My team and I initially had composed a PICOT question that we were all interested in and believed would make a good research topic. Coming into this unit in Evidence-Based Practice, we did not anticipate creating a successful and thoughtful PICOT question would be overly difficult. However, we had a difficult time forming, re-framing, and creating a successful PICOT question. Myself especially. And thus, we changed our research question a couple times.
Our team met several times during the past couple weeks to evaluate what information was relevant and what was not. We are also constantly in touch about the assignments, so keeping on track has felt easy. One of my team members demonstrates a strong skill at finding research articles. I was having a difficult time finding articles specific to our research question, whereas my teammate did not seem to have nearly as difficult a time. I turned to her for advice and found her to be a helpful resource.
The librarians at the school library also seem to understand how to formulate a good research question and find relevant information; I plan on heading there later this week to fix any discrepancies I may be experiencing in my research. My team feels that reaching out to others who are more seasoned in this skill is essential to writing a successful research paper.
Another team member was especially good at formulating good research questions when we were having trouble finding resources for our original PICOT question. She was able to quickly think of an interesting topic and put it into PICOT form. This is a skill that I also need to work on. Her insight on coming up with topics has proved beneficial in our search for information. Also, it has kept us engaged in the experience of researching as well.
We have decided what team member is best at doing what and have delegated certain tasks accordingly. For example, my team and I decided that my strength comes in writing. My primary task is to focus on writing the actual paper itself, along with helping with research. We think that delegating tasks in a group provides needed structure and allows for better flow of communication.
I am excited to see where this research goes and what I can learn from it. It is unavoidable to not face barriers in this process; however, seeing as my team and I work well together, I think overcoming obstacles will be done smoothly. As we work on this paper, we will be sure to think critically, thoughtfully, and as much like a nurse as possible.
