Module 3 Entry

In this module, I learned a lot about information retrieval.  First, I used CINAHL, which is an index to research my clinical problem.  I found it very user friendly, and found it intuitive to search using Boolean phrases.  It was easy to focus my search using PICO as my guide (Patient/Problem, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome.)  I was comfortable with this source, because CINAHL is highly recommended, and I found references from academic, peer reviewed journal articles.  I next referenced the National Guideline Clearing House, and found various guideline syntheses of research regarding my clinical problem.  Two areas I found especially helpful were area of agreement and difference; and comparison of recommendations.  I was comfortable utilizing this source because it is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Lastly, I conducted searches using the web search engines, Google Scholar and Google.  On Google Scholar, I found scholarly articles, but most of them were too old to be considered relevant.  My Google search identified newer information, but most of the sources were questionable, and I would not feel comfortable using them in my practice.  In my future practice, I will include electronic indices, such as PubMed, CINAHL, and other scholarly indices, along with the National Guideline Clearing House so that I can include evidence based guidelines when treating my patients.