In geriatric inpatients, does hand hygiene using soap and water compared to the use of hand sanitizers help in lessening the occurrences of Hospital Acquired Infection within three months?
Healthcare professionals use PICOT questions to clear clinical issues in a way that assists to efficiently and quickly find the right information to answer the clinical question (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2018). The purpose of the PICOT question is to direct the systematic search of healthcare databases to find the best available evidence to answer the question (Melnyk & Fine-out-Overholt, 2018). Understanding how to appropriately formulate a clinical question in PICOT format and using it systematically in your search is vital to efficiently begin the EBP process (Melnyk & Fine-out-Overholt, 2018). Systematically formulating a clinical question makes it possible to find an answer faster and proficiently, leading to enhanced methods and patient outcomes (Stillwell et al., 2010).
Question In geriatric inpatients, does hand hygiene using soap and water compared to the use of hand sanitizers help in lessening the occurrences of Hospital Acquired Infection within three months?
PICOT Question
In geriatric inpatients (P), does hand hygiene using soap and water (I) compared to the use of hand sanitizers(C), help in lessening of Hospital Acquired Infection (HAIs) incidences (O) within three months (T)?
Search Terms used
The search terms used were: Hand Hygiene, hand washing, Hospital-acquired infections, inpatient geriatrics, and hand sanitizers.
Database used
The two databases used were CINAHL Plus with Full Text and MEDLINE with Full Text.
Search Results
CINAHL Plus with Full Text produced 120 results, while MEDLINE with Full Text, which had 80 (Walden University Library, n.d. a). These presented both original research articles and systematic reviews. The search was restricted to articles within five years. Also, to conduct the search, the article towards the research question was used. It was all related to hand hygiene, hand washing, hand sanitizers, and hospital-acquired infections management. Two articles were from original research.
Addition of Boolean Operator
Adding the search terms using the Boolean operators changed my search significantly. The amounts of records returned were remarkably decreased and increased on the articles available based on their significance to my study. It expedited the accomplishment of more detailed results and helped save time as the results became more suitable for my desires. It also gets rid of unsuitable articles. Boolean operators and nesting help one search for combinations of words or phrases processed in a particular order (Library of Congress, n.d.).
Strategies to increase the rigor and effectiveness of a database search and example
The strategies I will make to increase the rigor and effectiveness of a database search for my PICOT question include: Using Boolean operators. The use of Boolean operators helps facilitates, confines the search to the most relevant results, and is more focused. I will also limit the search to a particular year range. Limiting the year range, this helps in returning current searches and also uses more than one database for my search, because everyone may have more articles. I will seek the help of a Librarian to assist me in the preliminary inquiry. Another strategy is using parentheses. The use of Parentheses will help me get the search I want.
References
Library of Congress. (n.d.). Search/browse help-Boolean Operator and nesting. Retrieved September 22, 2020, from https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/ui/en_US/htdocs/help/searchBoolean.html
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2018). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Stillwell, S. B., Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B. M., & Williamson, K. M. (2010). Evidence-based practice, step by step: asking the clinical question: a key step in evidence-based practice. AJN The American Journal of Nursing, 110(3), 58-61.
Walden University Library (n.d.-a). Databases A-Z. Retrieved September 22, 2020, from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/az.php?s=19981
