Electronic PICO Posters Engage Students in Nursing Management

Abstract

BACKGROUNDEvidence-based practice (EBP) is the foundation for providing quality care that leads to improved patient outcomes. However, inadequate knowledge and skills in EBP relative to insufficient educational preparation prevent nurses from providing evidence-based care (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2015). According to Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt (2015), students must be taught the basics of EBP (question formation, searching, critical appraisal, and synthesis) in order to develop adequate knowledge and skills. Nursing educators value strategies that actively engage students in the critical appraisal, synthesis, and translation of research to improve health care.

Validating PICO Results With Nurse Managers Aids in Knowledge Translation

“…The student next searched five databases, then selected evidence using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist, and finally ranked the evidence using the Joanna Briggs Institute level of evidence hierarchy (2014). The student summarized these steps and the PICO results on an electronic poster (Davis & Eastland, ).…”

“…Faculty frequently search for teaching strategies that build the prelicensure student’s skill set for future contributions to an EBP culture. One strategy for meeting this need is to engage nursing students enrolled in a leadership and management course in the creation of an electronic PICO poster that summarizes the population of interest, intervention needed for practice, comparison if available, and outcomes related to practice (Davis & Eastland, ). A leadership and management course can further develop those skills through a PICO stakeholder interview.…”