Identify ways to improve nursing practice
Identify ways to improve nursing practice
Assessment Task
Assessment name: Assignment
Task description: Evidence-based practice report
Course learning objectives (CLO) assessed: Objective 3. Define evidence-based practice and identify key stages, principles, processes of an evidence-based approach in nursing.
Objective 4. Appraise the meaning/use of data analysis and research findings.
Objective 5. Identify ways to improve nursing practice and patient outcomes by using an evidence-based practice approach to planning, implementing and evaluating nursing care.
What you need to do: Part 1. (500 words) – Evidence Search
You will integrate your knowledge and understanding of concepts and principles related to evidence-based practice and contextualise this to an inconsistent clinical practice that you have observed, or a clinical issue or local health need. Specifically, you will define a problem, identify a need for change, and demonstrate understanding of significance of the problem or issue to nursing knowledge and practice reality.
1. Identify and discuss an inconsistent or little-known approach to clinical practice, a clinical issue or local health need, or a controversial policy that you wish to investigate, to determine whether it is based on evidence, tradition or misconception (What is the problem?).
2. Summarise the context for the clinical practice or health policy you wish to investigate.
3. Justify and support your rationale for selecting this area of concern to investigate and identify a need for change (What is the significance of the problem? Why do we need to do something about it?)
4. Then, express this area of concern as a searchable question using the PICO (or other) format. Identify the domain in which your question fits and the best design to answer the question.
5. Formulate a search strategy using relevant key search terms and search for the best available evidence to answer your searchable question. Attach a one-page printout of your search history as an appendix.
6. Identify five (5) – 10 (ten) research articles that represents the best available evidence to address your question about the inconsistent/little known practice, policy, or issue. For each article, identify its place on an hierarchy of evidence (e.g. JBI, NHMRC). Attach a one-page evidence summary table containing the relevant details from each article.
7. Justify and support your rationale for choosing each article, addressing the PICO terms and question domain. Note: One of these articles MUST be a systematic review or an evidence-based guideline that you will use in part 2 of this assessment.
What you need to do: Part 2. (1500 words) – Evidence Report and Recommendations
You will synthesise the body of research knowledge. Then, you will apply standards/criteria for review and evaluation of the state of the research to critically appraise the highest level of evidence in the topic area that is relevant to your clinical question. Finally, you will formulate recommendations for practice and research and present your argument for change into an evidence summary report.
1. Synthesise the body of evidence from the five to ten research articles you found ending discussion with your conclusion or ‘bottom line” about
what the evidence tells us.
2. Identify the evidence that is the highest level of evidence addressing the PICO question. Justify and support your rationale as to why this is the best evidence and how it addresses your PICO question.
3. Identify and select an appropriate tool to appraise the evidence.
4. Critically appraise the highest level of evidence relevant to your chosen clinical practice or health policy. Justify and support your rationales for your appraisal findings.
Total Length: 2000 words (note: 10% either side of the word limit will be accepted).
Note: Cover sheet, reference list, appendix not included in word count.
Estimated time to complete task: 3-4 days (spread out over semester) Steps to completion: (1) analyse your task sheet, (2) gather your information, (3) organise your notes, (4) write your draft, (5) edit and proofread, (6) format your assignment.
Weighting: 40%
Individual/Group: Individual
Formative/Summative: Summative
How will I be assessed: 5-point grading scale using the marking guide attached. Note: see the USQ Grade Schedule policy at https://policy.usq.edu.au/documents/14748PL.
Due date: 16 September 2019 submitted to Turnitin via the assignment submission link on the NUR 2300 Study Desk. by 11:59 pm. More information about Turnitin is available on the Turnitin FAQ page at https://www.usq.edu.au/currentstudents/ict/systems/turnitin.
Expectations of assignment: • That you locate, retrieve and appraise quality evidence using well defined search terms
• Your evidence is recent (ideally last 5-10 years, unless seminal work in the area
• You attempt to locate and retrieve information that is relevant within an Australian context
• The evidence is relevant for addressing the health issue within a nursing context
• You include a complete reference list (APA format at the end of your assignment
• You address all elements in the assignment task sheet
• You adhere to appropriate standard of grammar, spelling and referencing
• Your assignment is submitted on or before the due date – unless otherwise negotiated with the Course Examiner
Description of writing style: critique A critique is a type of academic writing that briefly summarises and critically evaluates a work or concept. Critiques can be used to carefully analyse a variety of works such as:
• Research –policy documents, journal articles, systematic reviews, theories, models and frameworks
• Media – news reports, feature articles
The writing style is like a literature review in that the literature itself is the subject of discussion. The writing style is also like an essay, in that a critique uses a formal, academic writing style and has a clear structure, that is, an introduction, body and conclusion. However, the body of a critique includes a summary of the work and a detailed evaluation. The purpose of an evaluation is
to gauge the usefulness or impact of a work in a particular field, in this case for underpinning recommendations for practice. Your critique must be supported with evidence.
• Note: see https://www.usq.edu.au/library/studysupport/assignments/assignment-structure-and-writing/essays for more on writing essays
Note: see https://www.usq.edu.au/library/study-
support/assignments/assignment-structure-and-writing/literature-reviews for more on writing literature reviews
Presentation requirements: format Your assignment should be written in the style of a critique and be prepared as follows:
• Has a cover sheet with the assessment title, your name, student number and word count (see coversheet template).
• Includes a ‘footer’ on each page with your name, student number, course code and page number.
• Margins: 2.5 cm margins on all sides
• Line Spacing: one and a half spaced or double-spaced text
• Font: Times new roman; Font size: 12
• APA style referencing (see https://www.usq.edu.au/library/referencing/apareferencing-guide)
• Headings can be used to logically structure your assignment
Must be submitted in electronic format to Turnitin via the assignment link.
What you need to submit: One word document that contains the following items:
1. Assignment cover sheet
2. Your work in the appropriate writing style (unless instructed to use an alternate format)
3. A reference list
4. Three appendices
a. Appendix A. Search History and Results
b. Appendix B. Evidence Summary Table
c. Appendix C. Links to five best evidence sources
d. Appendix D. Critical appraisal of highest level of evidence
Resources needed to complete task: • Quality literature on the topic, including recommended readings and readings from your own searching to support your work.
• Relevant Learning Activity Worksheet(s)
• Other available resources to help with searching, writing
• Assessment task booklet (this document)
• Marking guide for the assessment (which is how your submission will be assessed)
• USQ Referencing Guide
• USQ tips for submitting your assignment or Turnitin Tip Sheets
Note: An appendix contains information that is not essential to explain your findings, but that supports your analysis or validates your conclusions. Your assignment must be able to stand alone, without the appendices.
Academic Integrity
The School of Nursing and Midwifery takes academic integrity very seriously. All work submitted must be your own work. You need to correctly
