Margaret (Peg) Allen <pegallen67@gmail.com> is the primary instructor for this course. Additional instructors include Joy Kennedy, Pamela Sherwill Navarro, Susan Jacobs, Tanya Feddern-Bekcan, and Kathy Fatkin.

Course Description: If you work with nursing faculty & students and/or nurse managers & staff, this course will help you develop your search skills, so that you can improve search services for these groups. In addition to databases and searching, it includes discussion of teaching and collaboration skills. The course includes a model for evidence based searching, overview of nursing terminology, and practice searching MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Mosby's Nursing Index. Learners are expected to contribute to online discussions in a timely manner.

Educational Objective: 1. Describe continuum of knowledge-based information needs in the nursing profession. 2. Select relevant bibliographic and Internet databases for nursing questions. 3. Compare and contrast MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Mosby’s Nursing Index/ EMCARE indexing practices. 4. Describe coverage of nursing terminology in database thesauri, including basic understanding of nursing classification systems. 5. Plan strategies for expert searches in CINAHL, MEDLINE, and other databases to answer client questions. 6. Develop tailored objectives and plan for teaching search skills to a selected nursing audience.

Agenda: Module 1: Introductions with nursing search examples; readings, slides and discussion of nature of nursing vs. medical questions. Introduction of EBP search model based on ACE Star model. Module 2: Indexing coverage and practices of key databases for nursing. "Quiz" on best place(s) to search for submitted questions Module 3: Nursing terminology and nursing classification systems, and nursing theories and models. Search practice on questions related nursing diagnoses, interventions and procedures. Each student will compare and contrast strategies and results for one clinical question, as searched in the 3 databases. Module 4: Searching for nursing education and management questions. Includes charts comparing key nursing management terminology in the three databases. Each student will compare and contrast strategies and results for one education or management question, as searched in the 3 databases. Students will be encouraged to comment on the initial strategies. Module 5: Expert vs. end user search competencies; collaborative searching. Discussion of competency levels for nurse clinicians, educators, and researchers. Module 6: Collaborative planning for search instruction; sharing of successes. Students will develop tailored teaching plan for one of two sample case studies, or to improve their own teaching.

Need for This Course: Need for evidence based nursing content indicated on NAHRS CE survey. When asking about course interest on MEDLIB and NAHRS lists, well over 30 positive responses received for August start.

The instructional methods used include Lecture, Demonstration, Slides, Discussion, Dialog, Sharing/Self-disclosure, Hands-on Exercises, and Case Method.

Participant Materials: PowerPoint slides for each module. Readings and Indexing Practices handout; chart for typical EBP hedges Class codes for searching CINAHL Plus and Mosby's Nursing Index, complimentary from vendors. Codes for Nursing Reference Center, DynaMed and Nursing Consult for optional use.

Facility Requirements: Learners must have high speed Internet to access MLA Moodle, and be committed to spend at least 8 hours over 4 - 6 weeks to complete readings and assignments.

Additional Evaluation: Instructor evaluation of search and teaching case study assignments. Students will be invited to participate in 3 month follow-up evaluation.