SUBDOMAIN 724.

8 - EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE & APPLIED NURSING RESEARCH

Competency 724.8.1: Primary Research - The graduate recognizes basic scientific
research concepts and techniques, appreciates the ethics of nursing research, recognizes
researchable questions, uses evaluative skills to critique current nursing research, and
identifies statistical types.
Competency 724.8.2: Translation of Research Evidence and Evidence Summary The graduate applies concepts of nursing research to clinical practice situations, conducts
reviews of the literature in relation to therapeutic approaches, and recognizes the
importance of theoretical models in nursing practice or research.
Introduction:
Peer-reviewed research reports are reports reviewed by other credible experts in the field.
Nursing, as a profession, uses peer-reviewed primary research reports to make credible and
evidence-based practice implications and recommendations in the clinical area.
In this task, you will collect and analyze 10 research reports (primary research evidence) on
one topic of interest to you in nursing practice or healthcare.
Requirements:
A. Select a piece of primary research (original research reports) from a research journal that
has nursing implications and critique the article (suggested length of 23 pages) by
doing the following:
Note: Please notice that you can collect 10 research reports first and then select one of
those to complete aspect A of this task.
1. Identify the article you have chosen in an APA-formatted citation.
2. Design a visual representation (e.g., graph or chart) to show how the researcher
addressed the five areas of a research report (background information or
introduction, review of the literature, discussion of methodology, specific data
analysis, and conclusion).
Note: You may use the following table.
A1
A2
A2
A2
A2
A2

Article: (indicate primary evidence chosen by way of an APA citation)

Background or Introduction
Review of the Literature
Discussion of Methodology
Data Analysis
Researchers conclusion

3. Based on your analysis of the five areas, assess whether the evidence presented in
the research report supports the researchers conclusion.
4. Discuss ethical issues that may have arisen for the researcher while conducting the
research for the article.
5. Discuss the type of research used for the study.
a. Explain whether or not other types of research would have been appropriate in the
same situation.

B. Conduct a literature search to evaluate nursing care or management implications of a

nursing intervention by doing the following:
1. Discuss evidence for a nursing care or management problem.
2. Complete the attached matrix to list 10 research sources, in APA format, from
scholarly journal sources you locate in major medical databases (e.g., CINAHL,
PubMed, MedLine, or a hard copy journal).
Note: In aspect B you should gather 9 more pieces of similar research on the same
topic as in aspect A so you have a total of 10 pieces of research to make a practice
implication (a minimum of 8 authors should be used).
Note: You have access to major medical databases within the WGU Library.
Note: You may submit your completed matrix as a separate attachment to the task
or you may include the matrix within your paper.
Note: Credible sources may include professional journals, research reports,
professional Web sites, governmental reports, and presentations from professional
meetings. Research articles must not be more than ten years old.
3. Conduct a review of the 10 peer-reviewed research articles in which you do the
following:
a. Develop an annotated bibliography (suggested length of 23 pages) of the
articles.
Note: An annotated bibliography is one that includes not only a brief summary of
content for each book or article reviewed, but also contains other relevant comments
and information that the candidate believes can be of help for future study. See Web
Links below for more information on annotated bibliographies.
b. Discuss whether the researchers evidence collected is adequate to make a
recommendation for a practice change.
c. Identify the tools the researchers chose to use.
i. Discuss whether the researchers chose tools that were similar or different.
d. Discuss whether you believe the tools the researchers chose could have affected
their results.
4. Develop an evidence summary of the articles, identifying at least two key criteria that
were used to develop it.
5. Recommend a specific nursing strategy based on the researchers recommendations
and evidence you found in your review.
6. Explain why you believe it is important to use a theoretical model for nursing
research.
C. When you use sources, include all in-text citations and references in APA format.
Note: For definitions of terms commonly used in the rubric, see the Rubric Terms web link
included in the Evaluation Procedures section.
Note: When using sources to support ideas and elements in an assessment, the submission
MUST include APA formatted in-text citations with a corresponding reference list for any
direct quotes or paraphrasing. It is not necessary to list sources that were consulted if they
have not been quoted or paraphrased in the text of the assessment.

Note: No more than a combined total of 30% of a submission can be directly quoted or
closely paraphrased from outside sources, even if cited correctly. For tips on using APA
style, please refer to the APA Handout web link included in the APA Guidelines section.