Clinical Nursing and Research

Bibliographic databases: research methods in different biomedical, nursing and psycho-social bibliographic databases.
Bibliographic search strategy: identification of key words, use of the Thesaurus terms, Boolean operators and other operators; application of limits.
Tutorials: literature research in different search engines and bibliographic databases

· Lesson 1: Course and assessment methods description; Introduction to the spreadsheet and execution of copy and paste operations, formatting cells, algebraic operations
· Lesson 2: Spreadsheet for the execution of operations that allow to automate on the basis of criteria: conta.se, somma.se, conta.valori; execute filters on the data, execute increasing and decreasing orders
· Lesson 3: Spreadsheet for the representation of data by graphs
· Lesson 4: Introduction and tutorial with word processing program
· Lesson 5: Introduction and tutorial with slides presentation program

1. Data collection:
- Inter and intra-individual variability
- How to describe synthetically a variable phenomenon
- Population and Sample: definition
- Sampling methods in medical fields
- Observational study and experimental study
- Specific terminology and definitions: randomization, placebo, simple and double blindness, ethics committee
2. Instruments for data synthesis: tables and graphs
- Numerical values and modalities of a variable
- Characteristics of qualitative and quantitative variables
- Building and reading frequency distributions and two-variable tables
- Calculation and use of percentage frequencies and cumulated frequencies
- Proportions, ratios and rates: difference between prevalence and incidence
- The rules for a correct graphical representation of a set of data
3. Instruments for data synthesis: position, dispersion and association measures.
- Measures of location: mode, median, arithmetic mean and geometric mean
- Characteristics of measures of location
- Measures of variability: range, interquartile range, standard deviation, coefficient of variation
- Characteristics of the measures of variability
- Calculation and use of percentiles
- How to evaluate the association between two qualitative variables and between two quantitative variables: linear correlation coefficient and concordance indices
4. Relationship between location and dispersion measures: the "form" of the frequency distribution
- How to evaluate the asymmetry of a frequency distribution
- The characteristics of the Gaussian distribution
- Calculation and use of z-scores
- Meaning of confidence intervals
5. Measures of association between risk factor and disease
- The meaning of "risk" in the medical / health field
- Risk indicators: Absolute Risk, Attributable Risk, Relative Risk, Odds Ratio
- Similarities and differences between relative risk and attributable risk and between relative risk and odds ratio
6. The clinical decision: probability as a measure of uncertainty
- How sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of a screening test are estimated
- How to interpret the results of a screening test: SpPin and SnNout rules - statistical significance and clinical relevance

Epidemiological methodology
1. Epidemiological data sources
- Demographic data: census, age pyramid, population registers
- Health data: notification of infectious diseases, hospital sources, ad hoc investigations, pathology registers
- Other sources
2. Use of frequency measures and health indicators
3. Determinants of health and disease
4. Risk factor and disease
- Causality
- Risk measures
- The association measures: Relative Risk, Attributable Risk, Odds Ratio
5. Types of epidemiological studies
- Observational studies for the formulation of hypotheses: ecological or descriptive studies and cross-sectional studies
- Analytical studies for hypothesis testing: cohort studies and case-control studies
- Experimental studies to validate the hypothesis: randomized controlled clinical trials and randomized controlled population studies
- Practical application of risk measures in Public Health
6. Screening: meaning and application in Public Health
7. Epidemiological surveillance

1) Nursing research process
Nursing Research, areas of application, actors of the research process
Identification of the main characteristics and phases of a research protocol: different study designs and ethical implications
2) Evidence based practice (EBP)
Definition, EBP hierarchy and sources
Keyword identification
Literature research strategy and retrieval of the source: Databases and other sources.
3) Critical analysis of research articles
Method of analysis of a research article by specific check lists
Summary of results obtained for the application in clinical practice.
4) Application of research results in professional practice: procedures, protocols, guidelines and diagnostic-therapeutic-assistance pathways. Meaning, purpose and structure (title, authors, last revision/numbering, content, cited references). Research protocol aimed at the realization of the thesis.
Exercises (e.g. critical reading of the hospital procedures, protocols, guidelines and diagnostic-therapeutic-assistance pathways, produced and applied by the welfare community. Reading of research articles. Elaboration of the research protocol aimed at the realization of the thesis).