A nurse is reviewing literature for an evidence-based practice ...

[Ebrown]

A nurse is reviewing literature for an evidence-based practice study. Which study should the nurse use for the most reliable level of evidence that uses statistics to show effectiveness?
 
  a. Meta-analysis
  b. Systematic review
  c. Single random controlled trial
  d. Control trial without randomization

Question 2

The nurse is caring for a patient with chronic low back pain. The nurse wants to determine the best evidence-based practice regarding clinical guidelines for low back pain. What is the best database for the nurse to access?
 
  a. MEDLINE
  b. EMBASE
  c. PsycINFO
  d. AHRQ

[dmurph1496]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: A
The main difference is that in a meta-analysis the researcher uses statistics to show the effect of an intervention on an outcome. In a systematic review no statistics are used to draw conclusions about the evidence. A single random controlled trial (RCT) is not as conclusive as a review of several RCTs on the same question. Control trials without randomization may involve bias in how the study is conducted.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) includes clinical guidelines and evidence summaries. MEDLINE includes studies in medicine, nursing, dentistry, psychiatry, veterinary medicine, and allied health. EMBASE includes biomedical and pharmaceutical studies. PsycINFO deals with psychology and related health care disciplines.