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Databases

  1. CINAHL PLUS with Full Text is the world's most comprehensive nursing & allied health research database, providing full text for more than 620 journals indexed in CINAHL, as well as full text for 218 books/monographs, and evidence-based care sheets. CINAHL includes citations from 2,593 journals. Of the 2,593 journals indexed, 1,798 include author abstracts.
  2. MEDLINE/PubMed produced by the National Library of Medicine, is a Web-based, searchable database of over 17 million article references published in more than 5000 biomedical journals and magazines, and can be searched for free on the Internet. This bibliographic database is also available as a CSI subscribed database, through the EBSCOhost online system, which provides CSI patrons with links to some full text articles.
  3. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition provides full text articles from 600 journals, including 175 nursing journals. Full-text information on prescription drugs, over-the-counter products, and nutritional supplements from Clinical Pharmacology is also provided.
  4. SAGE Health Sciences Collection contains full text of 26 SAGE journals in nursing and health-related fields from 1982 to the present. Fourteen journals are available from their first issues.
  5. Cochrane Library is a collection of databases that contain high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making. Cochrane reviews represent the highest level of evidence on which to base clinical treatment decisions. In addition to Cochrane reviews, The Cochrane Library provides other sources of reliable information, from other systematic review abstracts, technology assessments, economic evaluations and individual clinical trials – all the current evidence in one single environment.
  6. Academic Search Premier is the world’s largest academic multi-disciplinary database. It provides full text for nearly 4,650 publications, including full text for more than 3,600 peer-reviewed titles. There are 273 titles related to the nursing discipline.
  7. ScienceDirect is the world's largest electronic collection of science, technology and medicine full text and bibliographic information. More than 2,500 journals and almost nine million full-text articles are available online. The database has 202 titles in nursing and health professions. Journals include The Lancet, Nurse Education Today, Nurse Education in Practice, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the American Journal of Medicine. 
  8. Health & Wellness Resource Center delivers up-to-date reference materials, such as the respected Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, as well as full-text magazines, journals, and pamphlets from a wide variety of authoritative medical sources. Additionally, consumers, students, and professionals are provided with descriptions of and links to several pertinent Web sites, selected for their usefulness and appropriateness.
  9. Health Reference Center includes journals, pamphlets, and selected articles from consumer health magazines and newspapers. Topics include fitness, pregnancy, medicine, nutrition, diseases, public health, etc.
  10. HAPI: Health & Psychosocial Instruments Database provides materials on unpublished information-gathering tools for clinicians, such as questionnaires, interviews, tests, rating scales, and coding schemes.

Evidence-Based Practice
Finding the Evidence: Resources and Search Strategies  
    
    Levels of Evidence:

The systematic review or meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and evidence based practice guidelines are considered to be the strongest level of evidence on which to guide practice decisions.

Systematic reviews/meta-analyses: researchers use rigorous methods to identify, critically appraise, and synthesize all the relevant studies from the published medical literature on a particular topic. Systematic reviews may contain meta-analyses in which the data from selected research studies are combined using statistical techniques in order to increase the power of the findings. Major databases: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE) from the Cochrane Library

Evidence-based practice guidelines: provide directions for handling certain clinical conditions. These are often published by specialty societies, i.e. American Gastroenterology Association, American Heart Association. The National Guideline Clearinghouse offers free access to such guidelines.

The following organizations describe levels of evidence:

Center for Evidence-Based Medicine
AHRQ - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
American Academy of Family Physicians

    Resources for Finding Systematic Reviews

  • Cochrane Library: contains high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making. Cochrane reviews bring you the combined results of the world’s best medical research studies, and are recognized as the gold standard in evidence-based health care. DARE complements Cochrane reviews by offering a selection of quality assessed reviews in those subjects where there is currently no Cochrane review.
  • CINAHL PLUS with Full Text: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature contains citations to systematic reviews in the journal literature. To find them, search CINAHL for the disease state. Apply the appropriate subheadings to narrow the search. CINAHL Therapy Subheadings: Diet therapy; Drug therapy; Nursing; Radiotherapy; Rehabilitation; Surgery; Therapy. Limit results to Evidence-Based Practice and English. If this yields no articles, try the following limits for Publication Type: Clinical Interventions; Clinical Trial; Nursing Interventions; Protocol; Research; Tables/Charts
  • MEDLINE: to find systematic reviews in MEDLINE via EBSCO, do a subject search. Limit the search to English, Humans and EBM Reviews. In some cases, there will be no results after limiting to ebm reviews. If this happens, go back and limit your search by Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Evaluation Studies; Meta-Analysis; Multicenter Study; Validation Studies. When searching PubMed, use Clinical Queries.
  • USPSTF - AHRQ: http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/serfiles.htm
    Evidence synthesis and systematic evidence reviews.
    USPSTF: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. AHRQ: Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality.

    Raw Evidence

Research studies published in the journal literature are the “raw” materials for evidence-based health care. Information has not been synthesized or validated. If no systematic reviews are available for your question, you will have to search the journal literature. MEDLINE and CINAHL PLUS with Full Text are two comprehensive databases to search.

   Online Tutorials

Transcultural Nursing Resources
  1. The database, Gale Virtual Reference, contains the Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America 2nd ed., 3v, 2000. It's a good place to start your research. It provides an essay for almost any ethnic group.
  2. Search library databases for articles on the culture of the ethnic group you want to research. See the list of nursing related databases at the top of this guide.
  3. Cultural and transcultural nursing books in the library
  • Andrews, M.M. (2008). Transcultural Concepts in Nursing Care. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (Textbook Reserve - RT86.54 .A53 2008)
  • Braithwaite, R.L., & Taylor, S.E. (Eds.). (2001). Health Issues in the Black Community (2nd ed.).
    San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. (Reserve - RA448.5 .N4 H395 2001)
  • Crouch, N. (2004).  Mexicans & Americans: Cracking the Cultural Code. London: Nicholas Brealey Pub. (Stacks 3rd Floor - GN560 .M6 C76 2004)
  • D'Avanzo, C.E., & Geissler, E.M. (2003). Pocket Guide to Cultural Health Assessment (3rd ed.).
    St. Louis: Mosby. (Reference - RT86.54 .D38 2003)
  • Galanti, G. (2004). Caring for Patients from Different Cultures (3rd ed.). Philadelphia:
    University of Pennsylvania Press. (Reference Reserve - RT86.54 .G35 2004)
  • Ghosh, P. (2005). Transcultural Geriatrics: Caring for the Elderly of Indo-Asian Origin. Oxford: Radcliffe. (Reference - RA448.5 .A83 G46 2005)  
  • Giger, J.N. (2004). Transcultural Nursing: Assessment and Intervention (4th edition).
    St. Louis: Mosby. (Reference Reserve - RT86.54 .T73 2004)
  • Hill, P.S., Lipson, J.G., & Meleis, A.I. (2003). Caring for Women Cross-Culturally (3rd ed.).
    Philadelphia, PA: Davis. (Reserve - RT86.54 .C365 2003)
  • LaGumina, S.J. (Ed.). (2000). The Italian American Experience: An Encyclopedia.
    New York: Garland Publications. (Reference - E184.I8I673, 2000)
  • Leininger, M., & McFarland, M. (2002). Transcultural Nursing: Concepts, Theories, Research, & Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill.  (Reference and Reserve - RT86.5 .L44 2002)
  • Purnell, L.D., & Paulanka, B.J. (2003). Transcultural Health Care: A Culturally Competent Approach (2nd edition). Philadelphia: Davis. (Reserve - RA418.5.T73 T73 2003)
  • Satcher, D. (2006). Multicultural Medicine and Health Disparities.
    New York: McGraw-Hill. (Stacks 3rd Floor - RA418.5 .T73 M855 2006)
  • Schaefer, R. T. (2006). Racial and Ethnic Groups. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. (Textbook Reserve - E184 .A1 S3 2006)
  • Spector, R. (2004). Cultural Diversity in Health & Illness (6th ed.). 
    Norwalk, CT: Appleton & Lange. (Reserve and Stacks 3rd Floor - RA418.5 .T73 S64 2004)
  • Srivastava, R.(2007). The Healthcare Professional's Guide to Clinical Cultural Competence. Toronto: Mosby Elsevier. (Reference - RA418.5 .T73 H43 2007)
  • Torre, Adela de la, & Estrada. A.L. (2001). Mexican Americans and Health. 
    Tuscon: The University of Arizona Press. (Reserve - RA448.5 .M4 T67 2001)

    For more titles, search the CUNY+ Catalog

Health Statistics Resources
  1. National Center for Health Statistics (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/index.htm)
    This site is a rich source of information about America’s health. As the nation’s principal health statistics agency, NCHS compiles statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve the health of American people. The site features information about the National Center for Health Statistics, summaries of their publications from 1994-present, news releases, and catalogs of publications and electronic products.
  2. New York State Dept. of Health: Health Care Data for Researchers
    (http://www.health.state.ny.us/statistics)
    Lists most current New York State statistics for AIDS, ambulatory surgery, cancer, communicable diseases, county health indicator profiles, diabetes, environmental and occupational health, heart disease, health care reform and managed care, hospital discharges, injury facts, information for state health policy, public health data set, and vital statistics.
  3. MedlinePlus: Health Statistics (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthstatistics.html)
    The Health statistics page of the MedlinePlus Web site provides links to latest news in health statistics, statistics for specific conditions and different age groups, as well as statistical agencies and organizations.
  4. The United States Census Bureau (http://www.census.gov)
    The Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy. Its publications include the Statistical Abstracts, which contain population, vital statistics, health and nutrition, education, employment and many other statistics dating back to 1878. 


Books

CSI Library holds a large collection of books in nursing and allied health. Many of these books are located in the Library Reference Collection on the 1st floor of the library, and others are in the Stacks on the 3rd floor. In addition, there are textbooks on reserve at the Library Circulation/Reserve Desk. Search Library Catalog CUNY+ to find books you need. We have books such as:

  • Ackley, B.J. & Ladwig, G.B. (2008). Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to Planning Care. Edinburgh: Elsevier Mosby. (Reference RT48.6 .A35 2008)
  • Andrews, M. M.(2008). Transcultural Concepts in Nursing Care. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (Textbook Reserve RT86.54 .A53 2008)
  • Karch, A. M. (2008). 2008 Lippincott's Nursing Drug Guide.  Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health. (Textbook Reserve RM301.12 .K37 2008)
  • Houde, S.C. (2007). Vision Loss in Older Adults: Nursing Assessment and Care Management.
    New York, NY: Springer Pub. Co. (Stacks 3rd Floor RE48.2 .A5 V57 2007)
  • Black, J.M., & Hawks, J.S. (Eds.). (2005). Medical-Surgical Nursing : Clinical Management for Positive Outcomes. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders. (Reference RT41 .L87 2005)
  • Holloway, N.M. (Ed.). (2004). Medical-Surgical Care Planning. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (Reference RT49 .M45 2004)
  • Macnee, C.L. (2004). Understanding Nursing Research : Reading and Using Research in Practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (Reference RT81.5 .M235 2004)
Periodicals       

    Nursing Periodicals Collection

CSI Library subscribes to many nursing and allied health, as well as medical journals online, in print and on microfilm. A complete list of journals related to these disciplines can be found by following the Find Journals from List of Titles link on the library home page. Format availability (online, print, microfilm) will be indicated. More detailed bibliographical and holdings information can be obtained by searching CUNY+plus Catalog

New England Journal of Medicine, a premier medical publication, is available full text online from 1993 to present. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, an international peer-reviewed general medical journal, is also available full text online.

Print periodicals are to be used in the CSI library only. Majority of our periodicals are located on the 3rd floor of the library, including a separate Nursing and Allied Health section. The periodicals are arranged alphabetically by title. To print articles from titles held in microfilm/microfiche formats, go to Room 1L-213, located on the 2nd floor of the library. Titles in our print nursing collection include Clinical nursing reserach, Journal of advanced nursing, Journal of Multi-cultural nursing and health, Journal of transcultual nursing, American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, Nursing practioner, Nursing research, and Pediatric nursing.

Media Resources
Library Media Services (1L-201), located on the 2nd floor of the library, house a collection of videotapes, among them videos on topics related to nursing and allied health, transcultural nursing and medicine. You can visit Library Media Services homepage or call (718) 982 4035 for further information.
Consumer Health Websites
  1. MEDLINEplus (http://medlineplus.gov)
    A service from the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health,
    the Website contains pages of carefully selected links to Web resources with authoritative health information, including dictionaries, directories, organizations, news sources and over 750 health topics. Access to medical information is provides via:


    It also contains links to preformulated searches of the MEDLINE/PubMed database, allowing you to find references to latest health professional articles on your topic.
  2. NOAH - NY Online Access to Health (http://www.noah-health.org)
    Provides access to full text consumer health information in English and Spanish. Particularly useful are the resources on New York City and Tri-state regional hospitals and hospices, support groups for specific conditions, and health statistics.
APA Style Guides
  • APA guide from the CSI library: http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/guides/apastyle.rtf
  • Research and Documentation Online: http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/
    Diana Hacker, author of A Pocket Style Manual, provides guidelines for documenting print and online sources, as well as sample student papers using APA style.
  • Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
    (Stacks 3rd Floor - BF76.7 .P83 2001, Reference Desk - BF76.7 .P83 2001,
    Reserve - BF76.7 .P83 2001, and Reference - BF76.7 .P83 2001)
    A Pocket Style Manual     (Reference Desk - PE1408 .H26 2004, and Reserve - PE1408 .H26 2004)
Compiled by Prof. Judy Xiao, revised March 2008