Nursing Resources

The OSF Library & Resource Center provides a number of services and resources to nurses and nursing students.

For questions about access or resources, please contact us at (309) 655-2268.

Special Access

Many of our resources require special access in order to view them. Learn more on our Services Page.

Databases

Images & Videos

Answering Clinical Questions in Real Time for Nursing

  • Background Questions

  • Searching Background Questions - generally ask who, what, when, why, where or how about a single disease, drug, intervention or concept.
     

    Type of Question 10 Minutes or Less More than 10 Minutes
    Alternative or 
    Complementary Treatment    		 Natural Standard MedlinePlus Alternative Medicine
    Review of Natural Products (eBook)
    Nursing Procedures, Lab, 
    Results, Calculators    		 MedCalc 3000
    Nurses Guide to Clinical Procedures    		 Micromedex
    NursingConsult
    Disease Information - 
    Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment    		 EBSCO Quick Lesson About...
    Diseases: a Nursing Process Approach
    Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms    		 Mosby's Nursing Index
    NursingConsult eBooks
    Drug Information Lexi-Comp Online
    Lippincott's Nursing Drug Guide
    Micromedex    		 Mosby's Nursing Index
    Evidence-Based Practice EBSCO Evidence-Based Care Sheets
    NursingConsult Evidence-Based
    Monographs    		 AHRQ
    Cochrane Library
    National Guidelines Clearinghouse
    Nursing & Nursing Diagnosis Nursing Consult
    Nursing Diagnosis: Application to Clinical Practice    		 EBSCO CINAHL Plus
    Mosby's Nursing Index
    Patient Education MD Consult
    Micromedex
    Lexi-Comp Online    		 Patient Education Tutorials
    MedlinePlus
  • Foreground Questions

  • As you gain experience in searching background questions and using clinical tools to find quick answers, you'll begin asking more complex clinical questions or foreground questions. Format these questions using "PICO."
     

    • P - patient, problem, population
    • I - intervention (nursing intervention, tx, drug)
    • C - comparison of interventions (gold standard or benchmark)
    • O - outcomes (for the patient, society, economics)
    Type of Resource Time Available (minutes) Resources
    Filtered, summarized monographs 5-10  ACP PIER
    UpToDate
    Information Aggregators 15-20 Clin-eGuide
    NursingConsult
    Micromedex
    Critically Appraised Information 20+ EBSCO CINAHL Plus
    Mosby's Nursing Index
    Ovid Medicine
    Journal Article Databases Stay up on literature without reading full articles ACP Journal Club
    Evidence-Based Nursing

Stroke Guidelines

For general guidelines and statements, please visit the American Heart Association website.