Strategies for Effective Literature Search in Clinical Practice

### Identifying Articles for Article Summary Assignments

#### Search Engines and Databases

To identify articles for my Article Summary assignments, I primarily use several reputable search engines and databases. These include:

1. **PubMed**: A free search engine accessing primarily the MEDLINE database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics. PubMed is highly valuable for locating peer-reviewed journal articles in the field of healthcare and clinical practice.

2. **CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature)**: This database provides comprehensive coverage of the literature related to nursing and allied health. It includes peer-reviewed articles, evidence-based care sheets, and practice guidelines.

3. **Google Scholar**: This search engine provides a broad search of scholarly articles across various disciplines, including healthcare. It helps in finding articles that may not be available in other databases and includes a wide range of publications.

4. **Cochrane Library**: This is a collection of databases containing high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making. It is especially useful for locating systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

5. **PsycINFO**: This database provides access to literature in psychology and related disciplines, including psychiatry, sociology, and education, which can be relevant for understanding the psychological aspects of clinical practice.

#### Keywords for Searches

The keywords I use for my searches are carefully selected to ensure that the articles are relevant to my clinical practice. Some of the common keywords and phrases include:

– **Evidence-Based Practice**: This term helps in locating articles that focus on clinical practices supported by empirical evidence.
– **Nursing Interventions**: This keyword is useful for finding studies related to specific nursing actions and their outcomes.
– **Patient Outcomes**: This helps to find research that evaluates the results of healthcare practices from the patient’s perspective.
– **Clinical Guidelines**: This phrase is essential for locating articles that provide recommended practices based on systematic evidence.
– **Healthcare Communication**: This term is valuable for articles related to the interaction between healthcare providers and patients.
– **Moral Distress**: This keyword is used to find literature on ethical challenges and their impact on healthcare professionals.
– **Health Promotion**: This term is helpful in finding articles related to initiatives aimed at improving overall health.
– **Socioeconomic Status**: This phrase assists in identifying research on the impact of economic and social factors on health outcomes.

#### Effectiveness of Keywords and Search Strategies

The effectiveness of these keywords and search strategies has been significant in finding articles relevant to my clinical practice. Here’s the rationale:

1. **Relevance**: The keywords are directly related to key concepts and issues in healthcare, ensuring that the search results are pertinent to clinical practice. For instance, using “evidence-based practice” yields articles that discuss interventions and strategies supported by research, which is crucial for implementing effective patient care.

2. **Comprehensiveness**: Combining different databases and search engines expands the scope of available literature. PubMed and CINAHL, for example, offer extensive coverage of medical and nursing journals, ensuring comprehensive access to relevant studies.

3. **Precision**: Using specific phrases like “moral distress” or “clinical guidelines” helps in narrowing down the search to articles that address particular aspects of clinical practice, thus saving time and enhancing precision.

4. **Interdisciplinary Insights**: Databases like PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library provide access to interdisciplinary research, which is valuable for understanding the broader context of healthcare issues and integrating diverse perspectives into clinical practice.

### Conclusion

In summary, using a combination of reputable databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO, along with carefully selected keywords, has proven effective in identifying relevant articles for my Article Summary assignments. This approach ensures that I access comprehensive, precise, and interdisciplinary literature, which supports evidence-based practice and enhances my clinical knowledge and skills.

### References

– LoBiondo-Wood, G., & Haber, J. (2016). *Nursing Research: Methods and Critical Appraisal for Evidence-Based Practice* (8th ed.). Elsevier.
– Duke University Medical Center Library and Archives. (2019). The introduction to evidence-based practice tutorial – Acquire section. Retrieved from https://guides.mclibrary.duke.edu/ebptutorial
– HSL Instruction. (2013, May 14). Searching PubMed with MESH [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/gbrDIw2vFF4
– Carnegie Vincent Library. (2012, April 18). Annotated bibliographies: An illustrated guide [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/-LpgXJvQnEc