We Must Teach Nurses How to Search

Learning patient care begins in nursing school and continues throughout a nurse's career. Following nursing school, most nurses continue their education hands-on, learning from their colleagues and from experience. But new ideas for patient care continue to improve the chances of patient comfort and survival. These ideas are found in journal articles, research reports, and the internet. Two databases that are of utmost importance are CINAHL, which is the nursing and allied health database, and MEDLINE.

There are many reasons that nurses don't have access to updated information. First, nurses don't have much time. They are very busy. Secondly, they don't have direct access to the internet and databases - a nursing station with computers that have access to journals and articles would greatly increase the ability for nurses to research new information. Other barriers are more personal. Some nurses are unfamiliar with how to search databases and how to understand some of the technical information. But once attaining the information, there is the next step - applying it. A nurse must discern what is applicable and what is just for knowledge.

Nurses have chosen a career filled with growth and challenges. In medicine, there is always something new to learn. With the ability to find, understand, and apply new information, the nursing field will continue to flourish beyond the application of what a nurse has learned from days of nursing school - education never ends.

Today many nurses are going back to school and furthering their educataionl pursuits through an nursing degree online. The flexibility online programs offer are perfect for busy nurses who are looking to expand their horizons and stay ahead of the curve.

Michael V. Gruber, MPH is a contributing author to My Nursing Degree Online, providing articles and resources for nurses looking for continuing education online

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