Associated Learning Outcomes

1. Critically review the relationship between research, evidence-based nursing practice and patient safety outcomes
2. Critically analyse available research literature to explore and inform “real world” nursing problems.
3. Identify the ethical and legal responsibilities of undertaking nursing research in a variety of settings and apply knowledge of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NH&MRC) standards of ethical human research to nursing research practice.

Background Information:

The mental health and wellbeing of people living with a mental illness is of paramount importance when care is being delivered. One of the areas that need to be taken into consideration is the physical health of consumers living with a mental illness given that people living with a mental illness have poorer physical health outcomes compared to the general population.

This assessment task would require you to conduct a literature review that critically examines the extant of literature that has reported on:

“The barriers and facilitators of ensuring good physical health outcomes for people living with a severe mental illness”.

Instructions:

You are required to search for existing literature on this chosen area (minimum 10) and critically examine the primary research studies that have been conducted in the area. You are to draw out at least 3 themes from these studies. This should not just be a collection/listing of studies but rather a thorough analysis of what the studies found, comparisons between studies and identification of gaps in the studies
including any limitations.

You are to provide details about the studies you have chosen including the settings, sample, design and analysis. Where applicable use the PICO format.

Limit your search to the following databases: CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase, and MEDLINE or Google Scholar. Please contact the University Library if you are having any difficulties with accessing the database.

1. Use double spacing throughout essay.
2. Font size:11-12
3. Approximately 3-4 pages (excluding reference list)
4. Use APA 7th Edition
5. Use at least 2 databases for your searches
6. A minimum of 10 papers are to be reviewed
7. All references must be within the last 10 years (2010-2020). If you need to go outside of this range, you need to provide a reason.
8. Write in 3rd person, e.g. this paper argues that…. or the author is of the view that……. It can be argued that writing essays can be fun at times……

Keep the following in mind when writing your literature review.

• Your literature review needs to be organized around and related directly to the research question.
• The result of your review has to be synthesized into a summary of what is known and not known about the topic.
• You will need to be critical in your writing. This means comparing and contrasting different concepts, agreeing with, confirming or defending a finding or point of view.
• Conceding that an existing point of view has some strengths but qualifying your support of the position by highlighting certain weaknesses.