title: Family nurse practitioner student perception of journal abstract usefulness in clinical decision making: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess family nurse practitioner (FNP) student perception of research abstract usefulness in clinical decision making.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized controlled trial conducted in a simulated environment with graduate FNP students of the Graduate School of Nursing, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Given a clinical case study and modified MEDLINE search tool accessible via an iPad device, participants were asked to develop a treatment plan and complete a data collection form. The primary measure was perceived usefulness of the research abstracts in clinical decision making regarding a simulated obese patient seeking to prevent type 2 diabetes. Secondary measures related to participant demographics and accessibility and usefulness of full-text manuscripts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of NP students identified readily available research abstracts as useful in shaping their clinical decision making. The presence or absence of full-text manuscripts associated with the abstracts did not appear to influence the perceived abstract usefulness. The majority of students with full-text manuscript access in the timed simulated clinical encounter read at least one paper, but cited insufficient time to read full-text as a constraint.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Research abstracts at point of care may be valuable to FNPs if easily accessible and integrated into clinical workflow.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Nursing, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Heather L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fontelo
authors.forename: Cara H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: Kenneth D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Ronald W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Gimbel
mesh_terms: D000043:Abstracting and Indexing; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D035843:Biomedical Research; D003657:Decision Making; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D064703:Family Nurse Practitioners / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D016544:Patient Simulation; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Advanced practice nurse (APN); clinical decision making; computers; decision making; evidence-based practice; information technology; nurse practitioners