Step 0: Cultivate a spirit of inquiry – choosing a topic
My group decided on a topic relatively fast. We all agreed that doing a topic which focuses on women would be best for our group. We began thinking of situations that some women face and explored research on various topics. We decided that we wanted to focus on the use of contraception and cancer in women. However, we had a hard time choosing what specific cancer we wanted to base our research on.
Step 1: Ask the burning clinical question in PICOT format
Once my group decided we wanted to focus on the effects of hormonal contraception use and its affect on ovarian cancer we struggled with finding the proper wording for our PICOT question. However, once we looked at the provided documents on various ways to set up a PICOT question we quickly decided which format would best suit what we were trying to express in our PICOT question. We worked collectively on the choice of wording we wanted to use and incorporated each members opinions to make a PICOT question we all agreed on.
Step 2: Search for and collect the most relevant evidence – finding articles
With the unforeseen circumstances causing us to be taking classes online my group worked extremely well through this unknown situation. The first time we utilized ZOOM as a group was to discuss what articles we wanted to use. We each were on the database looking for articles we thought were appropriate for our topic. We would read the articles we found and share them with our group members to see if they considered the article useful. If we were able to be in the same room I feel like it would have been easier to choose the articles because communication between members would be easier, however I believe we did a great job with the help of ZOOM.
Step 3: Critically appraise the evidence – Part I (rapid critical appraisal)
I believe my group did well with the designation of the rapid critical appraisal worksheets. We each chose an article to be the most informed on and did the rapid critical appraisal worksheets associated with that article. We all had an understanding of each article however, took a deeper dive into one article specifically. Having a deep understanding of one article was helpful when constructing the paper however, I had to keep going back into the other articles to remember exact key points.
Step 3: Critically appraise the evidence – Part II (evidence table & annotated bibliography)
Creating the evidence table was somewhat of a challenge. Each group member was able to fill in a section on the table and the other group members reviewed all sections to make sure the information was correct. However, I wish I was more familiar with the other two articles as it would have made this process easier when double checking information in the table. We did a great job writing our annotated bibliography. My group had a good understanding of the assignment and completed it well.
Step 3: Critically appraise the evidence – Part III (synthesis – writing the paper)
During this step of the writing process my group relied on ZOOM. We created a shared Google Doc where we could all create and write on the paper together while also communicating through ZOOM. We did a great job of sharing opinions on the way we think our paper should be written and developed compromises if there were any disagreements on what we were expressing. We did not write the synthesis of literature while on ZOOM, we each completed that section on our own and put in on the Google Doc for our group members to read and critique. I believe if we wrote that section together we could have made out paper flow better than it did.
Final Reflection:
Overall, I believe my group did an excellent job working together to complete this project and embraced the writing process to the fullest. Following the steps of the writing process made the final development of the paper come together much easier than it would if we jumped right into creating a draft after gathering articles. As a future nurse, my employer will be assessing my skills during the hiring process and I believe having a background in evidence-based practice would contribute greatly to my resume. It shows I have an understanding of how to develop a logical PICOT question and collect research to present to other faculty to investigate policy changes. I plan on using evidence-based practice throughout my nursing career. Having experience in this area will allow me to not only treat the medical needs of my patient but to be up to date on new techniques or interventions that will provide them with the best standard of care possible.
Final Paper:
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