The Hoffman Family Library provides support for nursing students completing course assignments and research projects. Using library services and resources will help you successfully achieve your learning objectives and prepare you to use information reso
This guide is a collection of resources for learning Evidence-based Nursing.
an overview
Welcome to the Research Starter for NUR 353!
If you have never done a research project before, you may be wondering where tos start! Knowing how to identify and assess scholarly information and apply it to your practice is an important skill in this profession. As part of your studies you will have various tasks and assignments that require you to work with the library resources. What resources should you use and how do you search them? This course guide will help you get started with finding research articles. Determining the answers to the questions above can be challenging, but by using this course guide you will be on your way! In this guide, you will learn:
It is easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer breadth of information available, and you can waste time if you look in the wrong place. For specific assistance finding articles for your upcoming assignment, please contact your Nursing Librarian (Cynthia Hunt), 860-913-2066, chunt@goodwin.edu. You can find Cynthia on the 1st Floor of the Hoffman Family Library. Drop in and visit for quick reference assistance. For in-depth one-on-one and small group assistance, please schedule an appointment in advance.
In the event that Cynthia is unavailable, feel free to contact another librarian at the Hoffman Family Library: 860-913-2042.
Encyclopedia of Nursing Research by 
Essentials of Nursing Research by 
Reading, Understanding, and Applying Nursing Research by Common terms you may come across related to research:
| Abstract | An article summary that is helpful in determining if an article will be relevant for your research. It will also help you understand the importance of the article before you read it. |
| Bias |
Prejudice or the lack of neutrality; A systematic deviation from the truth that affects the conclusions and occurs in the process or design of the research. |
| CINAHL |
Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. This is the main database to find nursing scholarly articles. |
| Citation | A reference to a specific source. For an article, this includes the author's name, the title of the article, the title of the publication, volume/issue numbers, and page numbers |
| Control Group | The group that does not receive the treatment, etc. |
| Database | A search engine (paid library subscription) |
| Data Collection | Acquiring existing information or developing new information |
| Embargo | When some recent articles available from a journal are not available electronically. This may differ based upon the publication, but can affect the most recent year - 5 years of articles. If you need an article that the Hoffman Family Library doesn't subscribe to, you can request it for free! |
| Randomized Controlled Trial | A planned experiment designed to compare outcomes of an intervention group and a control group of patients followed over identical periods; the methodologic standard of excellence for scientific experiments. |
| Research | It is a systematic, formal, rigorous, and precise process used to gain solutions to problems or discover and interpret new facts and relationships. |
| Nursing Research | Is systemic inquiry designed to develop knowledge about issues of importance to nurses, including nursing practice, nursing education, and nursing administration. |
| Survey | Nonexperiemental, focuses on obtaining information regarding status quo of situation through direct questioning |
List of selected nursing journal titles. Not a comprehensive list of journal holdings.
After following the link, if you land on a login page, please enter the following user ID and password to access the content:
User: good999
Password: library
This resource has limited access. You may receive a message about "trying again later" if others are logged in.
Content: EBSCO’s nursing database covering biomedicine, alternative/complementary medicine, consumer health, and allied health disciplines.
Purpose: Database for research in nursing, medicine, and consumer health.
Special Features: Strong qualitative studies. Filter studies by nurse as author, evidence-based practice, and type of study. Includes MESH indexing, PICO search functionality, text-to-speech feature for some articles, and a tool for discovering citing articles.
The premier full-text medical database. Contains scholarly articles on all health sciences topics.
SAGE Research Methods supports research at all levels by providing material to guide users through every step of the research process. Featuring a library with more than 1000 books, reference works, journal articles, and instructional videos by world-leading academics from across the social sciences, including the largest collection of qualitative methods books available online from any scholarly publisher, SAGE Research Methods is the essential online tool for researchers.
Content: A point-of-care, evidence-based clinical resource.
Purpose: Useful for quick information about conditions, drugs, etc.
Special Features: You will be prompted to create an account the first time you log into UpToDate that will allow you to search UpToDate and save reports using the default windows in Chrome or Firefox. The registration link might not work if you use a Chrome incognito window or Firefox private window. Students must be enrolled in selective Nursing program for access.
Content: Includes citations to millions of biomedical journal articles, as well as some books, book chapters, and reports.
Purpose: An essential database for biomedical and health topics
Special Features: Includes MeSH search functionality
SAGE Research Methods supports research at all levels by providing material to guide users through every step of the research process. Featuring a library with more than 1000 books, reference works, journal articles, and instructional videos by world-leading academics from across the social sciences, including the largest collection of qualitative methods books available online from any scholarly publisher, SAGE Research Methods is the essential online tool for researchers.
"An ongoing process by which evidence, nursing theory and the practitioners’ clinical expertise are critically evaluated and considered, in conjunction with patient involvement, to provide delivery of optimum nursing care for the individual" (Scott & McSherry, 2009, p. 1089).
"Evidence-Based Nursing (EBN) is an integration of the best evidence available, nursing expertise, and the values and and preferences of the individual, families, and communities who are served..." (Scott & McSherry, 2009, p. 1090).
Scott, K., & McSherry, R. (2009). Evidence‐based nursing: clarifying the concepts for nurses in practice. Journal of clinical nursing, 18(8), 1085-1095.
