Step 0: Cultivate a spirit of inquiry – choosing a topic

a. What went well for our team?

When choosing a topic, my team was able to work together to determine what we were really interested in learning more about. Basically, we all threw out ideas on different issues that we saw in medical practices today. We really wanted to look into something that we saw common in our clinical practice.

b. What challenges our team faced and how we solved them?

Choosing a topic was not an easy task. There were so many topics that we could have looked into that we had a hard time deciding what to choose. We all had something that we were passionate about, and all the ideas thrown on the board were interesting, so it was a small task in deciding what to pursue further. In addition, because some topics did not have a large amount of research behind them, we had to eliminate some of our ideas.

Step 1: Asking the burning clinical question in PICOT format?

a. What went well for our team?

All our team members had previously taken the course Methods of Scholarly Inquiry, so we all had some background in formulating a PICOT question. After further discussion in class, our memories were refreshed. This allowed us to be form a question based on our topic effectively.

b. What challenges our team faced and how we solved them?

Looking back, when it came to formulating the PICOT question we had some difficulties in finding the balance between making the question narrowed down enough, but still broad at the same time. We didn’t want our question to be too specific where we would not find any information, and we didn’t want it to broad where we wouldn’t be solving a question at all.

Step 2: Search for and collect the most relevant evidence – finding articles

a. What went well for our team?

When it came to finding the most relevant evidence, our team was able to use key search terms and other filters to help narrow down results. After having the librarian visit in class, we were able to find various articles that were relevant to our topic using the skills that they taught us. We also made use of the school provided data bases, including CINHAL.

b. What challenges our team faced and how we solved them?

Our team had a difficult time with finding articles that meet all the requirements for the paper. In order to solve this, we set up a meeting with Professor Kremlich for help. With her aid, she helped us in understanding what type of study we were reading. While some study’s such as randomized control trials were easy to find, we had a more difficult time finding a retrospective study that was related to our topic and recently published.

Step 3: Critically appraise the evidence – Part 1 (rapid critical appraisal)

a. What went well for our team?

We had established a plan that allowed us to each critically apprise an article. Afterwards, we shared our findings so we all could see a detailed summary of each article. This helped us by giving us all a reference that we could look back at when writing our essay so we had an easier time remembering about what each article was about. We all fully understood what an independent and dependent variable was, so it made it easy for us to identify it in our articles.

b. What challenges our team faced and how we solved them?

Looking back, I don’t remember there being many challenges with the critical appraisal check lists. However, I did had to refresh my memory on the meaning of a P value. I had forgotten about the significance/meaning of the value. Luckily, a member of my team was able to help me have a better understanding about what it represents.

Step 3: Critically appraise the evidence – Part 2 (evidence table & annotated bibliography)

a. What went well for our team?

I think that our team was able to work together cohesively when writing our evidence table and annotated bibliography. We made use of online sharing so we were all able to work on one document since we were all displaced due to the current pandemic. Since we were no longer able to meet as a group in person, we were able to work together on one document while on zoom.

b. What challenges our team faced and how we solved them?

When it came to this step of the assignment, our group had a hard time with correctly formatting the evidence table and the annotated bib. We solved this by seeking help with how to properly format an evidence table. We also had challenges with APA formatting, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and how to properly write an annotation. This was solved using the online resources provided and after we made revisions to the suggestions that were made. We solved further questions with writing support.

Step 3: Critically appraise the evidence – Part (synthesis – writing the paper)

a. What went well for our team?

For the actual writing part of the paper, I think that my team members and I did a great job bringing out the most relevant pieces of information from our evidence for the paper. We were able to use the evidence to answer and support our PICOT question effectively. We also did a nice job meeting with ensuring that everyones opinions in the group was heard throughout the writing and revision process.

b. What challenges our team faced and how we solved them?

I think one of the biggest challenge that my group faced was that our paper sounded like it was written by different people the first time around. Since we split up the work, the paper lacked the flow that it needed. We solved this problem by meeting with a writing tutor who gave us suggestions to fix the problem. We ended up incorporating transitions that linked the sections together and we sorted the data in the synthesis of evidence in chronological order. We also went over and read the entire paper, top to bottom, as a group and we fixed any sentences that didn’t sound right, any grammatical errors, and we ensured that the entire piece flowed.

Final Reflection

Going through this process, I think it really helped me see the evidence-based practice and quality improvement side of nursing. It opened my eyes that it’s important for a nurse to speak up if they feel that something better can be done, and they can help lead to improvements and policy change. In my future practice, I feel that I will be more prepared in gathering the necessary evidence to help show how patient care can potentially be improved. Doing this project allowed me to practice my writing skills by formulating a PICOT question and then supporting it in a professional piece of writing. I think that in my future practice, I will be a more prepared nurse after taking EBP. I am now more educated on the quality improvement side of nursing and nursing care, and how to properly go about seeking change if I feel that something better could potentially be done in patient care.

Final Draft of Paper Linked Below

https://files.uneportfolio.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/891/2020/05/EBP-FINAL-ESSAY.pdf