The electronic index was helpful to find reviews and scientific studies on my topic. Through boolean operators and narrowing my topic I was able to locate relevant clinical trials and recommendations for practice. The guideline index is a great secondary source of information. It contains the current practice guidelines on hundreds of topics. I was able to find information on pain management in the elderly and depending on the reason, I would be able to use some of the guidelines I found. The search engine is a great way to see what is out there. Google Scholar helps to narrow the results to more "academic" topics but lacks the ability to narrow the search as efficiently as databases such as PubMed and Cochran. The Eccles library has a list of links to information indexes. These are wonderful alternate sources for information. Reference lists from articles of interest can also be used to find information. Context relevant information can be useful when formulating or modifying research questions, or when looking for keywords to narrow down or expand a search. "High-precision searching is the ideal method for the clinical nurse specialist" (Poynton, 2003, p. 182). Through practice using various types of information retrieval systems, we can conduct high-precision searches that save us time and find the relevant information we need for clinical practice.
Poynton, M.R. (2003) Recall to precision: Retrieving clinical information with medline. Clinical Nurse Specialist 17(4)182-184.
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