Using the Walden Library
Where can you find evidence to inform your thoughts and scholarly writing? Throughout your degree program, you will use research literature to explore ideas, guide your thinking, and gain new insights. As you search the research literature, it is important to use resources that are peer-reviewed and from scholarly journals. You may already have some favorite online resources and databases that you use or have found useful in the past. For this Discussion, you explore databases available through the Walden Library.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, initial postings to Discussions are due on or before Day 3, and response postings are due on or before Day 6. You are required to participate in the Discussion on at least three different days (a different day for main post and each response). It is important to adhere to the weekly time frame to allow others ample time to respond to your posting. In addition, you are expected to respond to questions directed toward your own initial posting in a timely manner.
Solution
Why I Chose This Article
I chose the article Bringing negative pressure wound therapy to the community: expanding wound care access by Melanie Lumbers (2024) because it closely aligns with my current clinical practice. I work at a critical illness recovery hospital where we frequently use negative pressure wound therapy (wound vacs) to treat complex wounds. This article stood out to me because it discusses the importance of expanding access to this therapy beyond hospital settings and into the community. This approach has the potential to improve patient outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions, which is a goal in many advanced care settings.
Database Used and Search Process
I accessed this article through the Walden University Library. The process was straightforward. I used the link provided in this week’s required reading, which directed me to the database. I searched the term “wound care” and was impressed to find over 99,000 results. From there, it was easy to narrow my focus to peer-reviewed articles related to negative pressure wound therapy.
Relevance to Practice
This article is particularly relevant to my practice because of the frequent use of wound vacs at my facility. We care for patients with complicated wound needs, and this therapy plays a critical role in our wound healing protocols. The article reinforced the importance of making such therapies more accessible in outpatient and community-based settings, which could ease transitions of care.
Database Evaluation
I found the Walden Library database very user-friendly and efficient. I didn’t encounter any issues while searching, and I appreciated the ability to filter and refine results based on peer review, publication date, and relevance. This database would definitely be useful to my colleagues, especially those looking for evidence-based literature to support clinical decision-making. I would highly recommend it to others—it saves time and offers a wealth of reliable, up-to-date information.
Reference
Lumbers, M. (2024). Bringing negative pressure wound therapy to the community: expanding wound care access. British Journal of Community Nursing, 29(Suppl 12), S36–S38.
