SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT

The purpose of this assignment is to guide the student in developing and practicing skills for retrieving and reviewing the nursing literature. A review of the literature is a critical first step for discovering the current state of the science and gaps when implementing evidence into practice. Students will identify a practice issues, provide an introduction, problem statement, search and retrieve nursing literature, identify themes, annotate several research articles, identify gaps in the evidence and discuss implications. The student will use the Retrieving and Reviewing the Literature Template and complete the required items: Provide a title that conveys or describes the assignment. Introduction (100 to 150 words) – Provide an introduction to your topic or project. The introduction gives the reader an accurate, concrete understanding of what the project will cover and what can be gained from implementing practice changes. Problem Statement (50 to 100 words) – Provide a concise description of the issues that need to be addressed in a practice or clinical situation. PICOt formatted Clinical Project Questions (No word limit) – Provide the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Expected Outcomes and timeframe for the proposed project to address the problem or practice issue. Key Search Terms (at least six terms) – Identify the key terms searched in retrieving the literature. The student should provide at least six (6) search terms. Examples of terms include pain, comfort, caring, diagnosis, management, etc. Databases Searched (at least four databases) – Identify the databases used to search the key terms. The student should provide at least four databases searched. Examples of databases include CINAHL, MEDLINE, National Guideline Clearinghouse, etc. Themes (three themes) – Students will look for patterns and themes found while reviewing the literature. Identifying themes are a way of organizing a literature review. When writing a literature review, authors must organize the review around themes and not simply report on each research studies one at a time. Themes should be limited to three (3) to five (5) themes. Students will identify at list three (3) themes. Annotated Bibliography (at least three) – For each of the identified three (3) themes, students will provide three (3) annotated bibliographies. Therefore, the student should have annotated at least a total of nine (9) research articles. See Annotated Bibliography Example in Week 7. Literature Review Summary including Gaps in the Literature (200 to 250 words) – Students will provide a summary of the literature and include identified gaps in what is known or has yet to be studied. Implications to Practice (100 to 150 words) – Provide a summary of the consequences or implications gathered from the current literature on practice (may consider education or leadership). References – Provide references used in the template using APA 7th ed. Manual format. Expectations Format: Use template & APA 7th ed.