Paper
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
RAPid: A Critical Appraisal Tool for Nursing Students and Clinicians
Alan Pearson, PhD and Rick Wiechula, MNSc. Joanna Briggs Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| Learning Objective #1: Describe the importance of objectively critiquing research evidence to inform practice |
| Learning Objective #2: Describe the process of critical appraisal of an evidence source using the RAPid critical appraisal tool |
Background: There is an increasing expectation on clinicians to adopt an evidenced based approach to their practice by incorporating evidence from research into their practice. It is fundamental that for this process to occur clinicians must have the skills to critique research output, to assess applicability to practice and to ensure the evidence is of sufficient quality. Although some nursing courses now include critical appraisal many clinicians have not sufficient skills and resources to effectively critique the information they require to improve their practice. Objective: Our objective was to develop a tool that would not only assist nursing students in developing critical appraisal skills but also be accessible to clinicians who required support in assessing research output specific to their practice needs. Design: The RAPid software uses a stepped process that guides the student or clinician through the critical appraisal process of a journal article. RAPid uses appraisal checklists specific to a broad range of research designs including interpretive and critical research. The RAP reviews can also be submitted to JBI for inclusion in the RAP library a database of reviews maintained by our Institute. Conclusions: Although only released in late 2003 a number of nursing schools have been using RAPid in their undergraduate programs. A number of enhancements are planned for 2004 including increased statistical functionality and incorporating the capacity to critique further research designs.
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Sigma Theta Tau International
July 21, 2004