PICOT is an acronym used to help develop clinical research questions and guide you in your search for evidence. Finding the right answers requires the right questions. The PICOT format will help you construct questions that will likely lead to effective searches, the best available evidence of interventions, and the meaningfulness of patient experiences.
P = Patient population
I = Intervention or issue of interest
C = Comparison of interventions or comparison of interests
O = Outcome
T = Time frame (this element is not always included)*
For example, you may wish to research the effects of interrupted sleep on cognition of ICU patients 65 or older.
Using this PICOT model,
In __________(P), how does __________ (I) compared to _________ (C) influence _________ (O) over ________ (T)?
In ICU patients who are 65 or older, how does interrupted sleep (awakened one time or more in four hours) as compared to uninterrupted sleep influence the patient’s cognitive ability over 5 days?
Questions of meaningfulness and effectiveness relate to how people experience an intervention or phenomenon.
What is the effectiveness of using a turn schedule (I) versus an audible public address reminder (C) on the incidence of pressure ulcers (O) in elderly patients in LTAC who require turning (P)?
*Not all studies will have a time frame. This is optional to include as part of your PICOT.
Assignment Directions
- Select a topic in nursing that is of interest to you
- PICOT Topic List : Falls, Accidental: Resulting in Injury, Medication Errors:Distractions and Interruptions, Alarm Fatigue and Patient Safety, Pressure Injury: Prevention, Handoff: Patient Safety, Hospital Readmissions, Nursing Staffing and Patient Safety: Shiftwork, CAUTI, CLABSI, ICU Acquired Delirium, Ventilator-associated pneumonia, Venous thromboembolism, or Diabetes
- Use PICOT to format a possible research question about that topic.
- Create one possible PICOT research question.
- Find one quantitative or qualitative peer-reviewed research article related to your nursing topic that was published within the last 5 years. Reminder: All peer-reviewed research articles have methods, discussion, and results sections.
- Upload the article with your paper in PDF format. This source can be used again in the Week 4 article assignment if it meets the criteria.
See PICOT Formatting Guide Download PICOT Formatting Guideor pages 249-257 in your book for additional help with formatting your PICOT.
Include the following:
- Title page
- Provide a brief description of the topic and background information (see page 37 of your textbook). You can use your text, your peer-reviewed journal source, or the EBP care sheets in CINAHL or Nursing Reference Center Database.
- Explain the significance of the topic to nursing practice (see chart on page 37 of your textbook). Background information can be found in journal articles in the introduction section. Results and conclusions will speak to significance of the topic. The EBP care sheets may have sources for you to choose from.
- Provide 1 clearly-stated PICOT question.
- Include 1 peer-reviewed journal source related to your topic.
- The chosen topic and PICOT will be used for your Week 9 poster assignment. It will also guide your article searches in Week 4 on which you will complete appraisals in Week 6.
Your paper should:
- Be 2–3 pages (not including the title page and reference page)
- Use current APA format to style your paper and to cite your source.
Attached is a Picot Examplar Paper Download Picot Examplar Paperas an example of the format.
There will be a 5 point deduction if peer-reviewed research journal article is not used and a 5 point deduction if the article is not included with your submission.
Review the rubric for further information on how your assignment will be graded.
