Author Question: A nurse writes the following PICOT question: How do patients with breast cancer rate their quality ... (Read 57 times)

melly21297 · **on:** Jul 22, 2018

A nurse writes the following PICOT question: How do patients with breast cancer rate their quality of life? How should the nurse evaluate this question?

a. A true PICOT question regardless of the number of elements
b. A true PICOT question because the intervention comes before the control
c. Not a true PICOT question because the comparison comes after the intervention
d. Not a true PICOT question because the time is not designated

Question 2

The nurse uses a PICOT question to develop an evidence-based change in protocol for a certain nursing procedure.

However, to make these changes throughout the entire institution would require more evidence than is available at this time. What is the nurse's best option?
a. Conduct a pilot study to investigate findings.
b. Drop the idea of making the change at this time.
c. Insist that management hire the needed staff to facilitate the change.
d. Seek employment in another institution that may have the staff needed.

enass · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: A
A meaningful PICOT question can contain only a P and O: How do patients with breast cancer (P) rate their quality of life (O)? Note that a well-designed PICOT question does not have to follow the sequence of P, I, C, O, and T. The aim is to ask a question that contains as many of the PICOT elements as possible.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
When evidence is not strong enough to apply in practice, the next option is to conduct a pilot study to investigate the PICOT question. Dropping the idea would be counterproductive; insisting that management hire staff could be seen as a mandate and could produce negative results. Seeking employment at another institution most likely would not be the answer because most institutions operate under similar established guidelines.