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NRS401: Nursing Research Utilization: Finding Sources

Charles C. Myers Library Coronavirus Updates

Use this guide to access information about library services available for the remainder of the Spring semester in the wake of COVID-19. The Charles C. Myers Library will continue to provide reference (through email and video chat) and limited interlibrary loan services (longer wait times and some article requests may not be filled due to lack of lending institutions during the pandemic).

Practice PICO Scenarios

Nursing Journals

Reference Desk Hours

Need help with the finding or using sources part of the research process? Librarians & library assistants are here to help you with your research one-on-one.

During the academic year, the Reference Desk, located near the 1st-floor printer area, is staffed Monday from 8am-8pm, Tuesday through Thursday 8am--10pm, Friday 8am-12pm, & Sunday from 6pm-10pm.

Email us: reference@dbq.edu

Call us: 563-589-3770

Databases

CINAHL Search Tips

  • To search within all general journals from the spreadsheet, enter ((((JN "Advances in Nursing Science")) OR (JN "AJN American Journal of Nursing")) OR (JN "Applied Nursing Research")) OR (JN "Evidence Based Nursing") OR (JN "Journal of Nursing Scholarship") OR (JN "Journal of Research in Nursing") OR (JN "Nursing Outlook") OR (JN "Nursing Research") OR (JN "Nursing Science Quarterly") OR (JN "Research in Nursing & Health") OR (JN "Scholarly Inquiry for Nursing Practice") OR (JN "Western Journal of Nursing Research") into the first search box, and then add keywords or subject headings in consecutive search boxes.
  • To search within specialty journals, enter (((((((((((((((((((JN "Journal of Addictions Nursing")) OR (JN "Advances in Neonatal Care (Elsevier Science)")) OR (JN "American Journal of Critical Care")) OR (JN "AORN Journal")) OR (JN "Cancer Nursing")) OR (JN "Cancer Nursing Practice")) OR (JN "Critical Care Nurse")) OR (JN "Gastrointestinal Nursing")) OR (JN "Geriatric Nursing")) OR (JN "Heart & Lung")) OR (JN "Issues in Mental Health Nursing")) OR (JN "Journal of Gerontological Nursing")) OR (JN "Journal of Holistic Nursing")) OR (JN "Journal of Nursing Management (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)")) OR (JN "Journal of Orthopaedic Nursing")) OR (JN "Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing")) OR (JN "Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing")) OR (JN "Oncology Nursing Forum")) OR (JN "Pediatric Nursing") OR (JN "MCN: The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing")
  • Use "Find It" button to find full-text (links you out to either another database with the full text, or the option to request through interlibrary loan)
  • Use "CINAHL Subject headings" to find the databases terminology for keywords and phrases
  • Advanced Search limit options include:  nursing journal subset, patient demographics (age, gender)
  • Searching Shortcuts 
    • Asterisk: used to find multiple variations of a work 
      • Hematol* finds hematology, hematologic, hematological, etc. 
        • Be careful when using (i.e. if you search Child* to capture this age demographic, it will find child, children, etc., but also words like childbearing)
      • *natal finds prenatal, antenatal, postnatal, etc.
    • Quotation marks:  Finds phrases (i.e. “acute pain”) 
    • Plurals: Are found automatically, e.g. hand finds hand or hands
  • AND, OR NOT
    • AND combines terms and phrases
    • OR can be used to broaden a search (i.e. young* OR youth OR child)
    • NOT excludes a term (use sparingly!)