Mental health nursing
Formative Assessment
You will submit a short proposal of your CAT to your supervisor.
You will have developed a precisely formulated clinical question and completed a preliminary search for the relevant evidence to address your question.
This will include:
Research question (Week 1)
Outline of search strategy (including eligibility
criteria, search terms) (Week 2)
Results from a preliminary search (Week 2)
Gantt Chart
Background and rationale (~500 words –
optional) (Week 1 & 5)
Develop a proposal for your CAT
A template for the proposal is now available on Moodle
Formative Assessment Proposal for the Dissertation
HS3018
Student name
Supervisor name
Background and rationale
Provide some background on the topic area, ensure that you provide some context and frame the rationale for the review. Word limit 500 words – this section is optional and can be in bullet points.
Research Question and objectives
Clearly state your research question (using the framework), aim and objectives.
Literature search strategy
Information sources: Provide an outline of the databases that you intend to use for your search. Why did you choose to use these?
Search Terms: Include details of the proposed search terms you will use in table 1. Each row will act as a search string you will include all the terms that can be identified for the concept in that PICO/PEO domain, it is important that you include synonyms. The terms within the rows will be combined with the OR Boolean operator. All the rows will then be combined with the AND Boolean operator.
You may not need to use all elements of PICO/PEO within your search, you might want to test this out.
Table 1. Search Terms
Element of question Search terms make a list of search terms
Population e.g., Adolescen*, Teen*, Youth, Child*, Young person
Intervention/Exposure
Comparison (if appropriate)
Outcome
Types of study to be included (Eligibility)
In table 2 below provide an outline of your eligibility criteria. Provide inclusion and/exclusion criteria for study characteristics (e.g., each domain of the PICO framework including study type) and report characteristics (e.g., years, language) with a rationale. Please note the items below are suggestions and you may have different criteria please add extra rows if needed.
Table 2. Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion
Population
Intervention/Exposure
Comparison (if applicable)
Outcome(s)
Study Design
Exclusion
Any exclusions for PICO/PEO elements
Geographical location
Language of Publication
Years of Publication
Study Selection
Outline the process you will use for study selection. This should be a staged process that will link to your PRISMA flow diagram.
Quality Appraisal
Describe how you will assess the quality of your selected studies and what tools you will use for quality appraisal. Provide a rationale for your choice of critical appraisal tool(s).
Gantt chart
Outline the timeline for the stages of the review on the Gantt chart. You do this by either shading in the box to indicate when you will complete the work Ive made a couple of suggestions below, you may want to include some more detailed steps, if so add some extra rows and more detail.
Stage of Review Dec Jan Feb March April
Start developing the rationale and ensure the research question is refined
Write the proposal outlining the methods
Advanced literature search and selection of studies
Read the selected papers and develop summary table and other tables/figures for the findings section
Complete the Quality Appraisal
Complete and write up the Synthesis section
Write the Discussion
Formative Assessment Proposal for the Dissertation
HS3018
Student name
Supervisor name
Background and rationale
Provide some background on the topic area, ensure that you provide some context and frame the rationale for the review. Word limit 500 words – this section is optional and can be in bullet points.
Research Question and objectives
Clearly state your research question (using the framework), aim and objectives.
Literature search strategy
Information sources: Provide an outline of the databases that you intend to use for your search. Why did you choose to use these?
Search Terms: Include details of the proposed search terms you will use in table 1. Each row will act as a search string you will include all the terms that can be identified for the concept in that PICO/PEO domain, it is important that you include synonyms. The terms within the rows will be combined with the OR Boolean operator. All the rows will then be combined with the AND Boolean operator.
You may not need to use all elements of PICO/PEO within your search, you might want to test this out.
Table 1. Search Terms
Element of question Search terms make a list of search terms
Population e.g., Adolescen*, Teen*, Youth, Child*, Young person
Intervention/Exposure
Comparison (if appropriate)
Outcome
Types of study to be included (Eligibility)
In table 2 below provide an outline of your eligibility criteria. Provide inclusion and/exclusion criteria for study characteristics (e.g., each domain of the PICO framework including study type) and report characteristics (e.g., years, language) with a rationale. Please note the items below are suggestions and you may have different criteria please add extra rows if needed.
Table 2. Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion
Population
Intervention/Exposure
Comparison (if applicable)
Outcome(s)
Study Design
Exclusion
Any exclusions for PICO/PEO elements
Geographical location
Language of Publication
Years of Publication
Study Selection
Outline the process you will use for study selection. This should be a staged process that will link to your PRISMA flow diagram.
Quality Appraisal
Describe how you will assess the quality of your selected studies and what tools you will use for quality appraisal. Provide a rationale for your choice of critical appraisal tool(s).
Gantt chart
Outline the timeline for the stages of the review on the Gantt chart. You do this by either shading in the box to indicate when you will complete the work Ive made a couple of suggestions below, you may want to include some more detailed steps, if so add some extra rows and more detail.
Stage of Review Dec Jan Feb March April
Start developing the rationale and ensure the research question is refined
Write the proposal outlining the methods
Advanced literature search and selection of studies
Read the selected papers and develop summary table and other tables/figures for the findings section
Complete the Quality Appraisal
Complete and write up the Synthesis section
Write the Discussion
Summative Assessment
Assessment. A 6000-word dissertation in the format of an extended CAT
This module will be assessed using one summative assessment in the form of a 6000-word Critically Appraised Topic (CAT).
You will complete a CAT to address a clinical question of your choice. This should demonstrate the use of the evidence-based practice 6As framework (Ask, Acquire, Appraise, Apply, Audit, Assess).
