N375 Research and Evidence-based Practice

Evidence-based Project Assignment Part 2

Literature table guideline, examples and template

A literature table is a tool for helping you to extract relevant information from research articles when
writing a literature review or developing an evidence-based project. It will help you to organize your
critique of each article and enable you to make comparisons. You should include the following information
in each column in the table in the form of brief notes (you do not need to write in full sentences – use bullet
points if appropriate) – remember, this is a tool to help you to summarize information. Each article should
be limited to no more than one page – minimum font size 10 point. Examples are included below. BE SURE
TO USE THE TEMPLATE ON PAGE 8 OF THIS DOCUMENT, NOT THE TABLE BELOW FOR YOUR ENTRIES.

COLUMN HEADING INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED

Citation Include the full citation of the article (author(s), year, title, journal, volume number,
issue number, page numbers) in this column including the doi if available.

Purpose Identify what the study is setting out to achieve? Are there stated aims, goals or
objectives? What are the research questions? Is the study evaluating a specific
intervention? If so, describe it here

Study Which group of people is the study sample drawn from? How was the sample
population/Sample/ chosen? (e.g. random sample, stratified sample, purposive sample, convenience
Setting sample) How many were in the sample that was selected? How many actually
participated in the study (i.e. what was the response rate)? Where was the study
undertaken (e.g setting and geographical location).

Study Design/ Is the study design qualitative or quantitative, or both? If quantitative, what was the
Methods/ specific design of the study (for example: randomized controlled trial, quasi-
experiment, cross-sectional survey, longitudinal survey, cohort study)? If the research
was qualitative, what perspective guided the study (for example: phenomenology,
ethnography, grounded theory, constructivism) – or was this not stated?
What methods were used to collect the data (survey tools, interviews, observation,
clinical measurement tools)? If specific measurement tools were used, include the
name in this column.
Result(s)/ Include the most important findings from the study here – those that are relevant to
Main Findings your PICO or research question. For a quantitative study, include relevant descriptive
statistics and differences between groups on the major variable of interest and
whether they are statistically significant (include effect size and p values). For
qualitative studies, include the main themes that are relevant to your PICOt or
research question.
Themes/Implications What are the main points to emerge from this item of literature that are relevant to
your PICOt question? Are there implications for practice, education or research?
Level of evidence and What is the level of evidence represented by the study? (use the Ackley et al. 2008
Critique ratings – Level I – VII). What are the main strengths and limitations of the study in your
opinion?

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 Literature table examples for PICO question: In patients in an Intensive Care Unit, how does implementation of a sleep protocol
improve the duration and quality of patients’ sleep compared with usual care?
Example 1 – Quantitative study
Citation Purpose Study Study Design/ Result(s)/ Themes/ Level of evidence
population/ Methods/ Main Findings Implications/ and Critique
Sample/
Setting
Ritmala-Castren, M., To describe the Alert, non-intubated, Descriptive, Median total sleep Quality of sleep of Level VI
Virtanen, I., Leivo, S., quality of sleep of non-sedated adult observational study time was 6.5 h (95% patients in ICU is
Kaukonen, K., & non-intubated Patients (n = 21) CI 2.8, 8.1) ranging mostly poor and very PSG is the most
Leino-Kilpi, H. (2015). patients in an Overnight from 0 to 10.3 h fragmented. objective measure of
Sleep and nursing intensive care unit 24-bed, mixed adult polysomnography Only five patients had sleep.
care activities in an To describe the night- ICU caring for the from time when at least small periods There is huge
intensive care unit. time nursing care most critically nurse documented of all four sleep variation in the Did not record day-
Nursing & Health activities ill patients, mainly that patient was stages. quality of sleep time sleep so findings
Sciences, 17(3), 354- To evaluate the mechanically ready to sleep Number of arousals between patients. do not represent
361. effect of nursing care ventilated and (average 9.37pm) varied from 2 -73 per total sleep in 24hrs.
doi:10.1111/nhs.121 activities on the sedated. until first awakening hour (MD 27 (15, Clustering of nursing
95/ quality of sleep after 5.00 when 39)). MD time care activities helps Finland health care
Patient rooms had patient did not go interval between to promote sleep system may operate
beds for 2 – 5 back to sleep (latest care activities was 47 within an ICU. differently.
patients. Nurse 7.00am). (22, 102) min.
present at all times Patients who slept Research findings are
Finland Bedside nurse longer had less inconsistent;
documented all fragmented sleep therefore further
patient care that (rho = −638, P = studies with larger
involved touching the 0.002). samples and accurate
patient (instrument Most common measurement of
developed for study). nursing care activities sleep using PSG are
Analysis involved were changing the needed.
blinding to patient’s patient’s position and
clinical background. obtaining a blood
sample.
 Example 2 – qualitative study
Citation Purpose Study Study Design/ Result(s)/ Themes/ Level of evidence
population/ Methods/ Main Findings Implications/ and Critique
Sample/
Setting
Tembo, A. C., Parker, To describe the Patients in ICU Qualitative Main emergent Clinicians need to Level VI
V., & Higgins, I. experience of Ventilated for at least theme was ‘being in recognize and
(2013). The critical illness in ICU 48 hours Hermeneutic limbo’. promote the ICU in Australia –
experience of sleep with daily sedation Undergone DSI phenomenology Sleep deprivation importance of sleep practices may be
deprivation in interruption (DSI) and 18 years and over was a major concern for patients in ICU. different
intensive care how this impacted English speaking Face-to-face for 8/12 participants.
patients: Findings the No cognitive interviews 2 weeks Two main themes Practices are needed Findings provide little
from a larger participants’ impairment following discharge related to sleep were to shield patients information on the
hermeneutic continued existence. from ICU identified: ‘longing from witnessing causes of sleep
phenomenological N = 12 2nd interview for sleep’ and ‘being death in ICU. deprivation from the
study. Intensive & conducted with 8 tormented by perspective of
Critical Care Nursing, 16 bed ICU in a large participants after 6 – nightmares. Models of care that participants so are
29(6), 310-316. regional referral 11 months Participants were seek to prevent and limited in terms of
doi:10.1016/j.iccn.20 hospital in New ‘frightened by death alleviate sleep identifying
13.05.003 South Wales (NSW), Interviews were in a place where disturbances in and interventions that
Australia (note audio-recorded and death was pervasive’ beyond ICU are might be effective in
inconsistency in transcribed, resulting (p314). needed to promote promoting sleep.
paper – suggests 16- in ‘thick description’ Good sleep after both quality and
bed in abstract, 22- of events. returning home was quantity of sleep in
bed in body of text) Thematic analysis of seen as a ‘symbol of and beyond ICU.
Staff ratio 1:1 or 1:2 transcripts was recovery’ (p315).
depending on undertaken using a Patients struggled to Concerns about sleep
severity. ‘creative regain restorative are not universal
hermeneutic process’ sleep following among ICU patients.
(p313). discharge.
 Literature table template for completion (rows can be expanded but limit each entry to no more than one page)
Citation Purpose Study Study Design/ Result(s)/ Themes/ Level of evidence
population/ Methods/ Main Findings Implications/ and Critique
Sample/
Setting
1.

2.

3.
N375 EVIDENCE-BASED PROJECT: RUBRIC FOR LITERATURE TABLE
STUDENT:
Literature table Criterion Points Comments
(20 points x 3)
Article 1  The article is relevant to the
PICOT question and is a single
research article (4 points)

 Columns are completed

accurately according to the
guidelines (6 points)

 The amount of detail is

appropriate (6 points)

 Presentation is consistent
with current APA guidelines (2
points)

 Grammar/punctuation and
spelling are mostly accurate
(2 points)

TOTAL ART 1
Article 2  The article is relevant to the
PICOT question and is a single
research article (4 points)

 Columns are completed

accurately according to the
guidelines (6 points)

 The amount of detail is

appropriate (6 points)
  Presentation is consistent with
current APA guidelines (2
points)

 Grammar/punctuation and
spelling are mostly accurate (2
points)

TOTAL ART 2
Article 3  The article is relevant to the
PICOT question and is a single
research article (4 points)

 Columns are completed

accurately according to the
guidelines (6 points)

 The amount of detail is

appropriate (6 points)

 Presentation is consistent with

current APA guidelines (2
points)

 Grammar/punctuation and
spelling are mostly accurate (2
points)

TOTAL ART 3
FINAL SCORE
Comments: