Focused Clincal Research Questions in the Field of Nursing

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Focused Clinical Research Questions
Discovering new information applicable to the field of nursing begins by asking a focused clinical research question. According to Stone (2002), asking the appropriate question is essential for the research process that follows. Although there are countless nursing problems that are worth investigating, it is imperative to narrow the focus of the problems so they can be empirically tested (Adams, 2012). Personal clinical experience, professional literature, previous research, and current nursing theories are a few examples of sources where research questions can be identified (Adams, 2012). The purpose of this paper is to explain the connection between research and evidence-based practice, discuss how focused clinical questions are developed, and identify the key components of the PICO model as it relates to a research article.
Discussion
Research and Evidence-Based Practice
Research is a systematic process that ultimately leads to the development of new knowledge and solutions to problems or questions (Adams, 2012). Evidence-based practice is the use of the best scientific evidence available to support clinical decisions when caring for individuals or groups of patients (Santos, Pimenta, & Nobre, 2007). The connection between research and evidence-based practice is derived from the fact that nurses use solutions found in research to validate and refine existing nursing knowledge. As a result, nursing practice is impacted. (Adams, 2012). In addition, the goal for conducting nursing research is not only to improve patient outcomes, but also to provide credibility to the nursing profession through evidence-based practice (Adams, 2012). Therefore, research provides the foundation for the develo...

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...ssociation (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
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