Lynn Rew1. 1. The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, USA. ellerew@mail.utexas.edu
Abstract
PURPOSE: With current emphasis on evidence-based practice, nurses are searching for answers to questions generated at the bedside. One method to identify and evaluate the existing evidence is to conduct or read a systematic review of the literature. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of conducting a systematic review of literature. CONCLUSION: Defining attributes, rationale for, and steps in conducting systematic reviews are presented. Examples from published reviews on pediatric nursing are included. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Pediatric nurses may consult professionally prepared systematic reviews, such as The Cochrane Collection, or conduct their own reviews with the help of electronic search engines.
PURPOSE: With current emphasis on evidence-based practice, nurses are searching for answers to questions generated at the bedside. One method to identify and evaluate the existing evidence is to conduct or read a systematic review of the literature. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of conducting a systematic review of literature. CONCLUSION: Defining attributes, rationale for, and steps in conducting systematic reviews are presented. Examples from published reviews on pediatric nursing are included. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Pediatric nurses may consult professionally prepared systematic reviews, such as The Cochrane Collection, or conduct their own reviews with the help of electronic search engines.