Assignment Guidance: Implementing Evidence Based Practice (All Fields)
Summative Assessment: 3000 words assignment will be on your chosen area of evidence-based practice, and Pass Mark is 40 %.
You are required to submit a journal style paper outlining your chosen area of evidence-based practice.
As part of this assessment, you should generate a research question, which is specifically relevant to your own chosen field of nursing. You should devise and implement a related search strategy, utilising appropriate databases. The search should end with the selection of 6 primary source research articles. You should review and appraise the selected research articles. You will identify one key area from your literature review that could potentially be implemented in a practice setting. Using an implementation model, you will discuss related issues for successful implementation
Topic
Providing safe and effective care through the implementation of digital healthcare technologies – Digital healthcare technologies can play a significant role in helping to provide safe and effective care to patients. Some examples of how these technologies can be used include:
Electronic health records (EHRs): EHRs are digital versions of a patient’s medical record that can be accessed by authorized healthcare providers. By using EHRs, healthcare providers can more easily access and share important patient information, such as diagnoses, medications, and test results, which can help to improve the accuracy and timeliness of care.
Telemedicine: Telemedicine technologies allow healthcare providers to remotely diagnose and treat patients using video conferencing and other remote communication tools. This can help to improve access to care for patients who live in underserved or remote areas, or who have mobility limitations.
Clinical decision support systems: Clinical decision support systems use algorithms and other tools to provide healthcare providers with recommendations for diagnosis and treatment based on the patient’s medical history and current symptoms. These systems can help to improve the accuracy and efficiency of care by providing healthcare providers with evidence-based guidance.
Patient portals: Patient portals are online platforms that allow patients to access their medical records, communicate with their healthcare providers, and manage their health information. Patient portals can help to empower patients to take an active role in their own healthcare and improve communication between patients and providers.
By implementing these and other digital healthcare technologies, healthcare providers can help to improve the safety and effectiveness of care for their patients.
Structuring the essay
Article title: The title should provide an outline of your chosen area of evidence-based practice, this needs to be concise, accurate and informative and 10-15words long
Abstract: The main question, methods, findings, and conclusions of the review (200–250 advised, but words not included in the overall 3000-word count)
Background: Present the background information related to your chosen area of evidence-based practice and the reasons for your review. Introduce your formulated question using PICO or PEO and clearly state the aim of your literature review (400 – 450 words)
Methods: You will need to look at the evidence base for your chosen topic. This will require an effective literature review and a clear but brief account of your search strategy. This will require the identification of 6 primary research articles. Key words, exclusion and inclusion criteria, utilised databases can be presented as Tables in-text. You should utilise an appropriate appraisal tool, briefly highlight the tool and the results in-text (450-500 words)
Findings: The findings of these six research studies should be stated with an overall summary and synthesis of the results. Note the main points/themes/issues of the literature in relation to your research question (750 – 800 words)
Implementation of best practice: Identify a key issue/intervention from your review of the research findings that could be implemented in clinical practice. Using an implementation model as a framework, consider how you would implement the approach in practice taking into account key stakeholders (900 – 1000 words)
Conclusion: Complete your article with a brief conclusion drawing together the key ideas that specifically answered your research question and summarise implications of your findings for practice (200 – 250 words).
Referencing – should follow Harvard referencing, with a minimum of 30 references
All assignments will be submitted electronically through Moodle according to the guidance below:
Document Layout
* 2.0 line spacing
* Size 12 font Arial
* Page number as a footer on all pages
* Your name must not be on any part of your script
Assignment Guidance: Implementing Evidence Based Practice (All
Fields)
• Summative Assessment: 3000 words assignment will be on your chosen area of evidence-based
practice, and Pass Mark is 40 %.
• You are required to submit a journal style paper outlining your chosen area of evidence-based
practice.
• As part of this assessment, you should generate a research question, which is specifically relevant
to your own chosen field of nursing. You should devise and implement a related search strategy,
utilising appropriate databases. The search should end with the selection of 6 primary source
research articles. You should review and appraise the selected research articles. You will identify
one key area from your literature review that could potentially be implemented in a practice
setting. Using an implementation model, you will discuss related issues for successful
implementation
Assignment Guidance: Implementing Evidence Based
Practice (All Fields)
1. Providing safe and effective care through the implementation of digital healthcare technologies
Assignment Guidance: Implementing
Evidence Based Practice (All Fields)
• Structuring the essay
• Article title: The title should provide an outline of your chosen area of evidence-based practice, this needs to be concise,
accurate and informative and 10-15words long
• Abstract: The main question, methods, findings, and conclusions of the review (200–250 advised, but words not included
in the overall 3000-word count)
• Background: Present the background information related to your chosen area of evidence-based practice and the reasons
for your review. Introduce your formulated question using PICO or PEO and clearly state the aim of your literature review
(400 – 450 words)
• Methods: You will need to look at the evidence base for your chosen topic. This will require an effective literature review
and a clear but brief account of your search strategy. This will require the identification of 6 primary research articles. Key
words, exclusion and inclusion criteria, utilised databases can be presented as Tables in-text. You should utilise an
appropriate appraisal tool, briefly highlight the tool and the results in-text (450-500 words)
Assignment Guidance: Implementing Evidence Based Practice
(All Fields)
• Findings: The findings of these six research studies should be stated with an overall summary and synthesis of the results. Note the main points/
themes/issues of the literature in relation to your research question (750 – 800 words)
• Implementation of best practice: Identify a key issue/intervention from your review of the research findings that could be implemented in
clinical practice. Using an implementation model as a framework, consider how you would implement the approach in practice taking into
account key stakeholders (900 – 1000 words)
• Conclusion: Complete your article with a brief conclusion drawing together the key ideas that specifically answered your research question and
summarise implications of your findings for practice (200 – 250 words).
• Referencing – should follow Harvard referencing, with a minimum of 30 references
• All assignments will be submitted electronically through Moodle according to the guidance below:
• Document Layout
• * 2.0 line spacing
• * Size 12 font Arial
• * Page number as a footer on all pages – Your name must not be on any part of your script
Healthcare technologies
• Telehealth – monitoring, coaching, triage, consultation
• Mobile devices – use of smart phones and apps – remote
advice & support, health education
• Medication scanners
• Location sensors
• Electronic health records
Assignment Workshop
Implementing Best Practice Module
This workshop complements your
assignment guidelines
Assignment Structure
Article title
Abstract
Key words up to 6
Background
Methods
Findings
Implementation of best practice
Conclusion
Reference List
Be exact
•If you were thinking of submitting a manuscript to a
specific journal you would have to meet the article
requirements and this includes a specific structure – if
you failed to do so, your unpublished work will be
immediately sent back
• This assignment requires students to utilise this EXACT
STRUCTURE
• There should be no additional sections – this will
waste valuable words and lose marks
Right Order
• Your sections should be presented in the order specified in the
assignment guidance
• Why is this important?
• The order of sections of discussion aids the logical sequencing and
logical flow of your discussion
• If you mix up the sequence – this can lead to confusion and a lack of
clarity – losing marks
• Therefore, the marker should see this specific structure presented in
the right order
What’s in a Title
• The title should provide an outline of your chosen area of evidence based practice
• This needs to be concise, accurate and informative and 10-15words
long
• Note that this should not be your specific research question
• Why is important?
• This is the first part of your article that a potential reader will see &
it supports the decision on whether to read your full article
• Therefore it needs to grab the readers attention
• However, it also needs to be an accurate representation of the
overall content
Example
Title: Public involvement in primary care: an analysis of policy
implementation
Research Question: How is public involvement defined and
operationalised within Primary Care Groups ?
Abstract
What should be include:
Research question
Methods
Findings
Conclusion
*the abstract is written after the entire paper as its a synopsis of the
article
(200–250 words advised, but words not included in the overall 3000-
word count)
What is its purpose
• This section is a short, concise summary of your overall article
• Academically
• To aid the reader in determining the articles relevance to their own area of
research interest (part of your database analysis will start with a review of
abstracts)
• Can act as a vehicle to communicate main points of the article for readers who
do not have the time to read the full article
• Often a requirement for conference oral or poster presentation – so it will
form part of your dissemination strategy
TIP: You can leave writing this section until after you have completed
your assignment as this will help with summarising your main points but
remember it should be located in the appropriate place within the
assignment structure – following your article title
Background
• Present the background information related to your
chosen area of evidence-based practice and the
reasons for your review.
•Introduce your formulated question using PICO or PEO
and clearly state the aim of your literature review (400
– 450 words)
Back It Up
• The majority of this section should focus the presentation of information
related to you specific area of EBP. You do not need to established the
importance of EBP
• Use up-to-date reference sources to support your discussion – this relates to
level of currency (sources no older than five years, this includes statistics)
• Such sources should reflect breadth & diversity – use different types of sources
on the same subject (research, clinical experience/viewpoint, policy, regulatory
bodies – this will be dependent on your chosen subject).
• Identify why this area is important – note that you should use the literature to
support this rather than give a personal perspective – the marker should NOT
see first person e.g., ‘I feel this is important because …’
• Indeed, do not use first person at all through the assignment
Practice the Art of Being Concise
• Introduce your formulated question using PICO or PEO and clearly
state the aim of your literature review
• This is a descriptive element within the Background section –
therefore, it needs to be kept to a minimum in relation to word use
• You need to briefly introduce your research question, link to PICO/PEO
and the aim of the literature review
• E.g. This article will conduct a literature review to answer the research
question [insert question], conducting a search strategy informed by
PICO/PEO [insert your PICO/PEO], with a summary and synthesis of
key findings. Implications for nursing practice will be explored through
the use of an implementation framework.
Methods
This section should give a clear but brief account of your search strategy
The Search Include: (you are allowed up to 3 tables, which are not part of the word
count)
• Identify the database/s that you have utilised
• Keywords can be presented as a Table
• Inclusion & Exclusion criteria can be presented as a Table
• Identify Use of Boolean Operators
• Identify number of original hits – data sifting should be linked to use of the
inclusion/exclusion criteria and any limiters used
• This should lead on to identification of 6 PRIMARY RESEARCH articles
Assessment of Quality
• You should identify & utilise an appropriate appraisal tool
• Briefly highlight the tool and the results in-text (e.g. CASP)
• Again, this is a descriptive element – so it important to keep this concise and
there is no need to give an overly detailed account of each article – if you have
used a tool that gives a numerical score – you can include this in-text (450-500
words)
Findings
The findings of these six research studies should be
stated with an overall summary and synthesis of the
results. Note the main points/themes/issues of the
literature in relation to your research question (750 –
800 words)
Summary & Synthesis
• When discussing your research articles – please use author and date
rather than numbering them e.g. Smiddy et al (2022) rather than
Article 1
• You will need to very briefly identify the research design of each study
– however, you are not required to critique the research itself
• This section requires you to read critically – get to know your six
articles in-depth particularly the findings – this is important for this
section but also for ‘Implementation of Best Practice’
• You will need to synthesise these findings
How do we synthesise?
• Learning Points
•If you present the findings of each study separately – e.g.
in six small paragraphs without the involvement of other
reference sources
• This is a descriptive summary that is under referenced
•It can also read like a list rather than a discussion
• This can gain some marks but how can you increase your
marks for this section?
Para One – Discussion of one article
Para Two – Discussion of one article
Para Three – Discussion of one article
Para Four – Discussion of one article
Para five – Discussion of one article
Para Six – Discussion of one article
Critical Analysis – Level 6
The key here – is to move your discussion to analysis, how?
• Use third person in your discussion
• Use comparative discussion
• What were the similarities and differences in the study findings?
• Similarities can be pulled together as key issues or themes
• Can you link these issues/themes to other references sources e.g. if you find that
a key theme is a lack of knowledge and training in relation to care of individuals
with long-term conditions – we can bring in NMC requirements to keep practice
up to date, we can link to the Long-Term Conditions Strategy – so we have not
only linked a number of research study findings, but also linked to standards and
policy
Para One – Key theme/issue
A number of your six articles with relatable findings
Add other appropriate reference sources – professional, policy, other research
Para Two – Key theme/issue
A number of your six articles with relatable findings
Add other appropriate reference sources – professional, policy, other research
Para Three – Key theme/issue
A number of your six articles with relatable findings
Add other appropriate reference sources – professional, policy , other research
Implementation of best practice
• Identify a key issue/intervention from your review of the
research findings that could be implemented in clinical
practice.
• Using an implementation model as a framework e.g., PARIHS
• Consider how you would implement the approach in practice
taking into account key stakeholders (900 – 1000 words)
Review Implementation Scenario/s
• Review six research articles – what can you take forward for
implementation – remember you just need one
• Training
• Initiatives
• Coping Strategies
• Interventions
• Tool
• It is important to pick an implementation model/framework that fits
your strategy rather than trying to fit your strategy to the model/
framework
• You should not use first person in your discussion
Learning Points
• This can be a section that is under referenced, too generalised and
does not utilise the stated word count – remember it is 900-1000
words, which highlights its importance
• Students state the implementation framework/model but do not
integrate into their discussion within the section – integrating your
framework moves your discussion more towards analysis
• The discussion is too generalised – and does not sufficiently link to the
stated area of implementation, always keep your initiative visible
when moving through your discussion
Learning Points
• Again, this can a section that is under referenced and rushed –
always ask yourself ‘can I support this discussion point with
another reference source’
• Again link to a diversity of sources, this shows a breadth of
reading
• Other theoretical concepts such as leadership, change/project
management, teamworking can be used
• Service user involvement may play a part in your
implementation initiative – if so then this is also a reference
source/s
• Leave enough time to complete this section
Conclusion
• Complete your article with a brief conclusion drawing together the key ideas
that specifically answered your research question and summarise implications
of your findings for practice (200 – 250 words).
• Pull together your research findings and points from the implementation,
ensure you have stated implications for practice
• There is no need to tell the marker about the mechanics
• I did a literature review
• I used an appraisal tool
• I analysed six research articles
• Do not use first person – keep to third person
• Again, this has the potential to be somewhat rushed so leave enough time to
complete an adequate conclusive paragraph
References
• This summative work should reflect Harvard
Referencing both in-text and within a well constructed
reference list – there should be at least 30 quality
sources
•It is clear from previous submissions – that for some
students this remains problematic
• We will be reviewing generic points in relation to
assignment writing and marking criteria next week.
