PICOT Question and Literature Search

The first step of the evidence-based practice process is to evaluate a nursing practice environment to identify a nursing problem in the clinical area. When a nursing problem is discovered, the nurse researcher develops a clinical guiding question to address that nursing practice problem.

For this assignment, you will create a clinical guiding question know as a PICOT question. The PICOT question must be relevant to a nursing practice problem. To support your PICOT question, identify six supporting peer-revised research articles, as indicated below. The PICOT question and six peer-reviewed research articles you choose will be utilized for subsequent assignments.

Use the “Literature Evaluation Table” to complete this assignment.

  1. Select a nursing practice problem of interest to use as the focus of your research. Start with the patient population and identify a clinical problem or issue that arises from the patient population. In 200–250 words, provide a summary of the clinical issue.
  2. Following the PICOT format, write a PICOT question in your selected nursing practice problem area of interest. The PICOT question should be applicable to your proposed capstone project (the project students must complete during their final course in the RN-BSN program of study).
  3. The PICOT question will provide a framework for your capstone project. 
  4. Conduct a literature search to locate six research articles focused on your selected nursing practice problem of interest. This literature search should include three quantitative and three qualitative peer-reviewed research articles to support your nursing practice problem.

Note: To assist in your search, remove the words qualitative and quantitative and include words that narrow or broaden your main topic. For example: Search for diabetes and pediatric and dialysis. To determine what research design was used in the articles the search produced, review the abstract and the methods section of the article. The author will provide a description of data collection using qualitative or quantitative methods. Systematic Reviews, Literature Reviews, and Metanalysis articles are good resources and provide a strong level of evidence but are not considered primary research articles.  Therefore, they should not be included in this assignment.

While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. 

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 not required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

PICOT Question and Literature Search – Rubric

No of Criteria: 4 Achievement Levels: 5CriteriaAchievement LevelsDescriptionPercentageUnsatisfactory0.00 %Less than Satisfactory75.00 %Satisfactory83.00 %Good94.00 %Excellent100.00 %Content80.0     Nursing Practice Problem and PICOT Statement20.0A nursing practice problem is not clearly described and/or a PICOT statement is not included.PICOT statement describes a nursing practice problem but lacks reliable sources. PICOT statement describes a nursing practice problem and includes a few reliable sources.PICOT statement articulates a nursing practice problem using supporting information from reliable sources.PICOT statement clearly articulates a nursing practice problem using substantial supporting information from numerous reliable sources.Qualitative and Quantitative Research Requirements: At least six references with the abstracts of research studies focus on a selected nursing practice problem.60.0Research articles that address the selected nursing practice problem are not identified.Fewer than six articles that address a selected nursing practice problem are listed in the literature search, but two or more are not research studies. Abstracts are incomplete.Six articles that address a selected nursing practice problem are listed in the literature search, but two are not research studies. Abstracts are partially complete.Six articles that address a selected nursing practice problem are listed in the literature search, but one is not a research study. Abstracts are mostly complete.Six articles that address a selected nursing practice problem are listed in the literature search and include abstracts.Organization and Effectiveness10.0     Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use)10.0Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice or sentence construction is used.Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register), sentence structure, or word choice are present.Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are used. Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. A variety of sentence structures and effective figures of speech are used. Writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English.Format10.0     Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style)10.0Sources are not documented.Documentation of sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors.Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present.Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct. Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error.Total Percentage  100