Schizophrenia and medication non-adherence. The PICO method can help you formulate a specific question

Think about a question or approach to patient care for a specific type of patient pertinent to the population of the course, i.e., a patient with schizophrenia and medication non-adherence.
The PICO method can help you formulate a specific question and guide your library/literature research.  The PICO method is short for:

Patient or Problem:  For person with Schizophrenia does specific medication teaching increase medication adherence? (This question has no comparison). After a library search, you may learn about motivational interviewing and change your question – for example: For persons with Schizophrenia does specific medication teaching or motivational interviewing increase medication adherence? (This question has a comparison).
For more info on the PICO method visit http://www.med.yale.edu/library/nursing/education/clinquest.html

Process for developing the paper – bolded items are important and/or required content for the paper.

• You shouldreview the Nursing literature for nursing research articles related to this question/topic. Be sure to include scholarly resources from your library research. If you cannot find at least one nursing research article (nursing study/meta-analysis) select another topic. If there is no nursing research (study/meta-analysis)utilized the paper will receive a grade no higher than an F. See Note above re: Nursing research.

• After examining the literature,formulate a thesis statement or question regarding nursing care for this type of patient or problem, usually about a nursing intervention or specific nursing role. A thesis statement/question must be included in the paper.The topic of this statement/question must relate to the persons with mental illness, dying, or the family.

• Examine and describe how the literature guides your practice, supports the thesis statement, or answers the question. Be sure to clearly describe the literature used (literature review) and fully describe/report at least two Nursing research studies/meta analyses.

• Describe the role of the nurse in the intervention or specific nursing role you have selected with respect to providing care for the patient, population and/or the family.

• Describe how you would apply the intervention/information in your nursing practice, regardless of where you are working. (Describe how you will use this intervention/information in your practice after you graduate or as students.) Be specific, describe exactly howyouwill use the information from the literature and/or what youwill do.

• Strive to insure that the information is pertinent to practice, well thought out and meaningful.

• The paper should be scholarly and in the correct APA format. The paper must have accurate documentation (APA utilized correctly – 6^th edition). All needed citations and quotations must be documented, not doing so constitutes plagiarism. Use the APA manual and when in doubt cite your source. Finish with an appropriate reference list; include current (within 5 years) or “classic” references only.

• Insure that it is organized and logical, includes an introduction and a summary and that the transitions are clear. Utilize correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.

• The paper will be 4-6 pages in length including the reference page; face sheet is not included in page count.