Based on the PICOT you developed for NUR-550, summarize the intervention you are proposing. How does this support the population of focus, your setting, and role?
Based on the PICOT you developed for NUR-550, summarize the intervention you are proposing. How does this support the population of focus, your setting, and role? Justify how the problem you selected to investigate is amenable to a research-based intervention using the PICOT format. Include your PICOT statement with your response.
Expert Answer and Explanation: DQ 1
PICOT Intervention Overview
Using medical cannabis instead of opioid drugs to treat chronic non-cancer pain in adults is the suggested intervention based on the PICOT question. This strategy prioritizes lowering opioid dependence while improving pain management results and limiting unfavorable side effects. According to research, medical cannabis works by interacting with endocannabinoid receptors to produce analgesic benefits without the substantial risk of opioid dependence or overdose (MacCallum et al., 2021).
Adults with chronic pain who are more likely to experience opioid-related problems are supported by the suggested intervention. A patient-centered and possibly safer approach is provided by the introduction of medical cannabis as a first-line or adjunct treatment in clinical settings, particularly outpatient and pain management clinics. Advocating for evidence-based alternatives promotes clinical safety and comprehensive treatment as a prospective Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP).
The issue of chronic pain management is particularly suited to research-based intervention due to its widespread prevalence, complex treatment needs, and the public health burden of opioid misuse. The PICOT format provides a clear framework for evaluating how medical cannabis compares to traditional opioid therapy in achieving pain control and minimizing side effects. This structured question supports targeted data collection and outcome assessment in clinical trials or quality improvement studies (Greis et al., 2022).
When the concern is able to be addressed through the use of the research lens, clinicians can generate actionable evidence to inform prescribing practices, improve quality of life for chronic pain sufferers, and contribute to more sustainable pain management models.
PICOT Statement: In adults with chronic non-cancer pain (P), how does the use of medical cannabis (I) compared to opioids (C) affect pain relief and adverse side effects (O) during the treatment period (T)?
References
Greis, A., Larsen, E., Liu, C., Renslo, B., Radakrishnan, A., & Wilson-Poe, A. R. (2022). Perceived efficacy, reduced prescription drug use, and minimal side effects of cannabis in patients with chronic orthopedic pain. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 7(6), 865–875. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2021.0088
MacCallum, C. A., Eadie, L., Barr, A. M., Boivin, M., & Lu, S. (2021). Practical strategies using medical cannabis to reduce harms associated with long-term opioid use in chronic pain. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12, 633168. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.633168
Explain the importance of a “spirit of inquiry” in an evidence-based culture and what you can do as an advanced registered nurse to encourage this within your practice or organization. Compare the role and implementation of EBP in your specialty area with another advanced registered nurse specialty.
Expert Answer and Explanation: DQ 2
Spirit of Inquiry in Evidence-Based Practice
A “spirit of inquiry” is essential to establishing and maintaining a culture of evidence-based practice (EBP). It entails a way of thinking that actively challenges accepted wisdom and looks for better, empirically backed ways to enhance patient outcomes. Healthcare workers are more inclined to question established procedures, seek out new information, and challenge established practices in an atmosphere that values inquiry (Anderson et al., 2022).
Promoting this culture as an advanced registered nurse starts with setting an example of curiosity, taking part in clinical research, and helping colleagues evaluate and use evidence. Practical strategies to integrate inquiry into everyday routines and decision-making include facilitating journal clubs, including frequent EBP talks into team meetings, and spearheading quality improvement projects.
EBP is widely used in primary care settings by Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs), who must rely on the most recent research and guidelines to manage chronic conditions, encourage preventative care, and make medication decisions. In order to improve therapeutic pathways for the management of diabetes, hypertension, and mental health screening, the FNP frequently starts EBP projects. A Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), on the other hand, might apply EBP in relation to behavioral therapies, therapy modalities, and psychopharmacology (Makic, 2025).
Although both positions employ EBP to improve patient care, the PMHNP uses evidence to promote mental and emotional health, while the FNP concentrates more on physical health issues. Notwithstanding these distinctions, both specialties need a strong spirit of inquiry to guarantee that optimal practices are applied to a variety of patient populations.
References
Anderson, J., Dineen‐Griffin, S., & Stanley, D. (2022). Creating a Spirit of Enquiry (Enhancing Research). Clinical Leadership in Nursing and Healthcare, 303-321. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119869375.ch14
Makic, M. B. F. (2025). Fostering a Spirit of Inquiry: Inspiring Nurses to Advance Practice Based on Best Evidence. American Journal of Critical Care, 34(4), 255-265. https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2025493
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Based on the PICOT You Developed for NUR-550: A Comprehensive Guide to Summarizing Your Intervention and Research Justification
Introduction
As you transition from NUR-550 to NUR-590, one of the most critical steps is articulating how your PICOT-formulated intervention addresses a specific nursing practice problem. This guide provides evidence-based strategies for summarizing your proposed intervention, justifying its research basis, and demonstrating its relevance to your population, setting, and professional role.
Understanding the PICOT Framework in Advanced Nursing Practice
The PICOT (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Time) framework serves as the foundation for evidence-based practice (EBP) in nursing. According to Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt (2019), this structured approach ensures that clinical questions are answerable through research and directly applicable to patient care improvement.
Why Your PICOT Statement Matters
Your PICOT statement from NUR-550 represents more than an academic exercise—it’s a blueprint for implementing meaningful change in healthcare delivery. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2021) emphasizes that Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students must demonstrate competency in translating research into practice through clearly defined, measurable interventions.
Summarizing Your Proposed Intervention
Key Components of an Effective Intervention Summary
When summarizing your intervention, address these essential elements:
1. The Core Intervention Clearly state what you are implementing. For example: “Implementation of a standardized fall prevention protocol utilizing hourly rounding and risk assessment tools.”
2. Theoretical Foundation Reference the nursing theory or conceptual model guiding your intervention. Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation Theory (2003) and the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice are commonly applied frameworks in nursing quality improvement projects.
3. Evidence Base Cite recent systematic reviews or meta-analyses supporting your intervention. According to Dang et al. (2022), Level I evidence (systematic reviews and meta-analyses) provides the strongest foundation for practice change initiatives.
Supporting Your Population of Focus
Aligning Intervention with Population Needs
Your intervention must directly address the specific needs of your target population. Consider:
Demographic Characteristics: Age, comorbidities, cultural background, and health literacy levels all influence intervention effectiveness (Nilsen, 2020).
Population Vulnerabilities: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023) identifies specific populations at higher risk for adverse health outcomes, requiring tailored interventions.
Example Application
PICOT Statement: “In adult patients with Type 2 diabetes in an outpatient clinic (P), does implementing a nurse-led diabetes self-management education program (I) compared to standard care (C) improve HbA1c levels (O) over six months (T)?”
Population Support: This intervention supports adult diabetic patients by providing culturally sensitive, literacy-appropriate education that empowers self-management. Research by Powers et al. (2020) in Diabetes Care demonstrates that structured self-management education reduces HbA1c by 0.5-0.8% on average.
Justifying Your Setting and Role
Setting Appropriateness
Your intervention must be feasible within your clinical setting’s resources, culture, and infrastructure. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI, 2023) recommends conducting a setting assessment that evaluates:
- Leadership support and organizational readiness
- Available resources (human, financial, technological)
- Existing workflows and potential barriers
- Stakeholder engagement capacity
Role Justification
As an advanced practice nurse, your role encompasses:
Clinical Expertise: Your advanced knowledge positions you to identify evidence-practice gaps (AACN, 2021).
Leadership Capacity: DNP-prepared nurses lead quality improvement initiatives and mentor staff through change processes (American Nurses Association, 2023).
Systems Thinking: You understand how interventions affect multiple levels of the healthcare system (Begun et al., 2020).
Demonstrating Research Amenability Using PICOT Format
What Makes a Problem Amenable to Research-Based Intervention?
A nursing problem is amenable to research-based intervention when:
- Sufficient Evidence Exists: Multiple studies demonstrate intervention effectiveness
- Measurable Outcomes: You can objectively assess intervention impact
- Feasibility: Implementation is realistic within available resources
- Relevance: The problem significantly impacts patient outcomes or healthcare quality
The Evidence Hierarchy
According to Fineout-Overholt et al. (2022), evaluate evidence quality using this hierarchy:
- Level I: Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines
- Level II: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
- Level III: Controlled trials without randomization
- Level IV: Case-control and cohort studies
- Level V: Systematic reviews of qualitative/descriptive studies
- Level VI: Single qualitative or descriptive studies
- Level VII: Expert opinion, case reports
Your intervention should be supported primarily by Level I-III evidence.
Building Your Justification: A Step-by-Step Approach
Step 1: Conduct a Comprehensive Literature Review
Search databases including CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Joanna Briggs Institute. Use your PICOT components as search terms (Polit & Beck, 2021).
Step 2: Synthesize Evidence
Create an evidence table documenting:
- Study design and level of evidence
- Sample characteristics
- Intervention details
- Outcomes and effect sizes
- Limitations and applicability to your setting
Step 3: Identify Evidence-Practice Gaps
According to the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR, 2022), the average time from research discovery to practice implementation is 17 years. Your project helps close this gap.
Step 4: Apply Critical Appraisal
Use standardized tools like the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice Model (Dang & Dearholt, 2022) to assess evidence quality and applicability.
Sample PICOT Statement with Complete Justification
PICOT Statement:
“In hospitalized elderly patients at risk for pressure injuries (P), does implementation of a comprehensive skin bundle including scheduled repositioning, support surfaces, and moisture management (I) compared to standard care (C) reduce hospital-acquired pressure injury incidence (O) within 90 days (T)?”
Intervention Summary:
This evidence-based skin bundle integrates multiple preventive strategies shown to reduce pressure injury risk. The intervention combines frequent risk assessment using the Braden Scale, structured repositioning protocols every 2 hours, use of pressure-redistributing surfaces, and proactive moisture management.
Population Support:
Elderly hospitalized patients face elevated pressure injury risk due to age-related skin changes, decreased mobility, and comorbidities (Edsberg et al., 2016). This population benefits from intensive preventive interventions, as hospital-acquired pressure injuries increase length of stay by 4.3 days and add $43,180 in treatment costs per patient (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2022).
Setting and Role Justification:
As a Clinical Nurse Specialist in a 200-bed acute care facility, I have the clinical expertise to educate staff on evidence-based prevention strategies and the leadership authority to influence protocol implementation. Our hospital’s pressure injury rate of 8% exceeds the national benchmark of 2.5%, indicating significant opportunity for improvement (National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators, 2023).
Research Amenability:
Multiple Level I systematic reviews demonstrate that multicomponent interventions reduce pressure injury incidence by 30-50% (Gillespie et al., 2020; Moore & Patton, 2019). A Cochrane Review by McInnes et al. (2018) supports each bundle component individually, providing strong evidence that this problem is amenable to research-based intervention. Measurable outcomes include pressure injury incidence rates, stages of injuries, and time to injury development—all tracked through our electronic health record system.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Vague Intervention Descriptions: Be specific about what you will implement, who will deliver it, and how often.
- Insufficient Evidence Synthesis: Don’t rely on single studies; synthesize findings across multiple high-quality sources.
- Ignoring Contextual Factors: Consider how organizational culture, resources, and stakeholder buy-in affect implementation.
- Unmeasurable Outcomes: Ensure outcomes are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
- Overlooking Feasibility: Realistic resource assessment prevents implementation failure (Nilsen, 2020).
Evaluation and Sustainability Planning
Your justification should include plans for:
Process Evaluation: Are you implementing the intervention as designed? (Fidelity monitoring)
Outcome Evaluation: Are you achieving desired results? (Statistical and clinical significance)
Sustainability: How will the intervention continue beyond project completion? (Chambers et al., 2021)
Conclusion
Successfully summarizing and justifying your PICOT-based intervention requires integrating evidence, understanding your population and setting, and clearly articulating your role in leading practice change. By following this systematic approach and grounding your work in high-quality evidence, you demonstrate the scholarship essential to advanced nursing practice.
Your NUR-550 PICOT statement is not merely an academic requirement—it’s the foundation for meaningful healthcare improvement that advances nursing science and enhances patient outcomes.
References
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2022). Preventing pressure ulcers in hospitals. https://www.ahrq.gov/patient-safety/settings/hospital/resource/pressureulcer/index.html
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Education-Resources/AACN-Essentials
American Nurses Association. (2023). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice (4th ed.). American Nurses Association.
Begun, J. W., Zimmerman, B., & Dooley, K. (2020). Health care organizations as complex adaptive systems. In S. M. Mick & M. E. Wyttenbach (Eds.), Advances in health care organization theory (2nd ed., pp. 253-288). Jossey-Bass.
Chambers, D. A., Glasgow, R. E., & Stange, K. C. (2021). The dynamic sustainability framework: Addressing the paradox of sustainment amid ongoing change. Implementation Science, 16(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-020-01088-3
Dang, D., & Dearholt, S. (2022). Johns Hopkins nursing evidence-based practice: Model and guidelines (4th ed.). Sigma Theta Tau International.
Dang, D., Dearholt, S., Bissett, K., Ascenzi, J., & Whalen, M. (2022). Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice for nurses and healthcare professionals: Model and guidelines (4th ed.). Sigma Theta Tau International.
Edsberg, L. E., Black, J. M., Goldberg, M., McNichol, L., Moore, L., & Sieggreen, M. (2016). Revised National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel pressure injury staging system. Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing, 43(6), 585-597. https://doi.org/10.1097/WON.0000000000000281
Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B. M., Stillwell, S. B., & Williamson, K. M. (2022). Evidence-based practice step by step: Critical appraisal of the evidence. American Journal of Nursing, 122(10), 54-60.
Gillespie, B. M., Walker, R. M., Latimer, S. L., Thalib, L., Whitty, J. A., McInnes, E., & Chaboyer, W. P. (2020). Repositioning for pressure injury prevention in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 6(6), CD009958. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD009958.pub3
Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2023). Science of improvement: Establishing measures. http://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/HowtoImprove/ScienceofImprovementEstablishingMeasures.aspx
McInnes, E., Jammali-Blasi, A., Bell-Syer, S. E., Dumville, J. C., Middleton, V., & Cullum, N. (2018). Support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 10(10), CD001735. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD001735.pub5
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2019). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice (4th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Moore, Z., & Patton, D. (2019). Risk assessment tools for the prevention of pressure ulcers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 1(1), CD006471. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD006471.pub4
National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators. (2023). NDNQI pressure injury training. Press Ganey Associates.
National Institute of Nursing Research. (2022). The NINR strategic plan: Advancing science, improving lives. https://www.ninr.nih.gov/aboutninr/ninr-mission-and-strategic-plan
Nilsen, P. (2020). Making sense of implementation theories, models, and frameworks. In P. Nilsen & S. A. Birken (Eds.), Handbook on implementation science (pp. 53-79). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2021). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Powers, M. A., Bardsley, J. K., Cypress, M., Funnell, M. M., Harms, D., Hess-Fischl, A., Hooks, B., Isaacs, D., Mandel, E. D., Maryniuk, M. D., Norton, A., Rinker, J., Siminerio, L. M., & Uelmen, S. (2020). Diabetes self-management education and support in adults with type 2 diabetes: A consensus report of the American Diabetes Association, the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of PAs, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the American Pharmacists Association. Diabetes Care, 43(7), 1636-1649. https://doi.org/10.2337/dci20-0023
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). Free Press.
About the Author: This guide is developed based on current evidence-based practice standards for DNP-prepared nurses and doctoral nursing education requirements as outlined by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). The content synthesizes peer-reviewed research, professional organization guidelines, and established frameworks for nursing scholarship.
Medical Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational purposes for nursing students and healthcare professionals. It does not constitute medical advice or establish a nurse-patient relationship. Always follow your institution’s policies and procedures and consult with appropriate clinical experts when implementing practice changes.
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