Evaluating Nursing Literature

2 MIN READ

NURSING SCIENCE

Learning how to evaluate and critique nursing literature is an essential step in the nursing inquiry process. This quick guide will discuss how to assess any article. This will enable you to feel confident that you are incorporating the best evidence into your practice.

Read the whole article—not just the abstract
Use the same criteria for evaluating all articles
As you read it, ask yourself:

What was the purpose? What was the population studied? Was the setting similar to Houston Methodist? Were the patients comparable to our patients? Did they use appropriate methods? What were their findings? Do their findings make sense? How did things change? How is this important for nursing?

You also want to rank the evidence-based on its level of evidence. We recommend using AACN’s Levels of Evidence.¹ This scale was designed specifically for nursing literature.

References:

1. Paterson, M.H., Barnason, S., Donnelly, B., Hill, K. Miley, H., Riggs, L., & Whiteman, K. (2014). Choosing the best evidence to guide practice: Application of AACN levels of evidence.

Critical Care Nurse

, 34(2), 58-68.

Level A:

Meta-analysis or systematic review of multiple controlled studies

Level B:

Evidence from well-designed controlled studies, both randomized and non-randomized

Level C:

Evidence from qualitative, integrative reviews, or systematic reviews of qualitative, descriptive, or correlative studies; randomized studies with inconsistent results

Level D:

Evidence from peer-reviewed professional organizational standards

Level E:

Theory-based evidence from experts or case reports

Level M:

Manufacturer’s recommendation only