Formulating a PICO question-TOPICS???

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm ready to hit my head against the wall! I know the components of a PICO question, have formulated one in the past but today my brain is not functioning. I've spent the last 3hrs. searching Medline and CINHAL, basic topics (ie restraints, patient sitters, falls etc) to see if I can then come up with my question...but nothing. I have to find two articles on my PICO question and I think I'm just at a block. Any topic suggestions? It would be greatly appreciated!

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

What is a PICO question?

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Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.
Jolie said:
What is a PICO question?

That's what I was thinking....

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Specializes in SNF.

P-Population

I-Intervention

C-Comparison

O-Outcome

LOL! I just walked this walk! I just finished my evidence based paper review! WHEW!! Like nothing I've ever done before!

Anyway, I had the same frustration that you're feeling. I know that the teacher don't want you to look at studies and develop a PICO, but that's what I ended up doing. My area of interest is wound care. I went to the CINHAL database and entered wound care in, and chiseled away at what came back.

I ended up with something like "In patients requiring wound care, does tap water as compared to normal saline reduce the incidence of infection and decrease the cost of dressing changes?" I have a great professor, and was able to throw the PICO's at her and get her feedback. I would suggest that.

Best of luck! This was one of the toughest papers I've ever written, because it's a whole new language!

Teresa

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Congrats on finishing your paper! Evidence based research is killer! I'm looking through CINHAL now and think I'm on my way to developing my PICO question. Thanks for the idea!

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
Jolie said:
What is a PICO question?

One of the busy-work assignments that they throw at us instead of letting us use the time to continue to study core knowledge topics.

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Quote
One of the busy-work assignments that they throw at us instead of letting us use the time to continue to study core knowledge topics.

So true! I would much rather be studying for my psych nursing exam that's next Tuesday instead of trying to find research studies to support my PICO question!

Those of you that didn't know what a PICO question is, you're lucky because that means you weren't tortured with having to do an evidence based research paper!

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
CaringBella said:

Those of you that didn't know what a PICO question is, you're lucky because that means you weren't tortured with having to do an evidence based research paper!

Actually, we did such a paper. But it was called an "Evidence-based research paper." Imagine!

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Research Sucks! What a waste of time in a nursing program; I feel for you. I just finished all of this fun stuff not that long ago and NEVER want to re-live it. My advice: set your question based upon what you are interested in answering. For example what if you were interested in knowing "How do side effects, both physical and psychological, effect women who have experienced treatment for cervical cancer.."-radiation therapy, sex drive/life, effects of ADL's etc... I have used both data-bases mentioned and they are very useful if you know how to manipulate your research question. You may not find articles which match your question exactly, be able to adapt what you find to your original question. Goooood Luck!

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TheresaB930,

Do you still have the paper that you did the topic on, In patients requiring wound care, does tap water as compared to normal saline reduce the incidence of infection and decrease the cost of dressing changes?"

What did you put for Intervention and Outcome for the PICO question?

Michelle

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