I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database
    .

    Click on the 
    Submit
     button to complete your submission.

    Grading Criteria

    To access your Rubric:

    Week 4 Assignment Rubric

    Check your Assignment draft for authenticity

    To check your assignment draft for authenticity

    Submit your Week 4 Assignment 1 Draft, and review the “SafeAssign Originality Report”

    Submit Your Assignment by Day 7

    To submit your Assignment:

    Week 4 Assignment 1

    Week in Review

    Now you
    …..have analyzed the basic characteristics of qualitative research and discovered the differences between qualitative and quantitative studies. You have also examined if qualitative research has the controls needed to generate results that contribute to the nursing knowledge base. 
    Next week you will
    ….examine the analysis of data with a focus on common statistical techniques that include descriptive and comparative analyses.

    Week 5: Analysis of Quantitative and Qualitative Data

    Jaime has just completed gathering quantitative and qualitative data on causes of hospital acquired infections (HAIs) on a medical/surgical unit in his hospital. After collecting data on different patients, physicians, procedures, and infections, Jaime is ready to begin analyzing the data. However, how should Jaime proceed? What data is most telling for indicating to the hospital that the medical/surgical unit is experiencing an unexpected increase in the rate of HAIs? How will Jaime determine what type of analyses will be most important for articulating his research question and proposed nursing practice solutions? NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research

    Once you have collected and gathered data, the next step in the research process is to engage in the analysis of the data. Whether you perform statistical tests to determine if your data is significant or pool responses to interview questions to indicate emerging themes and patterns, understanding the types of analysis available for the research process is important in order to draw necessary conclusions to inform nursing practice. As a nursing professional, if you engage in research for your health care setting, you will likely engage in the analysis of your data to help inform, implement, and evaluate nursing practice solutions.

    This week, you examine the analysis of data, including a focus on common statistical techniques: (a) descriptive analyses (e.g., frequency distributions and mean scores with standard deviations) and (b) comparative analyses (e.g., t-test, chi square). You will also consider the importance of using existing quantitative health care data to address clinical questions in nursing practice, including electronic medical records and local, regional, and national quality and safety databases. For qualitative research, you will explore an overview on the common techniques used to understand themes and patterns in narrative data.

    Learning Objectives

    Students will:

    Identify available local, regional, and national quantitative databases on health care issues

    Analyze nursing quality indicators in relation to patient safety

    Conduct descriptive analyses of quantitative and qualitative data

    Learning Resources

    Required Readings

    Gray, J. R, Grove, S. K., & Sutherland, S. (2017).
    The practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence
    (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

    Chapter 21, “Introduction to Statistical Analysis” (pp. 519-533)

    Chapter 22, “Using Statistics to Describe Variables” (pp. 535-544)

    Chapter 12, “Qualitative Research Methodology”

    “Qualitative Data Analysis” (pp. 268-270)

    Medicare.gov. (n.d.-a). Hospital compare. Retrieved December 16, 2015, from https://www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare/About/What-Is-HOS.html

    Medicare.gov. (n.d.-b). Home health compare. Retrieved December 16, 2015, from https://www.medicare.gov/homehealthcompare/

    Medicare.gov. (n.d.-c). Nursing home compare. Retrieved from https://www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/search.html

    Quantitative Resources

    Document
    : Instructions: Quantitative Analysis Assignment (PDF)

    Document:
    Codebook: Quantitative Patient Safety Data (PDF)

    Document:
    Summary Data Analysis Form (Word document)

    Document:
    Quantitative Data Excel Assignment (Excel spreadsheet)

    Qualitative Resources

    Document:
    Instructions: Content Coding of Student Pet Peeves (Word document)

    Document:
    Perceived Pet Peeves Data (PDF)

    Document:
    Code Sheet: Student Pet Peeve Data (Word Document)

    Writing Resources and Program Success Tools

    Walden University. (n.d.). Walden templates: General templates: APA course paper template with advice (7th ed.). Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general

    Document:
    Academic Writing Expectations (AWE) Checklist (Word Document)

     

    This checklist will help you self-assess your writing to see if it meets academic writing standards for this course.

    Discussion: Access to Existing Databases on Patient Safety, Quality of Care, and Clinical Practice

    Quantitative health care databases are developed and published to give health care providers and consumers information about patient quality and safety outcomes. These reports are often distributed to staff in patient care units and shared with health agencies. Understanding the variables and findings described in

    these databases is important.

    By Day 3

    Post
     a description of one existing source of data you found with variables related to a patient quality and safety problem in your practice. Locate the data posted for your agency/facility. If you are unable to find this information for your agency, locate a national database that can be accessed by health professionals, e.g., 
    Medicare Hospital Compare
    . (Data are also available for home health and nursing homes.) Include the citation and the link to use for web access. Identify three variables found in the database that are important in better understanding a patient safety problem. Explain how you would interpret the results and how they might help improve nursing practice and patient outcomes. Explain how data is used in your own agency, including nursing involvement in the process.

    Medicare Hospital Compare

    Note:
    Post
     a three paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 
    evidence
     from the readings and include 
    in-text citations
    . Utilize 
    essay-level
     writing practice and skills, including the use of 
    transitional material
     and 
    organizational frames
    . Use the writing resources to develop your post.

    Evidence

    In-text Citations

    Essay-Level

    Transitional Material

    Organizational Frames

    By Day 7

    Read two or more
     of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question.

    Respond
     to 
    two or more
     of your colleagues with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information.

    Post a Discussion entry on 
    3 different days of the week
    . See the Discussion Rubrics for more information.

    Submission and Grading Information

    Grading Criteria

    To access your Rubric:

    Week 5 Discussion Rubric

    Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 7

    To participate in this Discussion:

    Week 5 Discussion

    Assignment: Application: Analysis of Quantitative and Qualitative Data

    In order to provide meaningful results, research processes must be carefully selected and appropriate for the data being analyzed. Statistical programs such as SPSS are frequently utilized by researchers to conduct the analysis of large data sets. These data are organized to provide meaningful interpretation and often include descriptive statistics. Qualitative analysis is completed using content analysis, looking for patterns and themes that emerge from the data. Individual experiences described in interviews and focus groups are considered data and are often provided as examples to support the results in the study publication. Whether you will engage in either quantitative or qualitative research, it is likely that you will encounter both types of studies in the literature. As a nursing professional, being able to analyze and interpret both types of research designs will be important to affect nursing practice that promotes positive health outcomes in

    quality of care and patient safety. NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research

    For Part 1 of this Assignment, you will conduct descriptive statistical analyses using quantitative data. For Part 2 of this Assignment, you will conduct content coding to analyze qualitative data. Please review the Instructions: Quantitative Analysis Assignment and Instructions: Content Coding of Student Pet Peeves in this week’s resources to review how to complete both parts of this Assignment.

    Part 1: Quantitative Analyses

    Follow the step-by-step instructions provided in the Instructions: Quantitative Analysis Assignment document in this week’s resources on using the Excel program to conduct descriptive analyses of quantitative data.

    The Quantitative Data Excel Assignment spreadsheet that you will need is in the resources for this week.

    For this Assignment, you will need to describe the findings from your analyses and summarize what they tell you about these patients and the extent of the adverse events they experienced during their hospitalization by completing the Summary Data Analysis Form in this week’s resources.

    Part 2: Qualitative Analyses

    Follow the step-by-step instructions provided in the Instructions: Content Coding of Student Pet Peeves document in this week’s resources. The document provides detailed instructions on the step-by-step process of conducting the content analysis for this part of the Assignment.

    Access the Perceived Pet Peeves Data document located in this week’s resources that includes the narrative descriptions of 10 students about their “pet peeves’ in courses they have taken. (In other words, what are the things that detracted from their learning experiences in these courses)?

    The analytic method you will use to analyze the narrative data for this Assignment is called content analysis. It requires you to read each student’s narrative and then code its content using thematic categories on a coding sheet.

    Access the Code Sheet: Student Pet Peeve Data document located in this week’s resources to carry out the coding as defined in the instructions.

    For the written part of this assignment, you will need to describe the most common types of “pet peeves” that students have about their courses.

    By Day 7

    Submit
     both your Part I: Quantitative Analysis and Part II: Qualitative Analysis components.

    Submission and Grading Information

    To submit your completed Assignment 1 for review and grading, do the following:

    Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK5Assgn1+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.

    Click the 
    Week 5 Assignment Part 1 Rubric 
    to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.

    Click the 
    Week 5 Assignment Part 1 
    link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.

    Next, from the Attach File area, click on the 
    Browse My Computer
     button. Find the document you saved as “WK5Assgn1+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click 
    Open
    .

    If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for 
    I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database
    .

    Click on the 
    Submit
     button to complete your submission.

    Grading Criteria

    To access your Rubric:

    Week 5 Assignment 1 Rubric

    Check your Assignment draft for authenticity

    To check your assignment draft for authenticity

    Submit your Week 5 Assignment 1 Draft, and review the “SafeAssign Originality Report”

    Submit Your Assignment by Day 7

    To submit your Assignment:

    Week 5 Assignment 1

    To submit your completed Assignment 2 for review and grading, do the following:

    Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK5Assgn2+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.

    Click the 
    Week 5 Assignment Part 2 Rubric 
    to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.

    Click the 
    Week 5 Assignment Part 2 
    link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.

    Next, from the Attach File area, click on the 
    Browse My Computer
     button. Find the document you saved as “WK5Assgn2+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click 
    Open
    .

    If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for 
    I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database
    .

    Click on the 
    Submit
     button to complete your submission.

    Grading Criteria

    To access your Rubric:

    Week 5 Assignment 2 Rubric

    Check your Assignment draft for authenticity

    To check your assignment draft for authenticity

    Submit your Week 5 Assignment 2 Draft, and review the “SafeAssign Originality Report”

    Submit Your Assignment by Day 7

    To submit your Assignment:

    Week 5 Assignment 2

    Week in Review

    Now you
    …..have examined the analysis of data and the importance of using existing quantitative health care data to address clinical questions in nursing practice, and qualitative research techniques to understand themes and patterns in narrative data. 
    Next week you will
    ….tie it all together by examining two content areas; drawing conclusions about research findings and their implications for clinical practice and the value of research in evidence-based practice and translational science.

    Week 6: Tying it All Together

    Once a nursing researcher or nursing professional has conducted analyses on their collected data, what can they conclude about their research and research question?

    The last and final phase of the research process involves drawing conclusions about research findings as well as tying them into meaningful solutions for clinical nursing practice. How might a nursing researcher or nursing professional relate their research findings to solutions for improved quality of care and patient safety? How might drawing certain conclusions from research findings impact your health care setting?

    This week, you will examine two content areas.

    Part I: Drawing Conclusions About Research Findings and Their Implications for Clinical Practice

    Part I focuses on the last phase of the research process, namely drawing conclusions about the findings and discussing their implications for clinical practice. You will examine how the findings contribute to clinical practice and how the findings might add to new knowledge and the existing literature on a topic. You will consider how the characteristics of well-written conclusions and implications, including consideration of the study’s limitations, recommendations for future research, and variation in the quality of presenting these areas in published research may impact nursing practice. NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research

    Part II: The Value of Research in Evidence-Based Practice and Translational Science

    Part II focuses on what has been explored about the value of quantitative and qualitative research in evidence-based practice and translational science in nursing.

    Learning Objectives

    Students will:

    Evaluate how evidence-based practice will improve patient quality and safety

    Evaluate the importance of the interpretation, conclusion, and clinical implications of clinical research articles in evidence-based practice

    Evaluate effectiveness of interventions on decreasing medication errors in health care settings

    Learning Resources

    Required Readings

    Gray, J. R, Grove, S. K., & Sutherland, S. (2017). The practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

    Chapter 26, “Interpreting Research Outcomes” (pp. 578–591)

    Becker, P. T. (2009). Thoughts on the end of the article: The implications for nursing practice.
    Research in Nursing & Health, 32
    (3), 241–242.

    Thoughts on the end of the article: The implications for nursing practice by Becker, P. T., in Research in Nursing & Health, 32(3), 241–242. Copyright by John Willey & Sons – Journals. Reprinted by permission of John Willey & Sons – Journals via the Copyright Clearance Center.

    Titler, M. G. (2008). Chapter 7. The evidence for evidence-based practice implementation. In R.G. Hughes (Ed.),
    Patient safety and quality: An evidence-based handbook for nurses
    (Vol. 1, 113–116). Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

    Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2008, April). Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses, Volume 1. Retrieved from http://archive.ahrq.gov/professionals/clinicians-providers/resources/nursing/resources/nurseshdbk/nurseshdbk.pdf

    Document:
    Writing Conclusions to Nursing Studies (PDF)

    Document:
    Research Methods and Findings of the 2014 Verweij Study (PDF)

    Writing Resources and Program Success Tools

    Document:
    Week 6 Paper Template (Word Document)

    Document:
    Academic Writing Expectations (AWE) Checklist (Word Document)

     

    This checklist will help you self-assess your writing to see if it meets academic writing standards for this course.

    Discussion: Use of Research in Clinical Practice

    Throughout this course, you have examined and considered how the research process contributes to the field of clinical nursing practice. More than just an exercise in developing a research question, searching the literature to guide future research, and performing actual data collection/data analysis, the conclusions you draw from your research findings are useful in helping to develop and enact effective clinical practice. In essence, the process of conducting research contributes to positive social change in that the solutions that you might propose as a nurse researcher and professional will likely impact quality of care and patient safety.

    For this Discussion, read the book chapter by Titler (2008) presented in this week’s resources that describes evidence-based practice and translational science, as well as the kind of research needed for both. Then, reflect on how the knowledge you gained about research will support your effort as a nursing professional to improve patient quality and safety.

    By Day 3

    Describe how you will use evidence-based practice to improve patient quality and safety in your health care setting. Be specific and provide examples. Then, explain how the knowledge gained about research in this course will support your role in practice as a nursing professional. Then, describe how you will use evidence-based practice to improve patient quality and safety. Be sure to include in your Discussion any unanswered questions that need to be considered by your classmates and/or Instructor.

    Note:
     
    Post
     a three paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 
    evidence
     from the readings and include 
    in-text citations
    . Utilize 
    essay-level
     writing practice and skills, including the use of 
    transitional material
     and 
    organizational frames
    . Use the writing resources to develop your post.

    Evidence

    In-text Citations

    Essay-Level

    Transitional Material

    Organizational Frames

    By Day 7

    Read two or more
     of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question.

    Respond
     to 
    two or more
     of your colleagues with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information.

    Post a Discussion entry on 
    3 different days of the week
    . See the Discussion Rubrics for more information.

    Submission and Grading Information

    Grading Criteria

    To access your Rubric:

    Week 6 Discussion Rubric

    Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 7

    To participate in this Discussion:

    Week 6 Discussion

    Assignment: Application: Drawing Conclusions About Research Findings and Their Implications for Clinical Practice

    As a current or future nursing researcher and professional, your ability to draw reasonable conclusions from research findings will determine the effectiveness of proposed solutions for clinical nursing practice. As you continue to develop your skill set to become a nursing leader, your exposure to a multitude of research designs, research findings, and evidence-based practice will likely inform how you will absorb this knowledge into meaningful clinical practice. Throughout this course and program, your exposure to different research questions, research study designs, and approaches to addressing serious issues in both nursing and health care confirms the ever-changing landscape in which you have elected to practice. While this is in its own right challenging, it also offers several opportunities to create new knowledge, improve upon current nursing practice, and exercise research skills

    for positive patient outcomes.

    For this Assignment, review the Research Methods and Findings of the Verweij study conducted in 2014 in this week’s resources. The primary purpose of this quantitative research study was to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention to decrease medication errors in a hospital. The citation and discussion/conclusion information is intentionally deleted so you can draw your own conclusions. NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research

    In a 2- to 3-page, double-spaced paper, describe three conclusions you have drawn from the findings in this study, taking into consideration the limitations of the study. Next describe three implications for clinical practice. Once you have submitted the assignment, you will be given the full article for review.

    Refer to the Academic Writing Expectations (AWE) Checklist document and use the Walden template from this week’s resources. No abstract or reference list is required for AWE 2000/3000.

    By Day 7

    Submit
     your Assignment.

    Submission and Grading Information

    To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

    Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK6Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.

    Click the 
    Week 6 Assignment Rubric 
    to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.

    Click the 
    Week 6 Assignment 
    link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.

    Next, from the Attach File area, click on the 
    Browse My Computer
     button. Find the document you saved as “WK6Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click 
    Open
    .

    If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for 
    I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database
    .

    Click on the 
    Submit
     button to complete your submission

    Grading Criteria

    To access your Rubric:

    Week 6 Assignment Rubric

    Check your Assignment draft for authenticity

    To check your assignment draft for authenticity

    Submit your Week 6 Assignment Draft, and review the “SafeAssign Originality Report”

    Submit Your Assignment by Day 7

    To submit your Assignment:

    Week 6 Assignment

    Week in Review

    Now you
    …..have evaluated how evidence-based practice is used to improve patient quality and safety in your health care setting, and identified ways research will support your role in practice as a nursing professional. You also used conclusions about research findings to identify the effectiveness of interventions intended to decrease medication errors in health care settings. 
    Next you will
    …. apply the concepts learned in this course to next courses and in the future. Best wishes in your endeavors. Congratulations! You have completed this course.

    Congratulations! After you have finished all of the assignments for this week, you have completed the course. Please submit your Course Evaluation by Day 7. NURS 3150 3151: Foundations of Nursing Research

  • Krista Hampton new rash Ihuman Case Study

    Krista Hampton new rash Ihuman Case Study

    Case Study: Krista Hampton V5.1 PC PL

    Chief complaint

    New rash

    STUDENT CASE PLAY INSTRUCTIONS

    **Please follow the assignment due dates listed in BlackBoard. The due dates listed in the i-Human program are NOT the due dates for the assignments. The dates listed in i-Human are for administrative purposes only. All i-Human cases completed after the due date listed in BlackBoard will be considered late.**

    Below is the breakdown of the grading rubric for this Basic DDx case. You will be allowed to push the Interview Progress Button and receive feedback on your history questions, 5 hints for the learning mode cases only.

    BUY A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

    Place your order now, we write everything from scratch

    Your history question limit for your patient is 100 questions, please use them wisely.

    a) HPI statement (15% of grade)

    b) History (10% of grade)

    c) Physical Exam (10% of grade)

    d) Diagnostic testing (10% of grade)

    c) Appropriate selection and ranking of differential diagnoses (20%)

    d) Plan covering all critical components of patient’s final diagnosis (30%)

    e) Clinical exercises (5%)

    The software platform is designed to help you become proficient in the diagnostic reasoning process (a the steps prior to the final diagnosis), so you can apply this process in the real clinic setting. Key to minimizing medical errors is the clinical consideration of a broad differential diagnosis list and the selection of tests to either “rule in” or “rule out” these diagnoses Krista Hampton new rash Ihuman Case Study.

     

    Detailed Instructions Below:

    NOTE from your INSTRUCTOR: You are required to complete the HPI portion of the EMR. This section can be found by clicking on the “Patient Record” tab on the left side of your case and is available to access until you complete the case and submit. Once your case assignment has been submitted you cannot go back and change any sections of your case assignment.

     

    Take the patient’s history. You are limited to a maximum of 100 history questions.

    ○ Assess all aspects of the patients HPI and pertinent related history.

    ○ Decide if this is a patient that can be treated as an outpatient, i.e., a focused case with fewer history questions needed versus a patient who might be hospitalized for treatment, i.e., comprehensive case where all components of a history should be investigated. Do you have a prior chart to review? Krista Hampton new rash Ihuman Case Study.

    ○ Document the chief complaint

    ○ Document any abnormal history or complaints on your Key Finding list

    ○ The Interview Progress Button can be used up to as designated above to give you feedback on how close you are to asking all the authors “required questions”.

    Proceed to perform a PHYSICAL EXAM.

    ○ Assess vital signs and perform the examination appropriate for the type of case identified by the above history. Remember the comprehensive cases require a comprehensive physical.

    Document abnormal history and physical findings on your Key Finding list.

    Write a concise HPI and include it in the correct place as part of the EMR.

    ○ Start with the demographic introduction of your patient and their chief complaint. Include data on all aspects of the History of Present Illness as well as pertinent medical history, current medications, and other history data that would help support your diagnosis.

    Complete your differential diagnosis list.

    ○ You may start your differential diagnosis during the history taking section, but after completing the problem statement, reflect and finalize your differential diagnosis list. Remember, this part of the case will be scored on how comprehensive this list is. You will not lose points for having too many, points are lost only if you have too few. The average list contains 5 diagnoses. Krista Hampton new rash Ihuman Case Study

    Order Tests

    ○ Order tests for your top 2 diagnoses only and link it to a diagnosis. Some tests are ordered to “rule in” a diagnosis while others are ordered to “rule out” a diagnosis.

    Review test results

    Select a final diagnosis

    Develop a treatment plan as described by your course director

    Submit your case and review your case play score

    DO NOT try to scam the system by just clicking on everything. The software tracks not only what is done, but also keeps track of the order of completion. Clicking on the first opening question and then just going down the list of questions in the history is viewed as “scamming” the system and can result in a score of ZERO—same principle applies to each section. The time for completion of the case, as well as time spent in each section of the case is also recorded. This data has been shown to correlate with case performance. Very short times have lower scores as do very long times. The former is most likely due to lack of effort while the latter may be because the user is receiving multiple interruptions. The low score then most likely reflects “lack of continuity” of thought. Try to set aside enough time to complete the case in its entirety in a single sitting Krista Hampton new rash Ihuman Case Study.

     

    **** HELPFUL HINTS ****

    The Avatars and cases in the IHP case library are based on “real patients”. If the Avatar provides confusing information, this is intentional as we often what we find real patients provide incongruent information. For example, the Avatar may use the term “rash” for skin lesions that are not by medical definition a rash—just like real patients. Avatars may refuse to answer questions, just like real patients. Phrasing of questions IS important. Asking a “similar” question that is less specific may not be scored correct if it does not provide the clarity of information needed to narrow the differential. All of these small nuances in the case design were intentional and replicate the challenges you will face with real patients in a clinical setting. My recommendation is to pretend this is a real clinical patient encounter and select a time so you can enjoy the process and not feel pressured for time. Remember, you are not scored on whether you get the correct diagnosis, but rather have you mastered the process. Mastery of the process will help you avoid making diagnostic errors throughout your clinical career. Krista Hampton new rash Ihuman Case Study.

  • Discussion: Conducting a Literature Review

    Discussion: Conducting a Literature Review

    Main Post Week 2

    Research is critical to the healthcare industry. The research conducted can lead to many operational and clinical changes that will improve company culture and patient outcomes. In a recent article, Ives-Erickson and Pappas (2020) state that nurses should be encouraged not just to ask questions but also to be driven to find solutions (p 243). Once a research topic is identified, knowing how to navigate resources using the appropriate search engines, databases effectively, and search terms to narrow down the search is essential. It is also necessary to include only those most recent studies from reputable sources as well. Discussion: Conducting a Literature Review.

    BUY A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

    Place your order now, we write everything from scratch

    My chosen health care topic was diabetic foot exams.  I have used the CINAHL PLUS database before and have gotten many good results, so I used this database. I am horrible at choosing search phrases. I entered the following parameters:

    diabetic foot exam

    AND nurse compliance

    The search yielded one 2019, irrelevant result. I removed nurse compliance, and the search yielded 21 options. I added a date range of 2019- 2020 and received two very relevant studies.

    I had time to play around a bit, so I tried a few other options. I entered:

    Foot exam

    AND diabetes

    AND foot ulcer

    Limited date range to 2016-2020

    Limited publication type to research

    This search yielded five relevant results, one of which was within the last year. Discussion: Conducting a Literature Review.

    The biggest challenge I had with this search at first was finding information that was published within the last five years. My lack of creativity when coming up with search phrases is something that I will have to overcome. I can do that through learning to think less concretely. If I need help in my work setting with a literature search, I will reach out to our newly hired Quality Assurance Officer. She loves to research and is an excellent resource for me.

     

    References

    Ives-Erickson, Jeanette, Pappas, Sharon. (2020). The Value of Nursing Research. Journal of

    Nursing Administration, 50, 243-244. 
    https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000876

     

     Discussion – Week 2

    COLLAPSE

    Research is of high importance to the nursing world today. Research gives us the key to various outcomes for patient care, and education to deliver a high quality of care as a whole. Nursing research is defined as the systematic, and objective process of analysis phenomena of nursing practice. Nursing research can be simple or complex studies that proliferate conclusions for the better of mankind. Walden University Library Resource Center is a great start to the research process.

    In week 1, the research topic I chose was medication error in a clinical setting. The first step in my initiation process of research was to go to the Walden University Library located on the home page. The databases I used as CINAHL, which is considered the best nursing database for nursing ( James and Presley, 2019). I then typed in my keyword as a medication error, which came up with thousands of articles on this topic. I then narrowed my search to medication error in a clinical setting from 2015-2020, which yielded 5,416 results on medication errors. Lastly, I narrowed my research year to only one year of publication which yielded 1,236 results. This did narrow my research on my research topic, but this was not enough. I needed to know medication errors in a clinic specifically. I then typed in clinics instead of the clinical setting to see if the search would narrow, but the resources increased in article research by at least 40 new articles. The challenges of my research topic were it is a broad topic that many researchers have researched to identify the problems of medication errors. How I overcame this obstacle was by narrowing my research topic and only utilizing research that was pertaining to my definite topic as a whole. Discussion: Conducting a Literature Review.

    Research is complex and requires knowledge of searching from various databases. If I need help at Walden University, I have the option to ask the librarian. This is a great tool for newcomers to the research process. This can be utilized by chatting, emailing, and calling the librarian for advice, and answers to your research questions.

    References

    James, J., & Presley, L. (2019, June). 
    Introduction to nursing research in the Walden Library
     [Webinar]. Walden Library. 
    https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/nurs3150/week2discussion

    iscussion – Week 2

    COLLAPSE

    The research question that I proposed last week was, Can using Barcode Medication Administration (BCMA) decrease medication errors in the Emergency Room (ER)?  I thought that there would be a lot of research on this topic because BCMA and medication errors are a patient safety issue. Upon watching the webinar on nursing research that was made by Julie James and Lisa Presley who are both Liaison Librarians to the College of Science I learned some new and helpful information on doing research. One way is to look up research by subject and type in Nursing, or once in the search engine making sure while refining your search you have checked the Boolean tab, this includes; AND, OR, NOT (James & Presley, 2019).

      While in the library I searched by subject, nursing, I used the CINAHL PLUS full text database to search BCMA OR Barcode Medication Administration + Emergency Room OR Emergency Department + Medication errors. I limited my search to the past five years and to my surprise there were only five in the five years and only one in the past year. An even bigger surprise was all the articles were written in other countries, none were written in the United States. The challenges that I encountered were there is not enough research in the past five years and there were no studies done here in the United States.I wondered how can this be? My thought is that we can learn a lot from other countries, and expand our knowledge on the subject by doing our own research. This is a great learning opportunity for us on a topic that has such an impact on patient safety.

    I know that if I needed extra help on the research I could always go to the library and ask Julie or Lisa since they are the liaisons librarians. I would also go as far as to seek help from a multidisciplinary team that would include my ER director, pharmacy, risk management, and IT. I think this team would be very vital in gathering data to see if using BCMA can decrease medication errors in our department. Discussion: Conducting a Literature Review.

     

    References

    James, J., & Presley, L. (2019, June). 
    Introduction to nursing research in the Walden Library
     [Webinar]. Walden Library. 
    https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/nurs3150/week2discussion

    Discussion: Conducting a Literature Review

    For this Discussion, view the webinar in this week’s resources by a Walden University librarian on strategies to conduct a successful literature search. The webinar provides information on available databases, the use of search engines, and the selection of search terms. Then, you will conduct a literature search on research conducted in the last 5 years on the patient safety problem you identified in Week 1.

    By Day 3

    Post
     the following:

    For the 
    literature search
    , describe the following in your post:

    The databases, search engines, and search terms you used in your literature search

    The number of research articles you found on your patient safety problem that were published in the last year

    The challenges you encountered locating research articles and how you overcame them

    Who you would go to for help in your work setting if you needed help with a literature search

    Note:
     
    Post
     a three paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use 
    evidence
    , 
    in-text citations
    , and 
    essay-level
     writing skills, including the use of 
    transitional material
     and 
    organizational frames
    . Use the writing resources to develop your post. Discussion: Conducting a Literature Review

    By Day 7

    Read two or more
     of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question.

    Respond
     to 
    two or more
     of your colleagues with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information.

    Post a Discussion entry on 
    3 different days of the week
    . See the Discussion Rubrics for more information.

     

    NURS_3150_Week_2_Discussion_Rubric

    Grid View

    List View

    Excellent

    Proficient

    Basic

    Needs Improvement

    ” Describes the number of research articles found on the patient safety problem published in the last year. Describes the data bases, search engines and search terms used in the literature search. Discusses the challenges encountered in locating research articles and how they were overcome. Discusses who might help with literature searches in the work setting if needed. (20 points) “

    18 
    (36%)
     – 20 
    (40%)

    Initial post contains well developed and insightful analysis that brings new insight into the discussion .

    16 
    (32%)
     – 17 
    (34%)

    Initial post contains reasonable analysis that brings insight into the discussion.

    Discussion: Conducting a Literature Review

    14 
    (28%)
     – 15 
    (30%)

    Initial post contains minimal analysis that brings limited insight into the discussion.

    0 
    (0%)
     – 13 
    (26%)

    Initial post lacks analysis and/or that brings little or no insight into the discussion.

    “Entered the discussion thread on 3 separate days. Wrote at least two posts to two separate peers. Responses are appropriate to the topic, substantive, and promoted discussion by one or more of the following: • contributing insight to move the discussion forward. • offering substantial and/or different points of view and asks questions to add to discussion • including extra references or websites for peers to consider • relating discussion to different areas of practice and applying concepts to practice **Additional points may be deducted for late posting per the University late policy.”

    14 
    (28%)
     – 15 
    (30%)

    Response posts add substantive ideas and perspectives that invite further analysis and discussion. Participated 3 or more days in the classroom and responded to more than 2 classmates.

    12 
    (24%)
     – 13 
    (26%)

    Response posts are proficient and provide adequate analysis and discussion. Participated 3 days in the classroom and responds to at least two classmates.

    11 
    (22%)
     – 11 
    (22%)

    Response posts are limited and provide minimal analysis and discussion. Participated less than 3 days in the classroom and/or responds to less than two classmates.

    0 
    (0%)
     – 10 
    (20%)

    Response posts are inadequate and provide no analysis of discussion and/ or there is no participation in the classroom.

    Uses evidence to support a claim and give credit to the source. Uses course learning resources and seeks additional scholarly resources to support ideas. Displays sentence, paragraph, and essay skills. Writes in a scholarly, well-organized manner using own words by synthesizing evidence/resources. Paraphrases to avoid plagiarism of the source. APA: No more than one short, unique quote with correct APA format. Appropriate use and format of in-text citations. Lists references.

    14 
    (28%)
     – 15 
    (30%)

    Writer demonstrates excellence in all sentence and paragraph level skills within discussion board posts to meet the 3000 Academic Writing Expectations for this level.

    12 
    (24%)
     – 13 
    (26%)

    Writer demonstrates proficiency of most sentence and paragraph level skills within discussion board posts to meet the 3000 Academic Writing Expectations for this level with only one format or writing issue needing to be addressed.

    11 
    (22%)
     – 11 
    (22%)

    Writer demonstrates minimal skill in meeting sentence level and/or paragraph level skills within discussion board posts to meet 3000 Academic Writing Expectations for this level with less than or equal to three format or writing issues needing to be addressed.

    Discussion: Conducting a Literature Review

    0 
    (0%)
     – 10 
    (20%)

    Writer demonstrates inadequate skill within discussion board posts to meet the sentence and/or and paragraph level skills in meeting the 3000 Academic Writing Expectations for this level with four or more format or writing issues needing to be addressed.

    Total Points: 50

    Name: NURS_3150_Week_2_Discussion_Rubric

    Discussion – Week 2

    COLLAPSE

    When I chose my research question last week, I did so because it is a situation that I felt I could make a process change in my practice and quickly impact the health and well-being of my patients. It is a problem I encounter daily. Discharge Med-to-Bed and ER re-visit/ readmission is something I felt sure many of my ER companions were dealing with. Lord, I did not realize what a trailblazer I was! After watching the process tutorial on the utilization of the library resources (James and Presley, 2019), I went to work.

    My first step in the Walden Library database under research by subject, Nursing was to search Emergency Room + meds to bed + readmission. I figured this would take me to subject content that addresses exactly what I want to know. It gave me zilch in bold red letters. I was crestfallen. I then decided maybe I better back up to step one and search for med to bed. Then I thought I hit the jackpot with 24 results, three of those published in the last year. Okay, now we’re in business. Let’s try med to bed and emergency room. This search gave me two results, one in the last year. I thought maybe “med to bed” is the problem and switched to discharge meds and emergency room. I found one article, published this year.

    The challenge I am facing with my research problem may be that there are not many articles that focus on facilities that use a med to bed program for discharge medications. For future research on this subject, I would reach out to Ms. Julie James or Ms. Lisa Presley, the Walden liaison librarians for Nursing, and inquire whether they have any pointers on rephrasing my search terms to yield more results. I would also reach out to my director and our quality director to see if any data is available from our EMR system or any reportable databases and to the pharmacy director to see if she has any contacts that utilize the med to bed process and reach out to them. If I am unable to gain any traction from these efforts, I may have to use only data obtained from our facility or assume my quest is ahead of its time and broaden my question to a less specific variable. Discussion: Conducting a Literature Review.

    References

    James, J., & Presley, L. (2019, June).
    Introduction to nursing research in the Walden library
    [Webinar]. Youtube.

  • NRS-440VN -O500 Trends and Issues in Today’s Healthcare

    NRS-440VN -O500 Trends and Issues in Today’s Healthcare

    Topic 1 DQ 1

    Discuss the events that have contributed (or will continue to contribute) to the nursing shortage, or that contribute to a shortage in a region or specialty. Discuss at least one way that the nursing profession is currently working toward a resolution of this problem. In replies to peers, offer different examples of how the nursing shortage has been addressed in your state, community, or specialty area.

    Topic 1 DQ 1

    The nursing shortage is current and will continue to increase in the near future. A major event contributing to the shortage is the aging baby boom generating aging and reaching retirement age (AACN, 2020). Additionally, the Institute of Medicine has forecasted that the future is calling for 80% of nurses to be prepared at the baccalaureate level, whereas the current population of nurses only holds a 64.2% baccalaureate or greater level of education (AACN, 2020). There are currently more qualified nursing school candidates than exists faculty members that are able to provide education in nursing programs currently, resulting in qualified candidates who seek to enter the nursing profession being turned away due to lack of sufficient educational resources and programs (AACN, 2020). With the aging baby boom generation causing a shift in demographics in the United States, the need for more nurses exists as a result of the increase in geriatric population (AACN, 2020). The shortage of nursing staff and projected future requirements of nursing staff contribute to increased nurse patient ratios which has been found to increase job dissatisfaction as well as drive nurses out of the profession (AACN, 2020). These factors together combine to a current and increasing nursing shortage. Anecdotally, I have found that nursing units in two hospitals that I have worked in often times require nurses to take one or two extra patients during a shift, above the unit’s recommended nurse patient ratios, in order to accommodate the unit’s patient needs. NRS-440VN -O500 Trends and Issues in Today’s Healthcare. This has personally led me and fellow staff members to remain extremely busy during work, cutting time spent with patients down to a minimum, and increases both patient and nursing staff dissatisfaction. This further causes issues for hospitals and inpatient units as many patients utilize Medicare and medicaid which are government subsidized and only provide hospitals reimbursement based on patient satisfaction scores on post hospital admission surveys.One way the nursing profession is working on a resolution by recruiting more males into the field. Males currently constitute approximately 9.6% of the nursing workforce and often face various forms of discrimination in the field (Kronsberg, Bouret, & Brett, 2018). By reducing gender discrimination and lateral violence towards males in the field, the nursing profession can begin to address the nursing shortage by allowing a large recruitment of male nurses into the nursing profession (Kronsberg, Bouret, & Brett, 2018). This is a massive means to combat the nursing shortage, as the nursing profession is heavily viewed as a culturally female profession which contributes to a smaller participation of eligible males joining the nursing profession.

    BUY A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

    Place your order now, we write everything from scratch

    American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) (2020). Nursing Shortage. Retrieved from https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/Nursing-Shortage

     

    Kronsberg, S., Bouret, J. R., & Brett, A. L. (2018). Lived experiences of male nurses: Dire consequences for the nursing profession. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 8(1), 46-53.

     

    Whitney, S. (2018). The future of nursing in an evolving health care system. Grand Canyon University (Ed). Trends in Heath Care: A Nursing Perspective. Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs440vn/trends-in-health-care-a-nursing-perspective/v1.1/#/chapter/1

     

     
     

    Topic 1 DQ 1

    Nursing is a trusted profession, known for health care professionals that are close to the patient, advocate for patient safety and care, but not a job for everyone. Nursing shortages are caused by an array of issues, to include a decrease in nursing school enrollments, the aging nurses for retirement, and most of all high nurse stress levels have led to overturn (Whitney, 2018). Currently, we are living through a pandemic which has not only led to increased nurse shortage due to a lack of sufficient nurses, but an increase in nurse retirements, and many leaving the profession due to stress. I currently live in El Paso, Texas which in recent weeks has had a surge of covid positive cases, lack of nurses and lack of hospital beds, all of which has led to high nurse shortage and stress. Currently, we are working towards improving these shortages as the Governor has brought in over 1000 medical personnel and travel nurses to aid in the nurse shortage. In addition, our hospital has increased our bonuses if we work additional days per week as incentive. Lastly, the city is attempting to implement direction and recommendations to stop the curve of cases. We are working towards better standards and safety for the nurses and patients.

     

    Whitney, S. (2018). The Future of Nursing in an Evolving Health Care System. In 
    Trends in Health Care: A Nursing Perspective
    , (chapter 1). Retrieved on November 5, 2020, from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs440vn/trends-in-health-care-a-nursing-perspective/v1.1/#/chapter/1 NRS-440VN -O500 Trends and Issues in Today’s Healthcare

     

    IOM Future of Nursing Report and Nursing

     

    Review the IOM report, “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health,” and explore the “Campaign for Action: State Action Coalition” website. In a 1,000-1,250 word paper, discuss the influence the IOM report and state-based action coalitions have had on nursing practice, nursing education, and nursing workforce development, and how they continue to advance the goals for the nursing profession.

    Include the following:

    Describe the work of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Committee Initiative that led to the IOM report, “Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.”

    Outline the four “Key Messages” that structure the IOM Report recommendations. Explain how these have transformed or influenced nursing practice, nursing education and training, nursing leadership, and nursing workforce development. Provide examples.

    Discuss the role of state-based action coalitions. Explain how these coalitions help advance the goals specified in the IOM report, “Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.”

    Research the initiatives on which your state’s action coalition is working. Summarize two initiatives spearheaded by 
    your
     state’s action coalition. Discuss the ways these initiatives advance the nursing profession.

    Describe barriers to advancement that currently exist in your state and explain how nursing advocates in your state overcome these barriers.

    You are required to cite to a minimum of three sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and relevant to nursing practice.

    Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

    This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

    You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the 
    LopesWrite Technical Support articles
     for assistance.

    Topic 2 DQ 1

    Explain how interprofessional collaboration will help reduce errors, provide higher-quality care, and increase safety. Provide an example of a current or emerging trend that will require more, or change the nature of, interprofessional collaboration.

    Topic 2 DQ 1

    Interprofessional collaboration is a critical aspect of providing safe, efficient, and improved care. Some areas that nurses collaborate with are physicians, colleagues, techs, leaders, administrators, and community liaisons. Nurses that practice interprofessional collaboration in their day-to-day functions influence patient care, outcomes, and savings across the health care platform. To promote future practice and growth, nursing educators can adopt nursing program curriculums that includes collaborative environment demands so nursing students understand the importance and how to develop and practice an interprofessional collaboration (Prentice et al., 2015). Clarifying role responsibility provides opportunity for decreased errors and allows overlap of skills when in the best interest of a patient. All team members should be prepared to contribute and focus as a team to provide the highest quality of care, reduce gaps in care and transitions in care. Sometimes doing what is in the best interests of the patient most efficiently will require team members to step outside their traditional professional role (Bosch & Mansell, 2015). Nurses that work in interprofessional teams can offer additional opportunities and to lead and influence outcomes, savings, and process improvement.

    Bosch, B., & Mansell, H. (2015). Interprofessional collaboration in health care: Lessons to be learned from competitive sports. 
    Canadian pharmacists journal : CPJ = Revue des pharmaciens du Canada : RPC
    , 
    148
    (4), 176–179. https://doi.org/10.1177/1715163515588106

    Prentice, D., Engel, J., Taplay, K., & Stobbe, K. (2015). Interprofessional Collaboration: The Experience of Nursing and Medical Students’ Interprofessional Education. 
    Global qualitative nursing research
    , 
    2
    , 2333393614560566. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333393614560566

    Topic 2 DQ 1

    Interprofessional collaboration leads to higher quality of care, fewer errors and greater safety in many ways, and for varying reasons (Grand Canyon University [GCU], 2018). When different members of the healthcare team collaborate, more communication takes place, which is especially important with complex patient cases (Didier et al, 2020). The coordination of care is more seamless when applicable disciplines meet at the table, and when the patient is involved. Patients want to know about the plan of care and the path on which they must travel. Interprofessional collaboration, when carried out well, is evident to the patient. This gives the patient more confidence in their healthcare team, which leads to better outcomes and fewer errors (Reeves et al, 2017).

    The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) has opened the gate for better interprofessional collaboration by creating Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). An ACO is a group of healthcare providers, facilities, clinics, and healthcare service providers who come together to provide a coordinated approach for patient care (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid [CMS], 2020). In return, CMS offers savings and financial incentives for multidisciplinary care coordination across the continuum. An example is a hospital discharge summary note being electronically sent to a patient’s primary care physician (PCP) when time to leave the facility. The PCP’s office will know to reach out to the patient if the patient does not show up for a follow-up visit after a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, for example. The PCP also has a complete, accurate list of medications that the patient is on, which improves the safety of care and reduces medication errors.

    Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). (2020). Accountable care organizations (ACOs). Retrieved from 
    https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/ACO

    Didier, A., Dzemaili, S., Perrenoud, B., Campbell, J., Gachoud, D., Serex, M., Staffoni-Donadini, L., Franco, L., Benaroyo, L., Maya, Z. (2020). Patients’ perspectives on interprofessional collaboration between health care professionals during hospitalization: a qualitative systematic review, 
    JBI Evidence Synthesis, 
    June 2020; 18(6): 1208-1270. 
    https://doi.org/10.11124/JBISRIR-D-19-00121

    Grand Canyon University (Ed). (2018). 
    Trends in health care: A nursing perspective.
     Retrieved from 
    https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs440vn/trends-in-health-care-a-nursing-perspective/v1.2/

    Reeves, S., Pelone, F., Harrison, R., Goldman, J., & Zwarenstein, M. (2017). Interprofessional collaboration to improve professional practice and healthcare outcomes. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 6(6), CD000072. 
    https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000072.pub3

     

    Professional Development in Nursing

    Reflection Paper

     

    The IOM published report, “Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health,” makes recommendations for lifelong learning and achieving higher levels of education.

    In 1,000-1,250 words, examine the importance of nursing education and discuss your overall educational goals.

    Include the following:

    Discuss your options in the job market based on your educational level.

    Review the IOM Future of Nursing Recommendations for achieving higher levels of education. Describe what professional certification and advanced degrees (MSN, DNP, etc.) you want to pursue and explain your reasons for wanting to attain the education. Discuss your timeline for accomplishing these goals.

    Discuss how increasing your level of education would affect how your competitiveness in the current job market and your role in the future of nursing. NRS-440VN -O500 Trends and Issues in Today’s Healthcare

    Discuss the relationship of continuing nursing education to competency, attitudes, knowledge, and the ANA Scope and Standards for Practice and Code of Ethics.

    Discuss whether continuing nursing education should be mandatory. Provide support for your response.

    You are required to cite to a minimum of three sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and relevant to nursing practice.

    Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

    This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

    You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the 
    LopesWrite Technical Support articles
     for assistance.

    Topic 3 DQ 1

     

    Discuss the correlation between nursing education and positive patient outcomes. Include current research that links patient safety outcomes to advanced degrees in nursing. Based on some real-life experiences, explain whether you agree or disagree with this research.

     Topic 3 DQ 1

    Nurses who graduate from a BSN program receive a comprehensive education. They are prepared to apply essential competencies such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and attention to detail for a broader scope of practice. In addition, they learn clinical, leadership, and case management skills. Nurses who have the expertise and preparation that enables them to provide optimal patient care leading to fewer clinical errors and fatalities (UWF,2018).Research has linked registered nurses with higher education to having fewer medication errors, positive patient outcomes, and lower patient mortality rates. In an article published in the March 2013 issue of Health Affairs, nurse researcher Ann Kutney-Lee and colleagues found that a 10-point increase in the percentage of nurses holding a BSN within a hospital was associated with an average reduction of 2.12 deaths for every 1,000 patients and for a subset of patients with complications, an average reduction of 7.47 deaths per 1,000 patients. In the February 2013 issue of the Journal of Nursing Administration, Mary Blegen and colleagues published findings from a cross-sectional study of 21 University Health system Consortium hospitals which found that hospitals with a higher percentage of RNs with baccalaureate or higher degrees had lower congestive heart failure mortality, decubitus ulcers, failure to rescue, and postoperative deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism and shorter length of stay (Registerednursing.org,2020). NRS-440VN -O500 Trends and Issues in Today’s Healthcare. Reference:UWF(2018)
    Patient Outcomes Improve with BSN Nurses
    . Retrieved from: 
    https://getonline.uwf.edu/articles/nursing/patient-outcomes-improves-bsn.aspx

    Registerednursing.org(2020) 
    Do BSN Educated Nurses Provide Better Patient Care
    ? Retrieved from: 
    https://www.registerednursing.org/answers/do-bsn-educated-nurses-provide-better-patient-care/

     

    What is the difference?

    “You only know what you know”! No matter what position you fill or hold as an ADN vs. BSN, there is a ceiling. The following article provides an excellent rationale.

    As patients, we all want the best possible outcomes for our health. If one thing could significantly improve the quality and safety of care, we would want to be sure we had access to it. This is what the push to hire more BSN nurses is all about.

    Hospitals are hiring more BSN nurses based on research that links higher levels of nurse education to better patient outcomes. With the increasing demand for BSN-prepared nurses, now is the time for RNs with an associate degree or diploma to take the next step in their education. NRS-440VN -O500 Trends and Issues in Today’s Healthcare.

    Why the Push for BSN-Prepared Nurses?

    Aspiring RNs have more than one way to go after their career goals. If both BSN and associate-degree graduates take the same licensure exam, does the degree really make a difference? Studies show that it does. As a result, a growing number of hospitals now prefer or require their nurses to have a BSN.

    Change is happening at the state level as well. New York State signed the “BSN in 10” law into effect in 2017. RNs graduating from an associate degree or diploma program in the state must earn their BSN within 10 years of initial licensure. More states are moving toward similar legislation.

    Dr. Linda Aiken, Ph.D., RN, FAAN has spent plenty of time researching the link between nurse education and patient outcomes. A 2003 study found that a 10% increase in the proportion of nurses with BSNs decreased the risk of patient death and failure to rescue by 5%.

    In a fact sheet on the impact of nursing education, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) sums up similar findings from studies that link nurses with a bachelor’s degree to better patient outcomes:

    Increasing the proportion of BSN-prepared nurses on hospital units by 10% was linked to a nearly 11% reduction in the risk of patient mortality.

    For patients with complications, a 10-point increase in the percentage of RNs with BSNs was associated with 7.47 fewer deaths per 1,000 patients. NRS-440VN -O500 Trends and Issues in Today’s Healthcare.

    Hospitals with a greater percentage of nurses with BSNs or higher had lower rates of congestive heart failure mortality, decubitus ulcers, failure to rescue, and postoperative deep vein thrombosis. They also had shorter stays.

    Increasing care provided by BSNs to 80% significantly lowered readmission rates and reduced the length of stay, which in turn resulted in cost savings.

    How Can a BSN Education Prepare Nurses Make a Difference?

    All new nurses take the NCLEX-RN licensing examination. As the AACN points out, this multiple-choice test measures the minimum technical competency for entry into the nursing profession. What the exam does not show are the differences in preparation between the types of entry-level nursing programs.

    Associate nursing programs tend to focus on clinical skills. But a BSN education places an emphasis on topics such as evidence-based practice and nursing leadership and management.

    One way to assess the benefits of a BSN is to ask nurses directly about their educational preparedness. Dr. Maja Djukic and her colleagues did just that to identify quality and safety educational gaps between ADN and BSN graduates.

    The study looked at 16 quality and safety topics with two cohorts of new nurses (2007–2008 and 2014–2015). In each cohort, BSN graduates reported being significantly better prepared than their associate degree counterparts. Findings include:

    In the 2007–2008 cohort, BSN graduates reported being significantly better prepared than ADN grads in five of 16 topics.

    In the 2014–2015 cohort, the number of educational gaps more than doubled, with BSN grads significantly better prepared than ADNs in 12 of 16 topics.

    Topics that BSNs reported significantly better levels of preparedness include:

    Evidence-based practice (EBP) NRS-440VN -O500 Trends and Issues in Today’s Healthcare.

    Data analysis

    Use of quality improvement (QI)

    EBP and QI, the authors note, are particularly important when it comes to reducing health disparities in certain groups, such as rural populations.

    An earlier study showed similar differences in BSN and ADN programs. Led by nursing professor Sharon Kumm, MN, RN, CNE, this study found that only 42 of 109 BSN outcomes were met in ADN programs. Evidence-based practice was among the 67 outcomes not met in ADN programs.

    As the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, nurses have an unmatched opportunity to play a powerful role in reforming healthcare. To keep up with changing healthcare systems and more complex patient needs, RNs need to achieve higher levels of education. As the research shows, BSN-prepared nurses benefit patients, hospitals, and their profession.

    References

    Retrieved from: What Is The Link Between BSN Nurses And Patient Outcomes? 
    January 10, 2020

    https://nursingonline.nsuok.edu/articles/rnbsn/link-between-bsn-nurses-patient-outcomes.aspx

    Topic 3 DQ 2

     

    Discuss the difference between a DNP and a PhD in nursing. Discuss which of these you would choose to pursue if you decide to continue your education to the doctoral level and explain why. NRS-440VN -O500 Trends and Issues in Today’s Healthcare

  • NURS 3150 3151 week 1 Discussion: Choosing the Type of Research for a Research Problem

    NURS 3150 3151 week 1 Discussion: Choosing the Type of Research for a Research Problem

    Main Post Week 1

    The Problem

    The facility at which I am employed is located on a Native American Reservation in North Central Montana. There is a high rate of enrolled members who are diagnosed with diabetes, many of which are further classified as uncontrolled and have multiple complications. I work in the Diabetes Management Department as the Diabetes Educator, Diabetes Nurse, and the Diabetic Foot Care Specialist. The patient safety problem that I have identified involves an increase in the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes who were presenting to the clinic with different types of chief complaints related to their feet. Some of those diagnoses included in-growing toenails, onychomycosis, macerations, ulcerations, fissures, corns, and callosities. Many of those patients also had musculoskeletal diagnoses such as hammertoe, claw toe, early-stage Charcot Foot, prominent metatarsal heads, and Taylor’s bunions. NURS 3150 3151 week 1 Discussion: Choosing the Type of Research for a Research Problem.

    BUY A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

    Place your order now, we write everything from scratch

    The Research and The Potential Cause

    Indian Health Services (IHS) (2020) state as many as 10 – 20% of native American patients diagnosed with diabetes who attend a scheduled diabetes exam will have an acute problem related to foot care such as infection, toenail overgrowth, and callosities that needs immediate treatment. The authors continue to state that it is essential to inspect the feet of the diabetic patient at each exam visit because there may also be other factors that increase the risk of injuries such as peripheral arterial disease and sensory neuropathy (IHS, 2020).

    Using the Electronic Health Record system, a report was generated to determine which patients diagnosed with any form of diabetes were due for an annual foot exam (had not had a documented foot exam in the past eleven months) and which of those patients also had a full diabetes examination scheduled. In 2018, 35% of the diabetic population of the reservation had a complex foot examination completed. In 2019, only 19% of the diabetic population had a diabetic foot exam documented. After careful review and comparison, it was noted that the patients who attended the scheduled full diabetes examinations were not always receiving the annual foot examination from the nurses or the providers. The nurses should have been removing the shoes of those patients with diabetes and performing a foot exam with 10-g monofilament plus one other sensory test, such as vibratory perception with a tuning fork. This exam was not being completed and was leading to poor outcomes.

    More Research

    Realizing that this facility cannot be the first facility to experience this challenge, further research was conducted to determine what evidence-based practice guidelines might have been established recently through studies that proved effective in increasing the number of diabetic foot exams. Vanderbilt University Medical Center conducted a study to improve foot exam completions by implementing posters for rooms and developing a template for charting that proved successful (Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality, 2014). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2017) reports that in 2016 over 82% of adults who are also diagnosed with diabetes in Montana have had an annual foot exam completed.

    Change in Practice

    The importance of annual foot exams for patients diagnosed with diabetes and the gathered data was shared with the appropriate leaders at the facility. After two weeks of collaboration, a few steps were implemented to help ensure the patients were educated, the nurses were trained and supported, and the patient outcomes were improved. Some of the critical elements of change included the following: NURS 3150 3151 week 1 Discussion: Choosing the Type of Research for a Research Problem

    A Diabetic Foot Exam Template was developed to help facilitate accurate and efficient documenting

    Each of the nurses in the clinic participated in education related to foot exams and are provided additional education quarterly to help them learn about what may be abnormal and interventions to take.

    Each exam room is stocked with 10-g monofilament (sensory testing) and a tuning fork (for vibratory perception testing)

    Each exam room and every nursing station has a graphic hanging that shows how to perform the sensory testing.

    Each of the 22 exam rooms has a sign hung that states, “Do You Have Diabetes? We would LOVE to see your feet” Please make sure your nurse takes off your shoes!”

    The Foot Care Nurse reviews upcoming appointments and orchestrates daily huddles with providers and nurses

    Impact on Patient Outcomes

    To date, the changes implemented have been positive, not only for the patient outcomes but also for nurse-provider communications. At this point, I have not run updated reports to get exact numbers but have noticed differences in patient care as well as responses from patients during patient interactions. The impacts on patients and processes are as follows:

    Fewer patients are presenting to Urgent Care for chief complaint related to their feet, i.e., “sore on the toe,” “infected in-grown.”

    Increased number of patients scheduling appointments for routine foot care

    Increased number of patients receiving Annual foot exam from nurse or provider during an office visit.

    Nurses and providers are calling Foot Care Nurse more often with questions, for specific patient education, to schedule appointments for patients while they are with the patient.

    The Research Question and Why

    How often do nurses perform foot exams on patients diagnosed with diabetes at Rocky Boy Health Center?

    To answer this question and to increase the number of foot exams performed, a quantitative methodology will be used. There is a distinct correlation in the variables; the nurse and the patient diagnosed with diabetes and foot exams. The information is easily gathered from the facility’s database. The data has been collected and compared to state and national indicators. Research has been conducted and evidence-based guidelines reviewed concerning improving nurse compliance with conducting foot exams. New processes have been established at the facility, and patient outcomes are improving. Continued monitoring and measuring are needed before I can say with certainty that these new implementations have been a real success.

     

    References

    Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality (2014). Toolkit for implementing the chronic care

    model in an academic environment: Diabetes foot exam. Retrieved July 13, 2020 from

  • DNP vs PhD in nursing

    DNP vs PhD in nursing

    Topic 3 DQ 2

    NRS-440VN Trends and Issues in Today’s Healthcare

    Discuss the difference between a DNP and a PhD in nursing. Discuss which of these you would choose to pursue if you decide to continue your education to the doctoral level and explain why.

    Topic 3 DQ 2

    According to Gaines,DNP graduates are leaders in advanced nursing practice that bring evidence-based knowledge into the clinical setting to help improve healthcare outcomes and strengthen the leadership role of nurses in both the clinical and academic setting. An individual with a DNP can function in a provider capacity but most also work to generate new scientific and clinical knowledge in nursing and healthcare. A nurse practitioner with a doctorate does not change the scope of practice. (Gaines, 2019).

    On the other hand, The scope of practice for a nurse with a Ph.D. is tricky. Individuals can work as a bedside nurse, but unless they are a CRNP, they do not have any advanced responsibilities or roles beyond a normal bedside nurse. Nurses who earn a PhD typically fall into two employment categories: nurse researcher and nurse educator. (Gaines, 2019).

    BUY A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

    Place your order now, we write everything from scratch

    If I were to make a choice. I would most likely choose DNPas opposed to Ph.D. simply because they work closely withpatients and I’ve always liked meeting new people and gettingto know to a more personal level. Although research study isinteresting,I find working at bedside and being able to helppatients more than I normally do as a nurse makes myreasoning why I wanted to become a nurse to begin with–fulfilling.

    Gaines, K. (2019). Dnp vs ph.d. – in nursing- what is the difference? Nurse.org. Retrieved from https://nurse.org/education/dnp-or-phd-in-nursing-difference/ DNP vs PhD in nursing

    Topic 3 DQ 2

    Since the rise in patient population resulting from the Affordable Care Act, nurse scientists are entering the field of research at an earlier period in their career than before. Both DNP and PhD nurses participate in the forefront of cutting edge research. A simple overview of the difference is the two is that a DNP is more practice based and PhD is more suited toward nursing research. My personal interests are more in the area of nursing practice. I enjoy working with patients and family members in a more holistic manner. A PhD would give me the ability to take a more behind the scenes look at the statistics behind everything but I don’t think I would enjoy it is much because I like the interactions with other caregivers and people. “Overall, the number of schools with a DNP program has grown tenfold in the past seven years. The AACN Annual Survey of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs revealed that, of 400 schools offering some level of APRN education in 2013, 98 (25 percent) had active BSN-to-DNP programs and 229 (57 percent) had MSN-to-DNP programs.”

     

    Auerbach, D. I., Martsolf, G. R., Pearson, M. L., Taylor, E. A., Zaydman, M., Muchow, A. N., Spetz, J., & Lee, Y. (2015). The DNP by 2015: A Study of the Institutional, Political, and Professional Issues that Facilitate or Impede Establishing a Post-Baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. Rand health quarterly, 5(1), 3.

     Topic 3 DQ 2

    Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) curriculum leans more toward improving health care through transformational leadership, evidence-based practice, quantitative methods, and data-driven quality improvement (Duke University School of Nursing, 2020). It does not include student stipends, nor does it require a dissertation. A student can attend on a part-time basis, unlike a PhD in Nursing, which requires full-time status. PhD curriculum is focused on preparing the student for research and includes, philosophy, science, statistics, analysis of data and qualitative research. Tuition is usually paid for by the university and PhD students are paid a stipend.

    I would have to choose the DNP path because I could attend part time, and many universities offer online programs that are designed for working nurses. Having had a 36 year career already, I would love to be instrumental in helping to transform healthcare. I believe we need stronger leaders in nursing to advocate for the profession, and to be a part of decision-making.

    Duke University School of Nursing. (2020). DNP-PhD comparison. Retrieved from 
    https://nursing.duke.edu/academic-programs/dnp-program-nursing/dnp-phd-comparison

     

    Topic 3 DQ 2

    Both DNP and Ph.D. in nursing are essential in pursuing a doctorate in nursing. The most significant difference between the two is that DNP is practice-focused, and a Ph.D. is a research-focused program. The DNP, also known as the Doctor of Nursing Practice, is a degree that focuses on clinical practice at the highest level of a nursing license. Nurses who go for DNP degree programs want to practice nursing. The DNP programs equip them with scientific, evidence-based research and translate it into patient care to improve healthcare outcomes (Canady, 2020). Additionally, DNP programs frequently require the accomplishment of clinical hours because of the clinical practice element. Lastly, a DNP graduate will be self-assured of leading an interdisciplinary care team and estimate the outcome among a specific patient population.

    On the other hand, a Ph.D., also known as a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing, focuses on research and students’ research to advance nursing practice and science. At one time, Ph.D. was seen as the only doctorate option. The Doctor of Nursing Science (DNS) has similar traits to that of a Ph.D. Students who enroll in Ph.D. focuses on learning theories and policies of research so they may pinpoint the information that is appropriate to patient care (Neal-Boylan, 2020). Ph.D. students have a broader understanding of nursing practice that will aid them in providing good research. A Ph.D. program runs for a minimum of three years for full-time students. The type of nursing that I am more interested in is having more contact with the patient and their families. With a better understanding between Ph.D. and DNP, I will go for DNP. I feel that my strongest desire lies in the DNP since it is more practical. DNP vs PhD in nursing

    Reference

    Canady, K. (2020). Practical and philosophical considerations in choosing the DNP or PhD in nursing. 
    Journal of Professional Nursing
    .

    Neal-Boylan, L. (2020). PhD or DNP? That Is the Question. 
    The Journal for Nurse Practitioners
    , 
    16
    (2), A5-A6.

     

     

     Topic 3 DQ 2

    The DNP is an advanced nursing practice degree, often with a focus on clinical practice, and the PH.D. in nursing is a research and academic degree. The Doctor of Nursing Practice is a doctoral degree that is pursued by an experienced nurse practitioner who wants to advance in their clinical practice and sometimes move into a leadership position. Experience however is no longer a prerequisite however, as many nurse practitioner programs are integrating the DNP into their curriculum making them RN-DNP programs. Also, most nurse practitioner programs are requiring faculty to have an advanced degree (DNP or PH.D.) to teach. Again, the DNP focuses a lot on nursing practice. Curriculums are built on creating nursing leaders who have the skills and tools needed to take evidence they obtain through research and implement it in clinical practice to ultimately improve patient outcomes. It focuses also on advancing the understanding of the nursing practice. DNP vs PhD in nursing Ultimately these skills will allow DNP-prepared nurses to lead interdisciplinary teams, improve patient care, and evaluate outcomes to hopefully eventually change healthcare standards. Because of the clinical practice component, DNP programs often require the completion of clinical hours. This is usually not required in a PH.D. program(Moskowitz.K,2019)

    The focus of most Ph.D. in nursing programs is on research. The purpose of this program is to prepare nursing scientists to develop new nursing knowledge to advance the actual science of how we do our jobs. Graduates often lead research teams and are often involved in clinical trials. PH.D. graduates are also often found in academic settings. Not only do they teach, but they also often help to design, develop, and research educational programs. Because of this, many Ph. D. programs often require a mentored teaching experience (Moskowitz. K,2019).

    For those who want to continue to work as a clinician, possibly in a leadership role, the DNP may be a better choice. For those who want to work in research, education, and academia primarily, a Ph.D. may be the better choice. Personally, if I decide to continue my education to the doctoral level, I will pursue DNP because I would continue to work as a clinician rather than to work in research or education. DNP vs PhD in nursing

    Reference:

    Moskowitz. K(2019) 
    The Difference Between a DNP and a Ph.D. in Nursing?
     Retrieved from: 
    https://www.nursingce.com/blog/the-difference-between-a-dnp-and-a-phd-in-nursing/

     

     Topic 3 DQ 2

    While researching the differences between DNP and PhD in nursing, most agree that they are both terminal degrees qualifying an individual expertise in the field of nursing, however the DNP is viewed as a clinical approach while the PhD is a research-based approach. These degrees are chosen based on the career goals of the nurse pursuing them. For example, individuals aiming to obtain positions in leadership or nursing education would be more appropriate to follow the PhD path. Finishing a BSN degree has always been the first step for me as a nursing professional, and I have always known I would take it further beyond this. Deciding where I see myself in the future is the most challenging part of deciding which path is right for me, though. My nursing career stemmed from a passion for birth work, and midwifery, so nurse-midwife always seemed like the end goal that was meant for me. As I have recently taken on a position in a busy women’s hospital on the labor floor, I am still unsure if this is still the right path for me. In the event that I do pursue midwifery, then the DNP route will be most appropriate for me after I’ve obtained my MSN. “MSN-prepared nurses practicing in an advanced role (i.e., nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, CRNA) who wish to expand their knowledge base and achieve a terminal degree to enhance their practice would benefit from choosing the DNP path” (Registerednursing.org, 2020).References:Registerednursing.org . (2020). What’s the Difference Between a PhD and DNP in Nursing? DNP vs PhD in nursingRetrieved from https://www.registerednursing.org/answers/difference-phd-dnp-nursing/

     

     Topic 3 DQ 2

    A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) an advanced degree in nursing, focuses on implementing research and advancement of nursing practice through application of new principles/theories in nursing practice. This prepare the nurse to be expert clinicians that apply advanced theories to nursing care that will improve patient outcomes, (Thomas, 2018). The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in nursing focuses on the discovery of new practices in nursing through testing of new researched principles and theories to advance/impact nursing as a profession, Thomas, (2018). The need for  advanced nursing education and by extension, advanced knowledge, contributed to availability of faculty at the university level to teach nursing courses. The 2010 report of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended the need for these advanced levels in nursing education, Whitney, (2018) to move nursing forward as a profession and impacting healthcare reform.

    In my future studies at this point in my thought process I would be interested in a DNP program that would improve my functioning as a clinician and still would enable be to precept confidently, new nurses that would assist with current evidenced-based practices being administered to patients impacting patient outcomes and healthcare by extension.

    References

    Thomas, J. (2018). Professional Development in Nursing. In 
    Trends in Health Care: A Nursing Perspective
     [1] (1st ed.). Retrieved from 
    https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs440vn/trends-in-health-care-a-nursing-perspective/v1.1/#/chapter/3

    Whitney, S. (2018). The Future of Nursing in an Evolving Health Care System. In 
    Trends in Health Care: A Nursing Perspective
     [1] (1st ed.). Retrieved from 
    https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs440vn/trends-in-health-care-a-nursing-perspective/v1.1/#/chapter/1 
    DNP vs PhD in nursing

  • NURS 3100 Discussion: The Essence of Nursing

    NURS 3100 Discussion: The Essence of Nursing

    Discussion – Week 4

    Option 1

    According to Ma, Shang, & Bott (2015), it is critical that contemporary nurses have strong leadership and collaboration skills to improve health care. Reflect on the expertise that you expect to acquire with your education at Walden.  Envision yourself taking the lead to improve patient care in your practice setting. Describe the knowledge and skills needed to achieve your professional goals.

    BUY A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

    Place your order now, we write everything from scratch

    In today’s world of healthcare, it is imperative that providers and nurses demonstrate high levels of communication among them.  In the study by Ma, Shang, and Bott, nurses were administered two scales, both adapted from the Index of Work Satisfaction, which measures nurses’ attitudes toward distinct aspects of their jobs (Ma, et al, 2015).  Nurses noted higher levels of job satisfaction, less intent to leave, and better quality of heath care on units with better teamwork and communication.

    I wholeheartedly agree with the results of this study.  As I work in the emergency department, I find that communication between providers and nurses is key to providing the best quality of healthcare for our patients.   It helps to ensure that everyone on the treatment team is on the same page with the patient’s plan of care and lessens the chance of miscommunication and/or mistakes being made. NURS 3100 Discussion: The Essence of Nursing.  When the patient sees that his/her provider communicates with his/her nurse, it reinforces the confidence the patient has in the treatment team.

    I expect to use my 15 years working in clinical psychology and my 13 years as a nurse when I finish my program and become a psychiatric nurse practitioner.  I certainly realize that the nurse is the one to spend the most time with the patient and, therefore, is often the one who has earned the patient’s trust.  Currently, my providers depend on me to gather very personal information about our psychiatric patients and make suggestions about the level of care needed.  I plan to use my experience as a nurse when I become a psychiatric nurse practitioner as I will remember to keep the lines of communication open and two-way. NURS 3100 Discussion: The Essence of Nursing. I think having been a nurse communicating with providers will only help to strengthen my own communication skills when I myself become a provider.

    References:

    Ma, C. , Shang, J. & Bott, M. J. (2015). Linking Unit Collaboration and Nursing Leadership to Nurse Outcomes and Quality of Care. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 45(9), 435–442. doi: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000000229.

    Discussion: The Essence of Nursing

    Jean Watson states that “caring is the essence of nursing.” Compassion, wisdom, loving kindness, caring, and 
    knowledge
    , all concepts of Watson’s Caring Theory, are what nurses are all about. Watson’s Caring Theory incorporates arts and humanities as well as science.

    Delivering the kind of care Watson describes hinges on nurses practicing to the fullest extent of their education and training and on their 
    taking the lead to improve health care safety and quality and patient outcomes
    (2010). Think about how you incorporate science into your everyday practice. Right now, for example, you may use your understanding of pharmacotherapy when safely administering medications. In the future, do you see yourself applying your research expertise by collecting or using clinical data to improve patient outcomes at your place of work or in the larger community? NURS 3100 Discussion: The Essence of Nursing.

    To prepare

    Review the following resources from this week’s Learning Resources:

    Week 4 Discussion Rubric, provided in the Course Information area or accessible through the link below

    This week’s Writing Resources and Program Success Tools

    This week’s articles and media

    By Day 3

    Post
     a 3-paragraph response (of at least 350 words) to 
    one
     of the following options. Be sure to use 
    evidence
     from the readings and include 
    in-text citations
    . Utilize 
    essay-level
     writing practice and skills, including the use of 
    transitional material
     and 
    organizational frames
    . Use the writing resources and the Week 4 Discussion Rubric to develop your post.

    Reflect on your readings from this week, and then address one of the following options:

    Option 1

    According to Ma, Shang, & Bott (2015), it is critical that contemporary nurses have strong leadership and collaboration skills to improve health care. Reflect on the expertise that you expect to acquire with your education at Walden. Envision yourself taking the lead to improve patient care in your practice setting. Describe the 
    knowledge and skills
     needed to achieve your professional goals.

    OR

    Option 2

    Use the website, 
    http://www.qualityindicators.ahrq.gov/
     , found in the Learning Resources to do the following:

    Provide a brief definition of 
    quality indicators
    .

    Choose a particular indicator that either is being addressed or you would like to see addressed at your place of employment (or previous place of employment), and explain your reasons. Describe both the issue and your involvement in it. Alternatively, discuss your leadership’s role and your role in utilizing the indicator to improve health care. NURS 3100 Discussion: The Essence of Nursing.

    By Day 7

    Read two or more
     of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question.

    Respond
     with a comment that asks for clarification, provides support for, or contributes additional information to 
    two or more
     of your colleagues.

    Return to this Discussion
     in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your classmates made.

    Post a discussion entry on 
    3 different days of the week
    .

    Discussion – Week 4

    Quality indicators are evidence-based measures used within the inpatient hospital setting. Hospitals used quality indicators to track patient outcomes and unit performance. Quality indicators can also highlight areas that may need improvement (“Agency for Healthcare,” n.d.).

               A patient safety indicator that is currently being addressed and will continue to be discussed in the hospital setting are pressure ulcer rates (“Agency for Healthcare,” n.d.). Pressure ulcer injuries can happen to patients of all ages. Too often, we see patients who have either had a stroke or became paralyzed to the point that it limits the individual’s mobility. These patients cannot redistribute their weight correctly, which can ultimately lead to a pressure injury and many other complications later on. Pressure injuries can lead to unforeseen costs in inpatient care, as well. As nurses, our job is to prevent our patients from harm and oversee all aspects of their care. Although repositioning a patient may seem simple and easily delegated, it is still the nurse’s job to make sure it is done. For me, it is crucial to help my patients progress and prevent any complication in their care that may set them back. Unless I am busy with other tasks, I make a point to reposition my patient so that I can assess them and their current skin condition better. NURS 3100 Discussion: The Essence of Nursing.

    Being in the leadership role as a registered nurse (RN) on the floor, I can collaborate with a team of healthcare workers to prevent harm to my patients. Currently, where I work now, we use team nursing. Team nursing may include one RN, one licensed practical nurse, and one personal care assistant. Working in this setting allows me to collaborate with my team and other specialties in my patient’s care. The hospital setting can be hectic, and it takes a group of individuals to ensure patient safety. As an RN, I make sure all patients that need assistance in repositioning are getting repositioned a minimum of every two hours. It seems like a simple task, but this small intervention can help our patients continue their road to recovery.

    References:

    Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (n.d.). AHRQuality indicators. Retrieved from http://www.qualityindicators.ahrq.gov/ NURS 3100 Discussion: The Essence of Nursing

  • NURS 3100 3101 Discussion: Nurses Make the Difference

    NURS 3100 3101 Discussion: Nurses Make the Difference

    Discussion – Week 3

    Option 1- Provide an overview of a Magnet facility. Include explanation of how Magnet drives health care change in the institution.

     
    Magnet status of a healthcare facility means for an overall improvement in quality of care. Having a Magnet status isn’t just a reward given to an institution, but a credential (Laureate Education, 2009). When I think of a hospital having magnet status, I automatically think of nurses with a BSN degree, however, there is much more meaning than that. Magnet does have an increased % of BSN’s, as well as an increased % of certifications, notably in specialty areas. Hospitals of Magnet status are known to offer tuition reimbursement to nurses interested in advancing their education, and most often that comes with an increase in pay. Nurses in a Magnet facility are included in decision making, data collection, and research at every level. Nurses who are part of a Magnet institution are frequently active in community programs and community education programs, as well as any nursing organizations that may be present in their area (Tinkham, 2013). Magnet facilities want their nurses to be well known around their communities.

    BUY A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

    Place your order now, we write everything from scratch

    Having a Magnet status heavily revolves around the nursing profession, but that has been shown to lead to better outcomes for the patient (Laureate Education, 2009). A study also showed that Magnet hospitals have a significantly lower mortality rate. Magnet status has led to increased employee satisfaction, as well as, increased patient satisfaction. When patient satisfaction goes up, so does reimbursement for the facility. Clinical measures also play a role in Magnet status. These measures are normally key metrics that the hospital analyzes on a monthly/quarterly/yearly basis. These measures also play a part in reimbursements from insurance companies. Magnet hospitals are known to have better scores within these clinical measures. Leaders who advocate for their nurses and their patients, will be more successful in continuing to have satisfied employees. Accountability and teamwork are also crucial pieces of a Magnet facility. A hospital, in reality, is a business, but when you have satisfied nurses and satisfied patients, the hospital is always going to gain. NURS 3100 3101 Discussion: Nurses Make the Difference

     

    Laureate Education (Producer). (2009b). Issues and trends in nursing: Professional practice models [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

    Tinkham.M. R. (2013). Pursuing magnet designation: The role of structural empowerment. AORN Journal, 97(2), 253-256.

     

    Week 3 Discussion 

    I choose question 1;  “Provide an overview of a Magnet facility, include an explanation of how Magnet status drives health care change.

    This feels like a loaded question when I take in to consideration that I was reared and raised in Cleveland, Ohio very close to the infamous Cleveland Clinic.  Noting that the Clinic has cared for Queens, Kings and Millionaires forces many a person to think very close and very hard about care and how and who its provided by even though as nurses we all know that most nurses learn the same skills.  From my own personal work experiences I would have to agree  with the some of the sentiments that are associated with Magnet facilities in that many of the programs and trainings are very different in that tend to have a more developed process/procedure when it comes down to training and continuing education in my perspective.  Job security is particularly sought throughout Magnet facilities and adorn a much higher percentage of satisfied Registered Nurses, immense decreases in employee turnover moreover the HCAP scores revealed both improvement and patient satisfaction. NURS 3100 3101 Discussion: Nurses Make the Difference

    Although some critics hold the belief that  Magnet Hospitals don’t necessarily offer better working conditions though ultimately, the mass majority of nurses gravitate towards hospitals and facilities with Magnet status for the notoriety and prestige that it brings about although I found that they don’t typically pay anymore than any other well defined institution however, their benefits packages are typically very outstanding and commensurable.  If you are a nurse looking to further your education a Magnet facility would definitely be worth looking into as they invest in their employees immensely as it relates to education and continuing education and training.    Keeping in mind that most Magnet institutions are also on the cutting edge of technology and open up a vast world in advancements.

    Discussion: Nurses Make the Difference

    Health care organizations that adhere to or seek Magnet designation (Magnet hospitals) are exemplars in serving patients. They are recognized as organizations that have high nurse satisfaction and lower rates of nurse shortages. These organizations tend to have higher degrees of nurse involvement at all levels of decision making. Magnet hospitals also have improved patient outcomes.

    For this Discussion, you explore how Magnet status contributes to health care change within an institution and the personal contribution nurses make to this process. NURS 3100 3101 Discussion: Nurses Make the Difference

    To prepare

    Review the Discussion Rubric for Week 3, provided in the Course Information area or accessible through the link below.

    Review the Academic Writing Expectations (AWE) Checklist, Weeks 1–3, listed in this week’s Learning Resources.

    Review the video 
    Issues and Trends in Nursing: Professional Practice Models
     (Laureate Education, 2009b).

    Review the following articles from this week’s Resources:

    ANCC Magnet Recognition Program
     (American Nurses Credentialing Center, n.d.)

    The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health
     (Institute of Medicine, 2010)

    Pursuing Magnet Designation: The Role of Structural Empowerment
     (AORN Journal, 2013)

    By Day 3

    Post
     a 2-paragraph response (of at least 350 words) to either Option 1 or Option 2.

    Use the writing resources, writing samples, and Discussion Rubric to develop your post. Reflect on your reading from this week, and then address one of the following:

    Option 1

    Provide an overview of a Magnet facility. Include an explanation of how Magnet status drives health care change in the institution. Develop and post 
    cohesive paragraphs
     and 
    use evidence
    to support your ideas. The practice of writing cohesive paragraphs is essential to good writing. Focus each paragraph on one main idea or goal. NURS 3100 3101 Discussion: Nurses Make the Difference

    OR

    Option 2

    Describe the personal contribution a nurse might make in the process of seeking or maintaining Magnet designation. Develop and post 
    cohesive paragraphs
     and 
    use evidence
     to support your ideas. The practice of writing cohesive paragraphs is essential to good writing. Focus each paragraph on one main idea or goal.

    By Day 7

    Read two or more
     of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question.

    Respond
     with a comment that asks for clarification from, provides support for, or contributes additional information to 
    two or more
     of your colleagues.

    Return to this Discussion
     in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your classmates made.

    Post a discussion entry on 
    3 different days of the week
    .

    Submission and Grading Information

    Discussion – Week 3

    COLLAPSE

    Option 2

    Describe the personal contribution a nurse might make in the process of seeking or maintaining Magnet designation. Develop and post 
    cohesive paragraphs
     and 
    use evidence
     to support your ideas. The practice of writing cohesive paragraphs is essential to good writing. Focus each paragraph on one main idea or goal.

    In the nursing profession, “Magnet Recognition means education and development through every career stage, which leads to greater autonomy at the bedside.  To patients, it means the very best care, delivered by nurses who are supported to be the very best that they can be (ANCC, 2015).  Individual nurses can greatly contribute to seeking and maintaining Magnet designation in their hospitals.

    During my eight years as an Emergency Room nurse at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, I had firsthand experience of working on Magnet re-designation as I was an active member of the Magnet committee.  In my role, I worked on encouraging new nurses with Associate degrees to enroll in RN to BSN programs within their first three years of nursing.  I inspired seasoned nurses to continue their education by obtaining their CEN (Certified Emergency Nurse) certification.  This entailed assembling a team to meet with the nurse manager of the emergency department, the Director of Nursing, and the Chief Nursing Officer.  In these meetings, the team discussed the importance of obtaining these degrees and certifications.  The team worked with administration to find funding to help defray the costs of attaining these goals.  Our team successfully lobbied for a CEN review class made available for any nurse who wished to take the exam.  Additionally, the nursing administration agreed to reimburse any nurse who successfully passed the CEN exam.  Our team also persuaded nursing administration to increase tuition reimbursement for nurses who enrolled in RN to BSN programs. NURS 3100 3101 Discussion: Nurses Make the Difference

    Along with encouraging nurses to obtain these degrees and certifications, I worked with the Magnet committee to offer incentives of climbing the clinical ladder.  Truly, our committee was made up of leaders who believed in the clinical ladder.  Such a clinical ladder has demonstrated to “provide staff members with a framework for receiving professional recognition and financial benefits for for attaining advanced degrees, continuing education credit, and certifications (Tinkham, 2013).  At Johns Hopkins, nurses who obtained their Baccalaureate degree were eligible for advancement from Nurse Clinician I to Nurse Clinician II.  This advancement brought the Baccalaureate-trained nurse eligible for an added increase in pay that was in addition to their annual increase.  It also allowed the nurse to advance to more responsible roles, such as that as nursing preceptor to novice nurses, triage nurse, and charge nurse. NURS 3100 3101 Discussion: Nurses Make the Difference

    References:

    American Nurses Credentialing Center (n.d.). 
    ANCC Magnet Recognition Program.  
    Retrieved September 22, 2015, from https://nursingworld.org/organizational-programs/magnet/

    Tinkham, M. R. (2013). Pursuing magnet designation: The role of structural empowerment. 
     AORN Journal
    , 97(2), 253-256. NURS 3100 3101 Discussion: Nurses Make the Difference

  • NURS 3100 Academic Writing Expectations (AWE) -1000 AWE Level Assignment Template

    NURS 3100 Academic Writing Expectations (AWE) -1000 AWE Level Assignment Template

    Name of Assignment

     

    Student’s Full Name

     

    Walden University

     

    Course Number, Section, and Title

    (Example: NURS 3100 Section 01, Issues and Trends)

     

    Month, Day, Year

    (enter the date submitted to instructor)

     

    Write Title of Assignment Here

    Begin your paper with an
    introductory paragraph
    . Double-space the paper with 1″ margins on all sides and type in Times New Roman 12 point font.  End this paragraph with, “The purpose of this paper is to describe . . .”

    BUY A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

    Place your order now, we write everything from scratch

    Body

    When making reference to a source, at a minimum, include the author name/s, year of publication, title of the article, and name of the journal as applicable in the paper.  Citations are
    not
    required at the 1000 AWE Level using APA formatting requirements. However, you are free to practice crediting your source(s) in your paper using APA Style. The Walden Writing Center is YOUR citation resource place at
    http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/apa/citations
      Also see the citation and reference examples provided in the Academic Writing Expectations tab of this course. NURS 3100 Academic Writing Expectations (AWE) -1000 AWE Level Assignment Template

    .The Walden Writing Center has a paper review service! For appointments and reviews go to
    http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/paperreviews

     

    Conclusion

     

    Summarize the key points in your paper.

     

    References

     

    Although a Reference List is
    not
    required at the 1000 AWE Level, you may practice referencing your source/s using APA formatting requirements. The Walden Writing Center is YOUR reference resource place at
    http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/apa/references
    Also see the citation and reference examples provided in the Academic Writing Expectations tab of this course.

     

     

    NURS 3100 Academic Writing Expectations (AWE) Checklist, Weeks 1–3

    Academic Writing Expectations for First-Term/1000 Level Courses

    http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/undergraduate/awe/2000-3000

     

    Students: Prior to submission please review your assignment for sentence-level, paragraph level, and use of evidence to make sure you meet the AWE expectations.  Check the boxes as you complete your review and click the links to access Writing Center for additional resources if you need them.

     

    DO NOT SUBMIT THIS FORM WITH YOUR ASSIGNMENT.  It is for you to check your compliance to Academic Writing Expectations

     

    Sentence-level skills

     

    Constructing complete and correct sentences. See an explanation of
    sentence components
    and how to avoid
    sentence fragments and run-ons
    . Work through an
    interactive module on sentence basics
    .

    Using and spelling words correctly. See a list of
    commonly misused words
    and information on
    MS Word’s spell check
    .

    Punctuating appropriately. See the different types of
    punctuation
    and their uses.

    Using Grammarly to catch further errors. See a
    Grammarly tutorial
    .

     

    Paragraph-level skills

     

    Using paragraph breaks. Each paragraph acts as a concrete unit of the 
    central argument
    . See a description of
    paragraph basics
    .

    Focusing each paragraph on one central idea (rather than multiple ideas). See an explanation of how
    topic sentences
    work. Use of evidence NURS 3100 Academic Writing Expectations (AWE) -1000 AWE Level Assignment Template

     

    Using course learning resources. See examples of
    integrating evidence
    in a paper.

    Enclosing direct quotes in quotation marks. Read about the purpose of
    quotation marks
    .

      Paraphrasing (explaining in one’s own words) to avoid plagiarizing the source. Using

    quotes appropriately (no more than one short, unique quote.)  See
    paraphrasing strategies
    .  See
    Ineffective Paraphrasing Strategies
    .

     

    NURS 3100 Academic Writing Expectations (AWE) -1000 AWE Level Assignment Template

  • Nursing Databases

    Nursing Databases

    Best Bets!

    CINAHL Plus with Full Text

    Best Bet

    Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature: a large collection of journals and e-books on many nursing and allied health topics.

    Embase

    Best Bet

    Coverage of biomedical literature worldwide that includes 
    MEDLINE
    , plus many conference abstracts and EU journals not found elsewhere. Particularly strong in drug and pharmacology information. Nursing Databases

    MEDLINE with Full Text

    Best Bet

    Millions of references to journal articles in life sciences with a concentration on biomedicine; indexed with the National Library of Medicine’ Medical Subject Headings (
    MESH
    ).

    ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Database

    Best Bet

    BUY A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

    Place your order now, we write everything from scratch

    Includes abstracts and indexing that covers nursing, allied health, alternative and complementary medicine, and related topics. It also includes dissertations and can be a good source for 
    grey literature
    .

    PubMed

    Best Bet

    Includes the 
    MEDLINE
     database, plus in process-citations, “Ahead of Print” items, NIH-funded research projects, books from the 
    NCBI Bookshelf
    , and selected items from 
    PubMed Central
    . 
    Learn how to locate full text available through Walden University Library in PubMed
    .

    TRIP Database

    Best Bet

    TRIP (Turning Research into Practice) is a freely-accessible database that includes evidence-based synopses, clinical answers, systematic reviews, guidelines, and tools. It does not automatically link to Walden subscriptions; may use 
    Google Scholar to find full text.

    C

    CINAHL & MEDLINE Combined Search

    CINAHL stands for Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature and includes peer-reviewed articles, reports of evidence-based practice, case studies, systematic reviews, and more.

    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

    An independent, well-respected source of evidence to inform healthcare decision making. Includes full-text PDF versions of the Cochrane Reviews and the Cochrane Protocols.

    D

    Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE)

    Open Access database that includes critical appraisals of systematic reviews, particularly those addressing the effects of health interventions. While DARE doesn’t include the full text of the systematic reviews, it does include citations to the original research.

    Note: This is the archived version. The site was last updated March 31, 2015.

    J

    JBI EBP Database (formerly Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database)

    Systematic reviews, evidence summaries, and best practice information sheets developed by an Australian-based university research and development institution.

    O

    Ovid Nursing Books

    Search or browse helpful nursing and medical reference titles.

    Ovid Nursing Journals Full Text

    This is a small collection of full text nursing journals. They range in scope from general nursing to specializations such as emergency and dermatology nursing. All titles are also indexed in CINAHL.

    P

    ProQuest Health & Medical Collection

    Similar to ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health, with an overlapping journal set. This resource includes more health administration and consumer health titles.

    PsycINFO

    The largest resource devoted to scholarly peer-reviewed literature in the behavioral sciences and mental health. Also includes book chapters, books, dissertations, and all content from PsycARTICLES (American Psychological Association journals).

    S

    ScienceDirect

    Popular

    Coverage is particularly strong for the life and physical sciences, medicine, and technical fields, but also includes some social sciences and humanities.

    Multi-Database Searches

    Thoreau Multi-Database Search
     
    Best Bet

    Thoreau is a tool that searches across many of the Library databases. It is not able to search every database, but it does search enough of our resources to be a useful tool for quick, simple searches.

    CINAHL & MEDLINE Combined Search

    CINAHL stands for Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature and includes peer-reviewed articles, reports of evidence-based practice, case studies, systematic reviews, and more.

    ERIC and Education Source Combined Search

    Search ERIC, a database of 1.3 million bibliographic records maintained by the US Department of Education, and Education Source, one of the largest collections of full-text education journals, at the same time.

    Political Science Complete & Business Source Complete Combined Search

    The Political Science Complete and Business Source Complete Combined Search contains both practical and scholarly information on policy, legal, economic, and professional topics. Use this search to locate scholarly journal articles, case studies, company profiles, reports, conference papers, financial data, and SWOT analyses. Particularly useful for topics related to business policy and the nonprofit sector.

    Psychology Databases Combined Search

    Find articles in the field of psychology across multiple databases including, PsycARTICLES, PsycBOOKS, PsycEXTRA, and PsycINFO.

    PsycTESTS & Health and Psychosocial Instruments Combined Search

    PsycTESTS and Health and Psychosocial Instruments are collections of assessment instruments related to a variety of fields. This simultaneous search allows you to search both databases at once to locate assessment instruments.

     

    New / Trial Databases

    New, trial, and temporary resources

    COVID-19 resources

    New

    A list of librarian-recommended resources to find reliable information about the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.

    Popular Databases

    Frequently-used databases

    Education Source

    Popular

    Education Source covers all levels of education–from early childhood to higher education as well as all educational specialties such as multilingual education, health education, and testing. It is the world’s largest and most complete collection of full-text education journals with many peer-reviewed titles.

    ERIC

    Popular

    ERIC, maintained by the US Department of Education, indexes over a million journal and non-journal sources focused on education research, including including work produced or funded by the U.S. Department of Education, other federal departments, state or local agencies, policy organizations professional associations, and more.

    SAGE Journals

    Popular

    Includes current peer-reviewed journal articles in psychology, political science, management, education, and more.

    SAGE Knowledge

    Popular

    This database contains encyclopedias and handbooks in over 20 different subject areas.

    ScienceDirect

    Popular

    Coverage is particularly strong for the life and physical sciences, medicine, and technical fields, but also includes some social sciences and humanities.

     

    Full Databases list

    A

    AARP State Data Center

    This site provides statistics and reports on Social Security, Medicare, housing, long-term care, poverty level, caregiver estimates and more on a state-by-state level.

    ABI/INFORM Collection

    ABI/INFORM Collection offers over 2,000 full text resources including peer-reviewed journals, trade publications, business news, reports, and working papers. Topics include all aspects of international business, such as business trends, management practice and theory, corporate strategy and tactics, and the competitive landscape.

    Academic Search Complete

    A multidisciplinary database containing peer-reviewed journals, conference papers, newspapers, magazines and other materials. This database is a good starting place for topics that cross many subject areas.

    Academic Video Online (AVON)

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     AVON

    Academic Video Online (AVON) is a multidisciplinary collection of videos of virtually every video type: documentaries, interviews, performances, news programs and newsreels, field recordings, commercials, demonstrations, original and raw footage including tens of thousands of exclusive titles. There are thousands of award-winning films, Academy,® Emmy,® and Peabody® winners plus newly released films and previously unavailable archival material.

    Accounting, Tax & Banking Collection

    ProQuest Accounting & Tax brings together highly ranked global and scholarly journals with key resources for locating quick and precise results covering current news and topics, as well as the trends and history influencing important accounting and tax issues of the day.

    ACM Digital Library

    ACM Digital Library is a comprehensive collection of publications put out by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). It includes a 50+year archive of over 40 ACM journals, magazines, and peer-reviewed articles as well as ACM conference proceedings and ACM SIG newsletters.

    Agricola

    From the National Agricultural Library, search books and articles in agriculture related subjects like food and nutrition, natural resources and environment, and laws and regulation.

    American National Election Studies

    The American National Election Studies website provides survey data on public opinion, voting, and more. Registration and agreement to terms is required, however downloading of data is free.

    Annie E. Casey Foundation

    Offers data on indicators affecting children and families in the United States, including education, family and community, and well-being. Downloadable into graphs and reports.

    Annual Reviews

    This collection offers comprehensive, timely collections of critical reviews written by leading scientists.

    B

    BioMedCentral

    Science, technology, and medicine publisher of over 290 peer-reviewed journals in Biology, Clinical Medicine and Health.

    Bloomsbury Open Archives 2008-2012

    Bloomsbury Open offers selected research publications in the humanities and social sciences which are published on open content licenses (Creative Commons and Bloomsbury Open license). For other years, use the following links 
    Bloomsbury Open 2013,
     
    Bloomsbury Open 2014,
     
    Bloomsbury Open 2015,
    and
     Bloomsbury Open 2016

    Bureau of Justice Statistics

    The Bureau of Criminal Justice Statistics contains United States’ criminal justice statistics. Information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government can be found on this site.

    Business Market Research Collection

    The database contains profiles of 40,000+ companies, 600 industries, and 225,000 key executives; It includes company overviews, company histories, officers, board members, products/operations, historical financials, and more.

    Business Plans Handbook

    The Business Plans Handbooks contain sample business plans created by entrepreneurs seeking funding for small businesses.

    Business Source Complete

    The Business Source Complete database contains both practical and scholarly business information. You can search Business Source Complete for full text scholarly journal articles, case studies, company profiles, reports, conference papers, financial data, and SWOT analyses.

    C

    Child Care & Early Education Research Connections

    Data sets from series and individual studies focusing on child development available for download and online analysis.

    Child Stats

    Publishes annual report “America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being.” Provides data on children by age group, ethnicity, economic status, and family structure. From the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics.

    Child Trends

    Reports on national trends and research on over 100 key indicators of child and youth well-being.

    Children’s Defense Fund

    Contains extensive list of fact sheets/data with indicators pertaining to children divided by state, including child welfare, early childhood development, education, and youth at risk.

    Chronicle of Higher Education (The)

    The Chronicle of Higher Education is a source for news, information, opinions, and jobs relevant to college and university students, faculty members, and administrators.

    CINAHL & MEDLINE Combined Search

    CINAHL stands for Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature and includes peer-reviewed articles, reports of evidence-based practice, case studies, systematic reviews, and more.

    CINAHL Plus with Full Text

    Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature: a large collection of journals and e-books on many nursing and allied health topics.

    CiteSeerX

    CiteSeerx is an evolving scientific literature digital library and search engine that has focused primarily on the literature in computer and information science. CiteSeerx aims to improve the dissemination of scientific literature and to provide improvements in functionality, usability, availability, cost, comprehensiveness, efficiency, and timeliness in the access of scientific and scholarly knowledge.

    Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials

    This collection includes reports published in conference proceedings and in many other sources not currently listed in MEDLINE or other bibliographic databases. This index of controlled trials and other healthcare interventions serves as the best available resource for those preparing and maintaining systematic reviews or searching for trials.

    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

    An independent, well-respected source of evidence to inform healthcare decision making. Includes full-text PDF versions of the Cochrane Reviews and the Cochrane Protocols.

    Cochrane Methodology Register

    The register indexes studies relevant to the methods of systematic reviews of healthcare and social interventions. This database includes journal articles, book chapters, conference proceedings, conference abstracts, and reports of ongoing methodological research.

    Communications and Mass Media Complete

    This database contains full text articles in the area of communications, public relations, and mass media studies. It also includes profiles of noted authors in the field.

    Comparative Agendas Project

    This website collects information on policy changes across countries. Data may be exported into customizable charts.

    Computer Science Database

    Whether you’re an expert in the field or an undergraduate, ProQuest Computing delivers vital information directly to your desktop from scholarly journals and trade publications as well as consumer titles. The database includes product reviews, database design and management, software, hardware, e-commerce, website development, intranets and extranets, and technology management.

    Computers and Applied Sciences Complete

    This database contains journals covering the many engineering disciplines, computer theory & systems, new technologies, and social & professional context.

    Counseling and Therapy in Video (See Academic Video Online )

    Counseling and Therapy in Video: Volume V

    The collection helps recognize mental health disorders and provide accurate diagnoses via 400+ streaming mental health videos aligned to DSM-5®/ICD-10 content. Films are used to introduce and improve understanding, recognition, and diagnosing of psychiatric disorders as well as improve clinical competency.

    COVID-19 resources

    New

    A list of librarian-recommended resources to find reliable information about the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.

    CQ Researcher

    CQ Researcher provides in-depth reports on current events and topics of current interest. Each report provides historical background on the topic, outside commentary, pro/con arguments, chronological information, and a substantial bibliography. CQ Researcher addresses a wide range of topics including legal, political, and social issues, communication and mass media, health, education, science, and technology.

    Criminal Justice Database

    The Criminal Justice database contains a wide selection of journals on criminal justice, family law, drug enforcement, and rehabilitation. It contains full text journals and periodicals.

    Criminological highlights

    An open source Toronto-based publication, produced by academics, faculty, and librarians, which focuses on current criminological research. Archived from 1998 to present.

    D

    Data USA

    Visualizations of U.S. government data.

    Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE)

    Open Access database that includes critical appraisals of systematic reviews, particularly those addressing the effects of health interventions. While DARE doesn’t include the full text of the systematic reviews, it does include citations to the original research.

    Note: This is the archived version. The site was last updated March 31, 2015.

    Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB)

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     DOAB

    Free, academic books from over 100 publishers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     DOAJ

    Free, full text, quality controlled scientific and scholarly journals. They cover all subjects and languages. There are over 6000 free, full-text available journals in the directory.

    Disability Statistics

    Created and maintained by the Employment and Disability Institute, Cornell University. Includes an interactive search tool.

    Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University

    The database contains full text of dissertations and theses written by Walden students.

    E

    E-Stats

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     E-Commerce Statistics

    E-Stats is the U.S. Census Bureau’s Internet site devoted exclusively to “Measuring the Electronic Economy.” This site features recent and upcoming releases, information on methodology, and background papers.

    EBSCO ebooks

    Access full-text e-books covering a wide variety of topics. The collection includes theoretical works, primary source materials, writing and research guides, technical help books, reference materials, and more.

    EDGAR

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system

    EDGAR, the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system, performs automated collection, validation, indexing, acceptance, and forwarding of submissions by companies and others who are required by law to file forms with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Its primary purpose is to increase the efficiency and fairness of the securities market for the benefit of investors, corporations, and the economy by accelerating the receipt, acceptance, dissemination, and analysis of time-sensitive corporate information filed with the agency.

    Education Commission of the States

    Search Education Commission of the States’ database. Browse by education issue, legislation, or search the knowledge base for any topic. ECS partners with education policy leaders to address issues by sharing resources and expertise.

    Education Research Starters

    Education Research Starters contain brief overviews of popular education topics.

    Education Source

    Popular

    Education Source covers all levels of education–from early childhood to higher education as well as all educational specialties such as multilingual education, health education, and testing. It is the world’s largest and most complete collection of full-text education journals with many peer-reviewed titles.

    Embase

    Coverage of biomedical literature worldwide that includes 
    MEDLINE
    , plus many conference abstracts and EU journals not found elsewhere. Particularly strong in drug and pharmacology information.

    Emerald Insight

    Emerald is a leader in publishing management research for both the scholar and the practitioner. Be sure to search within 
    My subscribed content
     to find full-text content.

    ERIC

    Popular

    ERIC, maintained by the US Department of Education, indexes over a million journal and non-journal sources focused on education research, including including work produced or funded by the U.S. Department of Education, other federal departments, state or local agencies, policy organizations professional associations, and more.

    ERIC and Education Source Combined Search

    Search ERIC, a database of 1.3 million bibliographic records maintained by the US Department of Education, and Education Source, one of the largest collections of full-text education journals, at the same time.

    European Free Trade Association (EFTA)

    The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is an intergovernmental organisation set up for the promotion of free trade and economic integration to the benefit of its four Member States: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland.

    Eurostat

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     European statistics

    Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union situated in Luxembourg. Its task is to provide the European Union with statistics at European level that enable comparisons between countries and regions.

    Expanded Academic ASAP (See Gale Academic OneFile Select)

    Export.gov

    Export.gov brings together resources from across the U.S. Government to assist American businesses in planning their international sales strategies and succeed in today’s global marketplace.

    F

    F1000 Research

    Open source, peer reviewed articles as well as posters and slides in science fields including health and medicine.

    FAO Document Repository

    FAO documents and publications, as well as selected non-FAO publications, in electronic format. It includes publications dealing with food, food security, agriculture, aquaculture, forestry, and rural development.

    Federal Agency Participation

    This website, hosted by the United States government works to make federal data accessible to the public.

    FindLaw

    FindLaw provides free, general information regarding various aspects of United States law.

    Free Medical Journals

    Indexes over 4000 free, full text journals from various medical publishers.

    G

    Gale Academic OneFile Select

    Contains many peer-reviewed journal articles and periodicals on most Walden subject areas, including psychology, business, criminal justice, and the social sciences. This database contains some full text.

    Gale eBooks

    The collection has encyclopedias and specialized reference resources.

    Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints

    This database presents viewpoint articles arguing both sides of controversial issues. The information presented also includes primary source articles, reference material, newspapers, statistics, and images.

    Gale OneFile: LegalTrac

    LegalTrac contains articles from major law reviews, journals, and legal newspapers on Federal and State Cases, Laws and Regulations, Legal Practice, and Taxation. Coverage includes British Commonwealth, European Union and International Law.

    General Society Survey (NORC)

    The General Social Survey is a sociological survey designed to track changes in attitudes, practices, and experiences in the United States.

    Global Terrorism Database

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     GTD

    The Global Terrorism Database (GTD) is an open-source database including information on terrorist events around the world since 1970 (currently updated through 2018). GTD includes systematic data on international as well as domestic terrorist incidents that have occurred during this time period and now includes over 190,000 cases. For each GTD incident, information is available on the date and location of the incident, the weapons used and nature of the target, the number of casualties, and — when identifiable — the identity of the perpetrator.

    Google Books

    You might find a free, full text book or limited preview at Google Books, along with options to buy print and digital copies.

    Google Public Data DIrectory

    Google collects publically available data from organizations like Eurostat, OECD, U.S. Census Bureau and World Bank and offers visualizations of this data. Users may also upload their own datasets to create visualizations.

    more…

    govinfo (formerly FDsys)

    govinfo is the United States government’s database of government documents, covering documents and records from all three branches of the federal government.

    GreenFILE

    GreenFILE offers well-researched information covering all aspects of human impact to the environment. Its collection of scholarly, government and general-interest titles includes content on the environmental effects of individuals, corporations and local/national governments, and what can be done at each level to minimize these effects.

    GuideStar

    GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. It includes financial, contact, mission, and leadership information on every nonprofit registered with the IRS as tax-exempt.

    Guttmacher Institute

    The Institute produces a wide range of resources on topics pertaining to sexual and reproductive health. See also the “Data Center” page.

    H

    HathiTrust

    HathiTrust contains both full text and non-full text books. Many books in HathiTrust are not available in Google Books.

    Health and Environmental Research Online (HERO)

    The Health and Environmental Research Online (HERO) database contains peer-reviewed scientific literature used by the Environmental Protection Agency to produce assessments. The literature relates to human health and ecological risk topics. Nursing Databases

    Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HaPI)

    The Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HaPI) database provides information about approximately 15,000 measurement instruments. The full text instruments are NOT included in HaPI. Instead this database is used to discover instruments on a topic, track the history of an instrument over time, and find publisher information.

    Health Services and Sciences Research Resources (HSRR)

    A database from National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology for research datasets and instruments.

    Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     HCUP

    Longitudinal hospital care data in the United States from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

    Highwire Press (Stanford Univ)

    Facilitates access to 1.9 million full text articles mainly in the (bio)medical sciences. Most journals provide free access to back issues older than 12-24 months. Some journals also provide access to current issues.

    Homeland Security Digital Library

    This database contains over 82,800 documents related to homeland security policy, strategy, and organizational management from a wide variety of sources including federal, state and local governments; international governments and institutions; nonprofit organizations and private entities.

    Hoover’s Company Profiles (see Business Market Research Collection) Nursing Databases

    Hospitality & Tourism Complete

    This collection covers scholarly research and industry news relating to all areas of hospitality and tourism. Hospitality & Tourism Complete contains nearly 950,000 records, with coverage dating as far back as 1965. There is full text for more than 530 publications, including periodicals, company & country reports, and books.

    I

    IBISWorld

    Research reports on industries in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and China. Reports include analysis of industry drivers, risk, market data and segments, competitors, and industry performance. Includes Business Environmental Profiles that summarize key drivers for industries in the U.S. Global industry reports for selected industries are also available.

    IBM Technical Paper Search

    IBM’s Technical Paper Search provides the scientific community with access to technical reports written by members of the IBM Research community. Some reports are available for download. Once a technical report is published in either a journal or conference proceedings, it is sometimes replaced with a reference to the external source.

    ICPSR – Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research Datasets

    ICPSR offers more than 500,000 digital files containing social science research data. Disciplines represented include political science, sociology, demography, economics, history, gerontology, criminal justice, public health, foreign policy, terrorism, health and medical care, early education, education, racial and ethnic minorities, psychology, law, substance abuse and mental health, and more. Contact the Center for Research Quality for assistance with ICPSR.

    ICT Statistics

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     ITU-D

    The Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) fosters international cooperation and solidarity in the delivery of technical assistance and in the creation, development, and improvement of telecommunication and ICT equipment and networks in developing countries. Nursing Databases.

    IEEE Xplore Digital Library

    This database contains IEEE online society-sponsored journals, transactions and magazines including peer-reviewed journals focusing on practical applications in research, design and specification, scientific and technical content, and electrical engineering, computer science and electronics.

    ILOSTAT

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     International Labour Organization

    ILO’s central statistics database ILOSTAT provides information for for cross-country statistics on the labour market. The database contains over 100 indicators covering more than 230 countries and economies.

    International Federation of Social Workers Archives

    The International Federation of Social Worker’s (IFSW) archive contains information dating back to 1846. The archives contain historical documents, newsletters and photos.

    International Security and Counter Terrorism Reference Center

    International Security and Counter Terrorism Reference Center is an in-depth database that offers information on security & counter-terrorism. Content for ISCTRC includes hundreds of full-text journals and periodicals, thousands of selected articles, news feeds, reports, summaries, books, FAQs, and Background Information Summaries pertaining to terrorism and security.

    IRMA International

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     Information Resources Management Association

    The Information Resources Management Association (IRMA) welcomes professionals, students, and academicians to search thousands of peer-reviewed works covering all areas of technology applied to modern organizations. Aiming to enhance knowledge of current topics in Information Resources Management, Research IRM, powered by InfoSci-OnDemand, makes thousands of proceedings papers, scholarly journal articles, and book chapters available for download. Nursing Databases.

    J

    JBI EBP Database (formerly Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database)

    Systematic reviews, evidence summaries, and best practice information sheets developed by an Australian-based university research and development institution.

    K

    Kaiser Family Foundation

    Public opinion and research statistics on public health and healthcare policy.

    Kids Count Data Center

    Offers data on indicators affecting children and families in the United States, including education, family and community, and well-being. Downloadable into graphs and reports.

    L

    LearnTechLib–The Learning and Technology Library

    This database provides access to peer-reviewed education technology and e-learning journals; It also has conference proceedings and e-books.

    LegalTrac (See Gale OneFile: LegalTrac)

    LGBTQ+ Source

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     LGBT Life with Full Text

    Contains abstracts and full text articles focused on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender issues. Includes over 120 of the most important and historically significant LGBT journals, magazines and regional newspapers and more than 150 monographs/books. Nursing Databases

    Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts

    LISTA indexes more than 560 core journals, nearly 50 priority journals, and nearly 125 selective journals; plus books, research reports and proceedings. Subject coverage includes librarianship, classification, cataloging, bibliometrics, online information retrieval, information management and more.

    M

    Market Share Reporter

    This comprehensive book presents comparative business statistics in a clear, straightforward manner. Market Share Reporter affords an immediate overview of companies, products, and services, and cites original sources. A convenient arrangement by four-digit SIC code helps business decision makers and researchers easily access needed data for more than 3,600 entries. Each entry features a descriptive title; data and market description; a list of producers/ products along with their market share; and more.

    MEDLINE with Full Text

    Millions of references to journal articles in life sciences with a concentration on biomedicine; indexed with the National Library of Medicine’ Medical Subject Headings (
    MESH
    ).

    Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print

    Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print contains reviews of over 3,000 commercially available, English language testing instruments. Reviews contain information about the reliability, validity, and publication details of the testing instruments. A score index that allows users to easily identify what is being measured in individual tests and bibliographic information is also included. Testing instruments fall into many categories such as psychological tests, career inventories, intelligence and aptitude, and personality. There are no full text testing instruments in this database.

    Merck Manual

    Merck Manuals provide medical information, diagnostic criteria, and clinical decision support for healthcare providers and patients in ten languages, separated into professional and consumer versions. Browse by topic, symptoms, emergencies, drug information, news & commentary. The Professional version also has case studies and quizzes. Nursing Databases

    MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching)

    MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching) is a free online collection of learning materials and exercises submitted by community members designed to enhance and inspire the online teaching experience. There are over 40,000 pieces of content spanning from case studies, assessment tools, online course modules, reference material, tutorials, syllabi, as well as many others in over 21 different fields of study.

    Military and Government Collection

    Military & Government Collection provides full text for nearly 300 journals and periodicals. The database also offers indexing and abstracts for more than 400 journals. Topics include news on all branches of military and government as well as homeland security.

    N

    NAMI

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     National Alliance on Mental Illness

    Holds infographics with statistics on mental health facts for children, teens, and adults in the United States. Focuses statistics on prevalence of mental illness, consequences of lack of treatment, and social statistics.

    National Academies Press

    Hundreds of books which can be downloaded as pdf for free by the chapter or the entire book. Topics include: Agriculture, Behavioral and Social Sciences, Conflict and Security Issues, Education, Energy, Environmental Studies, Food & Nutrition, Industry and Labor.

    National Bureau of Economic Research

    Founded in 1920, the National Bureau of Economic Research is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to promoting a greater understanding of how the economy works. The NBER is committed to undertaking and disseminating unbiased economic research among public policymakers, business professionals, and the academic community.

    National Center for Health Statistics

    Provides well-organized fact sheets of mental health statistics on topics such as morbidity, ambulatory care visits, and hospital inpatient care.

    National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect

    Provides microdata from researchers and national data collections about child abuse and neglect in free data sets for secondary analysis. From Cornell University.

    National Science Foundation, The

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     NSF

    The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 “to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…”. The NSF provides federally supported basic research conducted by America’s colleges and universities.

    NCES Publications

    Contains publications from the National Center for Education Statistics. NCES is the primary (U.S.) federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education.

    Neuroscience Information Framework

    Provides a wide variety of data, materials, and tools on neuroscience topics. Categories include datasets, disease, drugs, and people.

    Nexis Uni

    Nexis Uni provides full-text access to legal news, company information, regulations, law reviews, case law, and other legislative information.

    NTIS

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     Public National Technical Reports Library

    The National Technical Information Service serves as the largest central resource for government-funded scientific, technical, engineering, and business related information available today. NTIS provides businesses, universities, and the public timely access to approximately 3 million publications covering over 350 subject areas.

    NTRL

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     National Technical Reports Library

    The National Technical Information Service serves as the largest central resource for government-funded scientific, technical, engineering, and business related information available today. Through NTRL, NTIS provides businesses, universities, and the public timely access to approximately 3 million publications covering over 350 subject areas.

    O

    OECD iLibrary

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

    OECD iLibrary is the online library of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) featuring its books, papers and statistics and is the gateway to OECD’s analysis and data. It also contains content published by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the OECD Development Centre, PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment), and the International Transport Forum (ITF).

    Open Book Publishers

    “We are a Social Enterprise run by scholars who are committed to making high-quality research available to readers around the world. We publish monographs and textbooks in all areas, and offer the academic excellence of a traditional press[…]. All our books are available to read for free online”

    Open Library

    Open Library has well over 20 million edition records, provide access to 1.7 million scanned versions of books, and link to external sources like WorldCat and Amazon.

    OpenDissertations

    OpenDissertations is an open-access database built to assist researchers in locating both historic and contemporary dissertations and theses. It is a collaboration between EBSCO and BiblioLabs to increase traffic and discoverability of ETD research.

    Opposing Viewpoints in Context (See Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints)

    Ovid Nursing Books

    Search or browse helpful nursing and medical reference titles.

    Ovid Nursing Journals Full Text

    This is a small collection of full text nursing journals. They range in scope from general nursing to specializations such as emergency and dermatology nursing. All titles are also indexed in CINAHL.

    P

    Papers Invited

    Papers Invited database consists of detailed, comprehensive information about calls for papers with deadlines regarding forthcoming conferences and special issues of scholarly journals.

    Pivot

    Pivot provides researchers the edge to bring together the right research opportunities, grant funding, and people quickly and easily. It provides global and local connections that strengthen research by exploring new avenues for funding and collaboration for faculty, staff researchers, and graduate students.

    Political Science Complete

    Political Science Complete provides full text for over 400 publications, including international political, economic, and law journals, and indexes over 800 journals.

    Political Science Complete & Business Source Complete Combined Search

    The Political Science Complete and Business Source Complete Combined Search contains both practical and scholarly information on policy, legal, economic, and professional topics. Use this search to locate scholarly journal articles, case studies, company profiles, reports, conference papers, financial data, and SWOT analyses. Particularly useful for topics related to business policy and the nonprofit sector.

    PQDT Open

    PQDT Open provides the full text of open access dissertations and theses free of charge. You can quickly and easily locate dissertations and theses relevant to your discipline, and view the complete text in PDF format.

    Project Gutenberg

    Project Gutenberg is the oldest producer of free ebooks.

    Project Muse

    Project Muse is a collection of over 400 peer-reviewed humanities and social science journals, and covers a wide variety of topics. All of the articles in this database are available in full text.

    ProQuest Central

    ProQuest Central includes a very large selection of scholarly and peer-reviewed publications appropriate for all Walden programs of study, as well as unique materials like newspapers, dissertations, and business information.

    ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global

    The Dissertations and Theses database gives you full text access to over 3 million dissertations and theses from schools and universities around the world, including Walden dissertations. You can choose to search either all the dissertations and theses, or just those created at Walden.

    ProQuest Ebook Central

    ProQuest Ebook Central offers e-books from the fields of education; psychology and social work; nursing and allied health; computers and IT.

    ProQuest Health & Medical Collection

    Similar to ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health, with an overlapping journal set. This resource includes more health administration and consumer health titles.

    ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Database

    Includes abstracts and indexing that covers nursing, allied health, alternative and complementary medicine, and related topics. It also includes dissertations and can be a good source for 
    grey literature
    .

    ProQuest Science Journals

    With coverage dating back to 1986, ProQuest Science Journals features over 1,600 titles, with more than 1,270 available in full text. In full text format, researchers have access to all the charts, diagrams, graphs, tables, photos, and other graphical elements so vital to scientific and technical literature.

    PsycARTICLES

    Full text access to the journals published by the American Psychological Association (over 100 peer-reviewed scholarly journals). All content in PsycARTICLES can be searched and accessed in PsycINFO.

    PsycBOOKS

    PsycBOOKS contains over 30,000 PDF chapters from over 1,800 books.

    PsycEXTRA

    Unique source of gray literature (non-peer reviewed) in the field of psychology including the latest conference proceedings, magazines, newsletters, research reports, patient-oriented factsheets and brochures, magazines, standards and guidelines.

    PsychiatryOnline

    This resource features the DSM-5 in full text as well as a small collection of textbooks and journals.

    Psychological Experiments Online

    Psychological Experiments Online contains multimedia sources documenting psychological experiments of the 20th and 21st centuries. Seventy-five hours of original audio and video recordings are (when possible) paired with hard to find materials such as notes from experiment participants, journal articles, books, field notes, and letters penned by lead psychologists, as well as videos of modern replications and modifications to the original experiments.

    Psychology Databases Combined Search

    Find articles in the field of psychology across multiple databases including, PsycARTICLES, PsycBOOKS, PsycEXTRA, and PsycINFO.

    PsycINFO

    The largest resource devoted to scholarly peer-reviewed literature in the behavioral sciences and mental health. Also includes book chapters, books, dissertations, and all content from PsycARTICLES (American Psychological Association journals).

    PsycTESTS

    PsycTESTS contains access to unpublished (not commercially available) psychological tests, measures, scales, surveys, and other assessments. Each record contains reliability and validity, scope, implementation, and an overview when available. Most records also contain the full text of the instrument.

    PsycTESTS & Health and Psychosocial Instruments Combined Search

    PsycTESTS and Health and Psychosocial Instruments are collections of assessment instruments related to a variety of fields. This simultaneous search allows you to search both databases at once to locate assessment instruments.

    PTSDpubs

    PTSDpubs database (formerly PILOTS) is a freely available, online database providing access to the worldwide literature on PTSD and other mental health consequences of exposure to traumatic events. It is produced by the National Center for PTSD.

    Public Administration Abstracts

    Public Administration Abstracts
     is a bibliographic database covering essential areas related to public administration. With over 54,000 records dating back to 1964, Public Administration Abstracts is an excellent resource for all administration topics, including theory, economics, politics, society, and social services.

    PubMed

    Includes the 
    MEDLINE
     database, plus in process-citations, “Ahead of Print” items, NIH-funded research projects, books from the 
    NCBI Bookshelf
    , and selected items from 
    PubMed Central
    . 
    Learn how to locate full text available through Walden University Library in PubMed
    .

    R

    ReferenceUSA

    Alternative Name(s) & Keywords:
     RefUSA

    ReferenceUSA is the leading source for business and residential data in the United States. ReferenceUSA helps users of all kinds search for jobs, research U.S. businesses, create marketing and small business plans, locate specific people and more.

    Regional Business News

    This database contains business news articles and periodicals, including Crain’s publications.

    S

    SAGE Journals

    Popular

    Includes current peer-reviewed journal articles in psychology, political science, management, education, and more.

    SAGE Knowledge

    Popular

    This database contains encyclopedias and handbooks in over 20 different subject areas.

    SAGE Research Methods Online

    SAGE Research Methods Online allows researchers to explore their chosen methodology and research concepts to help them design research projects, understand particular methodologies or identify a new methodology, conduct their research, and write up their findings. SAGE Research Methods contains content from more than 640 books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks, the entire 
    Little Green Book
    , and 
    Little Blue Book
     series, two Major Works collating a selection of journal articles, and newly commissioned videos.

    SAGE Stats

    SAGE Stats provides hard to find, interactive statistical data in the area of social sciences. SAGE Stats includes data from the United States on topics such as healthcare, business/economy, crime, education, employment, religion, and government finances. Users can create visual comparisons of data and export data sets.

    ScholarWorks

    ScholarWorks makes publicly available the scholarly and creative output of the Walden University community. The searchable database includes Walden dissertations and Walden’s open access research journals.

    SciDev.Net

    SciDev.Net is the world’s leading source of reliable and authoritative news, views and analysis on information about science and technology for global development.

    ScienceDirect

    Popular

    Coverage is particularly strong for the life and physical sciences, medicine, and technical fields, but also includes some social sciences and humanities.

    SDSU Test Finder

    SDSU Test Finder from San Diego State University. Searchable database (compiled by San Diego State University) for locating known assessment instruments.

    Social Work Abstracts

    Produced by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), this database provides indexing and abstracts for journals dealing with all aspects of the social work field, including theory and practice, areas of service and social issues and problems.

    SocINDEX with Full Text

    A comprehensive social sciences database covering sociology, criminal justice, social work, family studies, and related disciplines. Materials include full text articles, books, and conference papers.

    Springer e-books

    This collection is strong in computer science and engineering books, but also includes other subjects. Walden Library’s access to the collection is 2011 copyright year only.

    T

    Taylor and Francis Online

    Access to over 1,900 scholarly journals published by Taylor & Francis covering the social sciences, humanities, and science and technology.

    Teacher Reference Center

    Teacher Reference Center provides many subjects for teachers needs, including assessment, best practices, continuing education, current pedagogical research, curriculum development, elementary education, higher education, instructional media, language arts, literacy standards, school administration, science and mathematics, and teacher education.

    Thoreau Multi-Database Search

    Thoreau is a tool that searches across many of the Library databases. It is not able to search every database, but it does search enough of our resources to be a useful tool for quick, simple searches.

    TRIP Database

    TRIP (Turning Research into Practice) is a freely-accessible database that includes evidence-based synopses, clinical answers, systematic reviews, guidelines, and tools. It does not automatically link to Walden subscriptions; may use 
    Google Scholar to find full text.

    U

    Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory

    The database has publisher and publication information for more than 300,000 journals of all types from around the world. Use the database to find out if a journal is peer reviewed by searching for the journal title.

    UN Data

    Provides free data access to UN statistical databases through a single entry point. Users can search and download a variety of statistical resources of the UN system.

    UNESCO Documents Database

    Collection of publications from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.

    UNICEF

    Offers statistics on a diverse range of subject areas pertaining to children across the world, such as child mortality, child health, early childhood development, and education.

    United Nations Public Administration Network

    The United Nations Public Administration Network contains a large e-library that contains a variety of information including surveys and policy information.

    US Department of Health and Human Services

    Child welfare information gateway statistics. Links to reports, databases, and other sources of statistics and demographic data on topics, including child and family well-being in the United States, child abuse and neglect, children and youth in foster care, and domestic and international adoption.

    W

    Walden Library Books

    Find books available in the Walden Library.

    World Bank Open Knowledge Repository (The)

    The World Bank is the largest single source of development knowledge. The World Bank Open Knowledge Repository (OKR) is The World Bank’s official open access repository for its research outputs and knowledge products.

    World Health Organization

    Provides current list of data on many health related topics on an international scale, including subtopics: alcohol, tobacco, substance use disorders, and general mental health. Nursing Databases.