Problem
Mrs 'X an -year-old woman lives at home in the community. She has an acute wound on her right leg, which is managed by the community nurse at home. She asks you the community nurse, if she can have a shower, and take her dressing off with the normal tap water at home in the shower. She said this will assist the dressing to come off easily for her and then wait for your dressing. As a community nurse, you are unsure, if tap water as a solution for wound cleansing is safe. What would you do?
The research process begins with a clinical question (or situation) that requires you as the nurse to use your knowledge of best practice evidence to respond to your patient's question. In this case study you have been asked a question that requires you to draw on your knowledge of contemporary evidence to answer. Your knowledge of current research evidence is important to ensure you provide best-practice advice to Mrs X. It is important that you engage in a thoughtful, structured process in determining the most effective advice or response that is evidence-based and supported by contemporary research sources.
What does this structured process involve?
a) Break Mrs X scenario down into its key components. The template provided here uses the PICO format - Problem/Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcome
b) Can you identify search terms that might be used to search for research sources on the topic?
c) When you have your keywords identified how will you use them as a guide to formulate a clinical research question relevant to the topic?
d) Can you think of alternative terms or words that might be helpful in complementing your keywords?