Patient falls have a substantial impact on patient treatment and outcomes. Patients’ falls can result in fractures, concussions, and internal bleeding, all of which complicate patient care. Patient falls lengthen their stay in the hospital. They also add to the workload of nurses who are already overworked. Patient care costs go up, and everyone suffers because of a patient falling and, more importantly, being wounded as a result of the fall. The elderly are at a higher risk of falling. Health practitioners must employ evidence-based measures to limit the number of people who fall due to the rising incidence of falls and changing demographics (Ashari, 2021).

PICOT Question: In hospitalized patients, does schedule hourly rounding versus nonscheduled hourly rounding by nurses reduce the number of falls in the hospitalized patient.

            P- Hospitalized patient

I- scheduled hourly rounding

C- nonscheduled hourly rounding

O- number of falls reduction

T- within six months

When developing my PICOT question, I focused on a theme that is relevant in clinical research. I searched through the Walden library books for publications about PICOT. I included significant keywords to help with the literature search. Two distinct databases from the Walden library were used to conduct this search. To find relevant articles for this topic, I utilized CINAHL Plus with Full Text and Medline with Full Text. These databases contain peer-reviewed scientific research on a variety of key academic and professional topics.

Search Terms: Keywords used include hourly rounding, hospitalization, number of falls, and patient.

Databases used: To perform this literature search, I used various databases at the Walden library. The literature search was conducted using databases such as CINAHL Plus with Full Text and Medline with Full Text.

Search strategy and results: I began my search by entering the terms hourly rounding and fall prevention into the search box. A total of 100 items were found in the search field’s results. In the search field, I also typed in hourly rounding in hospitals. This resulted in the publication of 55 articles. I also searched hourly rounding and patient satisfaction, which yielded 38 results. From the 38 results, I chose four pertinent peer-reviewed publications relating to patient falls and the implications of hourly rounding on this topic.           

Strategies to Improve Effectiveness of Database Search

            Keywords are required to guarantee that a literature search is effective and thorough. The database uses keywords to find articles that provide information about the topic of interest. Furthermore, the query entered into the search bar must be relevant. Typing in a relevant question improves the database search’s rigor and effectiveness. According to Zwakman et al. (2018), turning the clinical issue into a searchable, answered question is a good way to start a research endeavor. Enough information on the issue cannot be acquired unless the question is worded in such a way that it is searchable and answerable. Another effective strategy to improve the rigor and effectiveness of research is to combine search words. Combining search phrases is another approach used to ensure the rigor and effectiveness of the database search (Stillwell et al., 2010). To obtain manageable articles that answer the PICOT query, I may need to combine the words using “AND” or “OR” rather than searching each phrase separately.

To summarize, a database search requires a searchable and answered question. To ensure that the relevant information is received from the search results, this search must be executed systematically. The PICOT style is the finest approach to defining a research question, and it helps direct the database search for relevant literature on the research topic.    

 References

Ashari, A., Hamid, T. A., Hussain, M. R., Ibrahim, R., & Hill, K. D. (2021). Prevalence, circumstances, and risk factors of falls among community-dwelling members of University of the third age. Frontiers in Public Health, 9. 

Stillwell, S.B., Fineout-Overhold, E., Melnyk, B.M., & Williamson, K.M. (2010). Evidence-based practice step-by-step: Searching for evidence. American Journal of Nursing, 110(5), 41-47.

Zwakman,M., Verberne,L.M., Kars,M.C., Hooft,L., van Delden,J.J., &  Spijker,R.(2018). 

 Introducing PALETTE: an iterative method for conducting a literature search for a review in palliative care. BMC Palliative Care, 17(1), 19.