NR 439 PICOT Question Guide

NR 439 PICOT Question Guide

The following contains PICOT question guides/templates to use to help write questions using all of the PICOT elements.  Each template contains a guide that you can use to write a complete PICOT question, examples of PICOT elements, and illustrations[1].  Review some tips and hints below to think about for each of the PICOT elements that can help create a sound clinical nursing PICOT question:

P=Population of patients:     Think about a group of patients you are interested in studying—identify the group by age ranges, diagnosis/disease of interest, history or length of time with the diagnosis/disease of interest, location, unit, or setting, gender type (if applicable), race (if applicable), or other identifiable characteristics such as Medicare, Medicaid, immobile, ventilated, inpatient, outpatient, etc NR 439 PICOT Question Guide.

I=Intervention:                     Consider the nursing action or intervention you are thinking that would make a difference?  From your search for evidence, what is the evidence indicating that nurses can do to help improve the problem or issue you have chosen?

C=Comparison:                     Think about comparing to the intervention of interest or the alternative such as routine/standard care.  If no comparison, state not implementing the intervention or no comparison group.

O=Outcome:                          Reflect upon what would be the measurable, relatable indicator that would demonstrate the intervention is making a difference or not?  What would be the needed outcome that you could observe/check/measure? For example, “the pain is okay” would not be a measurable outcome.  Rates pain level less than 3 on pain scale would be measurable.

T=Timeframe:                       For this element, reflect on how long it would take to implement your study by collecting data or the time needed to observe to see if any changes occurred or will occur. Think about 1 month, 3 months, 6 months etc… Use a timeframe that is realistic.

Template A

 NURS 6003: Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing – Academic and Professional Success Plan

Among/In _________________________ (P), does______________________ (I) (**decrease/increase/impact/influence/affect/reduce/improve**) _____________________ (O) compared to ______________________________ (C) over ______________________________(T)?

(**choose one term**)

Example:

Among 65+ and older diabetic immobile adults in long-term care (P), does a bedside oral care kit and checklist protocol (I) compared to routine oral care without a bedside oral care kit (C) affect the number of times oral care is completed (O) over 3 months (T)? NR 439 PICOT Question Guide

P=Population of patients:  65+ and older diabetic immobile adults in long-term care

I=Intervention:   bedside oral care kit and a checklist protocol

C=Comparison:  routine oral care without a bedside oral care kit

O=Outcome:  number of times (frequency) oral care is completed

T=Timeframe:  3 months

Template B

Among/In _________________________ (P), would______________________(I) (**decrease/increase/impact/influence /affect/reduce/improve **)_____________________ (O) compared to ______________________________ (C) over ______________________________(T)?

(**choose one term**)

Example:

 

In male ICU patients who are 65+ and older diagnosed with COPD (P), would the confusion assessment screening tool (CAST) (I) impact the number of early identification of delirium (O) compared to no screening tool (C) over 6 months (T)?

P=Population of patients:  Inpatient male ICU patients 65+ and older diagnosed with COPD

I=Intervention:   confusion assessment screening tool (CAST)

C=Comparison:  routine care/no screening tool

O=Outcome:  number of early identification of delirium

T=Timeframe:  6 months

 

Template C

 Among/In _________________________ (P), will ______________________ (I) (**decrease/increase/impact/influence/affect/reduce/improve **)_____________________ (O) compared to ______________________________ (C) over ______________________________ (T)?

(**choose one term**)

 

Example:

Among Hispanic pregnant women between 36-40 weeks (P), will completing a lactation course (I) increase the number of breastfeeding initiations by or within 6 hours of delivery (O) compared to no lactation course (C) over 6 months?

P=Population of patients:  Hispanic pregnant women between 36-40 weeks

I=Intervention:   lactation course completed

C=Comparison:  no lactation course

O=Outcome:  number of breastfeeding initiations within 6 hours of delivery

T=Timeframe:  6 months

 

 

Template D

 

Among/In _________________________ (P), what is the effect of ______________________ (I) on ____________________ (O) compared to ___________________________ (C) over ______________ (T)?

Example:

In pediatric non-Hispanic Black males ages 8-18 years old with a 5 year history of type 1 diabetes (P), what is the effect of the Glucose Buddy Diabetes Tracker app (I) on maintaining HbA1C levels <7% (O) compared to the mySugar Diabetes Tracker Log app (C) over 6 months (T)? NR 439 PICOT Question Guide

 

P=Population of patients:  pediatric non-Hispanic Black males ages 8-18 years old with 5 year history of type 1 diabetes

I=Intervention:   Glucose Buddy Diabetes Tracker app

C=Comparison:  mySugar Diabetes Tracker Log app

O=Outcome:  HbA1C levels <7%

T=Timeframe:  6 months

[1] Adapted from Houser (2018) and the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN). (2018). AAACN research toolkit:  Template for asking PICOT questions. NR 439 PICOT Question Guide.

 

NR 439 PICOT Question Guide

The guide provides templates for crafting PICOT questions, which are essential in clinical nursing. These questions encompass key elements to create well-structured inquiries for research purposes. When constructing your questions, consider the following insights for each element to ensure a robust clinical nursing PICOT question:

P=Population of patients:
Think about the specific group of patients you want to study. Identify this group based on factors like age ranges, relevant diagnoses, disease history, location, gender, race, or other distinctive characteristics such as insurance type, mobility status, and care setting.

I=Intervention:
Consider the nursing action or intervention you believe could make a difference. Seek evidence indicating how nurses can contribute to addressing the chosen problem or issue.

C=Comparison:
Contemplate the alternative you wish to compare with the intervention of interest. This could be standard care or routine practices. If no direct comparison is possible, state whether you’re not implementing the intervention or if there’s no comparison group.

O=Outcome:
Reflect on the measurable and relatable indicator that would show the impact of the intervention. Your outcome should be something you can observe, check, or measure. Avoid vague outcomes like “the pain is okay” and opt for measurable criteria, such as pain level being below a specific number on a pain scale.

T=Timeframe:
Consider the time needed to implement your study, collect data, or observe changes. Think about practical timeframes like 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, etc. Choose a timeframe that aligns with the nature of your research.

Template A:

Among/in _________________________ (P), does ______________________ (I) (decrease/increase/impact/influence/affect/reduce/improve) ______________________ (O) compared to ______________________________ (C) over ______________________________ (T)?

Example:

Among 65+ and older diabetic immobile adults in long-term care (P), does a bedside oral care kit and checklist protocol (I) compared to routine oral care without a bedside oral care kit (C) affect the number of times oral care is completed (O) over 3 months (T)?

Template B:

Among/in _________________________ (P), would ______________________ (I) (decrease/increase/impact/influence/affect/reduce/improve) ______________________ (O) compared to ______________________________ (C) over ______________________________ (T)?

Example:

In male ICU patients who are 65+ and older diagnosed with COPD (P), would the confusion assessment screening tool (CAST) (I) impact the number of early identification of delirium (O) compared to no screening tool (C) over 6 months (T)?

Template C:

Among/in _________________________ (P), will ______________________ (I) (decrease/increase/impact/influence/affect/reduce/improve) ______________________ (O) compared to ______________________________ (C) over ______________________________ (T)?

Example:

Among Hispanic pregnant women between 36-40 weeks (P), will completing a lactation course (I) increase the number of breastfeeding initiations by or within 6 hours of delivery (O) compared to no lactation course (C) over 6 months (T)?

Template D:

Among/in _________________________ (P), what is the effect of ______________________ (I) on ______________________ (O) compared to ______________________________ (C) over ______________________________ (T)?

Example:

In pediatric non-Hispanic Black males ages 8-18 years old with a 5-year history of type 1 diabetes (P), what is the effect of the Glucose Buddy Diabetes Tracker app (I) on maintaining HbA1C levels <7% (O) compared to the mySugar Diabetes Tracker Log app (C) over 6 months (T)?

*Adapted from Houser (2018) and the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN) research toolkit (2018).*