NURS-FPX4030 Assessment 1: Locating Credible Databases and Research

Course Details

Course Code: NURS-FPX4030

Course Title: Making Evidence-Based Decisions

Program: BSN

Term: Spring 2026

Assessment Weight: 15%

Due Date: End of Week 2

Submission: Via Capella’s online system

Assessment Description

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the cornerstone of nursing care, requiring nurses to locate and appraise credible evidence to inform decisions. This assessment focuses on strategies for finding reliable databases and research, particularly in guiding novice nurses. You will address a scenario involving a newly graduated nurse needing assistance with researching a patient’s diagnosis.

Instructions

Create a 2–4 page resource that will describe databases that are relevant to EBP around a diagnosis you chose and could be used to help a new hire nurse better engage in EBP. Evidence-based practice (EBP) integrates the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values. Values and preferences. Identify a diagnosis you have encountered in your practice or choose from the list provided (e.g., hypertension, UTI, diabetes).

Preparation

To successfully complete this assessment, perform the following preparatory activities:

• Select a single direct or indirect patient care technology that is relevant to your current practice or of interest to you. Direct patient care technologies require an interaction, or direct contact, between the nurse and patient. Nurses use direct patient care technologies every day when delivering care to patients. Electronic thermometers or pulse oximeters are examples of direct patient care technologies. Indirect patient care technologies, on the other hand, are those employed on behalf of the patient. They do not require interaction, or direct contact, between the nurse and patient. A handheld device for general use in a clinical setting that does not communicate with other monitoring equipment is an example of indirect patient care technology.
• Search for scholarly and professional information on your selected health care technology. Consult with subject matter and industry experts as appropriate.
• Review the assessment instructions and scoring guide to ensure you understand the work you will be asked to complete.

Requirements

The assessment requirements, outlined below, correspond to the scoring guide criteria, so be sure to address each main point. Read the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed. In addition, note the additional requirements for document format and length and for supporting evidence.

• Describe communication strategies to encourage nurses to research the diagnosis/practice issue, as well as strategies to collaborate with the nurses to access resources.
• Describe the best places to complete research and what databases are most relevant to the diagnosis/practice issue within the hospital library, as well as on the internet.
• Organize a list of at least five sources that could be used to find evidence, and describe why they are credible, relevant, and accessible.
• Identify five sources that are most relevant to the diagnosis/practice issue from your list of sources.
• Explain why the sources selected should provide the best evidence for the chosen diagnosis/practice issue.
• Communicate using writing that is clear, logically organized, and professional, with correct grammar and spelling, using current APA style.

Additional Requirements

• Length of submission: 2–4 typed, double-spaced pages, not including the title and reference pages. Your report should be succinct yet substantive.
• Number of references: Cite a minimum of 3–5 sources (no older than seven years, unless seminal work) of scholarly or professional evidence that support your central ideas. Resources should be no more than five years old.
• APA formatting: Make sure to follow APA format for headings, citations, and references.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Interpret findings from scholarly quantitative, qualitative, and outcomes research articles and studies.
• Explain why the sources selected should provide the best evidence for the chosen diagnosis/health care issue.
• Competency 2: Analyze the relevance and potential effectiveness of evidence when making a decision within the context of a specific health care setting.
• Describe the best places to complete research within the workplace environment and what types of resources one would want to access to find pertinent information for the diagnosis/health care issue.
• Competency 4: Plan care based on the best available evidence.
• Identify five sources of online information (medical journal databases, websites, hospital policy databases, et cetera) that could be used to locate evidence for a diagnosis/health care issue and three out of five should be specific to the diagnosis/health care issue.
• Competency 5: Apply professional, scholarly communication strategies to lead practice changes based on evidence.
• Describe communication strategies to encourage nurses to research a diagnosis/health care issue, as well as strategies to collaborate with the nurses to access resources.
• Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions; contains few errors in grammar/punctuation, word choice, and spelling.
• Apply APA formatting to in-text citations and references exhibiting nearly flawless adherence to APA format.

Scoring Guide

Nurses access credible databases like CINAHL and PubMed to locate evidence on diagnoses such as urinary tract infections. Communication involves mentoring sessions where experienced nurses demonstrate search techniques and discuss article appraisal. Collaboration occurs through shared access to institutional resources and joint review of findings. Credibility assessment uses criteria like authority and currency to ensure reliability. Evidence shows that guided research improves clinical decision-making and patient outcomes (Melnyk et al., 2018; https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12268).

Recommended References

1. Melnyk, B.M., Gallagher-Ford, L., Long, L.E. and Fineout-Overholt, E., 2018. The establishment of evidence-based practice competencies for practicing registered nurses and advanced practice nurses in real-world clinical settings: Proficiencies to improve healthcare quality, reliability, patient outcomes, and costs. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 15(1), pp.5-15. https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12268
2. Fineout-Overholt, E., Gallagher-Ford, L., Melnyk, B.M. and Stillwell, S.B., 2019. Evidence-based practice, step by step: Evaluating and disseminating the impact of an evidence-based intervention: Show and tell. American Journal of Nursing, 119(7), pp.56-59. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000564964.27665.9e
3. Horntvedt, M.E.T., Nordsteien, A., Fermann, T. and Severinsson, E., 2018. Strategies for teaching evidence-based practice in nursing education: A thematic literature review. BMC Medical Education, 18(1), pp.1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-018-1278-z
4. Saunders, H. and Vehviläinen-Julkunen, K., 2019. Nurses’ readiness for evidence-based practice: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 92, pp.128-140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.02.001
5. Curtis, K., Fry, M., Shaban, R.Z. and Considine, J., 2021. Translating research findings to clinical nursing practice. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 30(3-4), pp.421-431. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15535