Open AccessDeveloping information literacy skills in nursing and rehabilitation therapy students
Author(s) -
Paola Durando,
Paul A. Oakley
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
the journal of the canadian health libraries association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.159
H-Index - 1
ISSN - 1708-6892
DOI - 10.5596/c05-007
Subject(s) - curriculum , entry level , rehabilitation , information literacy , medical education , occupational therapy , nursing , psychology , health care , critical appraisal , medicine , pedagogy , alternative medicine , physical therapy , pathology , economic growth , economics
The environment in which nurses and rehabilitation therapists practice is rapidly evolving, resulting in changes in the skill sets and competencies required of new graduates. Evidence-based practice models, for example, require that entry-level nurses, physical therapists, and occupational therapists have the ability to identify, locate, and critically appraise research findings. This paper will describe curriculum-integrated, for-credit information literacy programs developed by the authors in collaboration with faculty members from the Schools of Nursing and Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. The short-term goal of these programs is to teach undergraduate and graduate students advanced search strategy skills and critical appraisal techniques that will enable them to explore the implications of their literature findings. The long-term goal is to graduate practitioners who not only will have the skills to practice evidence-based health care but also will participate in scholarly activities and thus contribute to the evidence base in their disciplines.