Heart disease is the top cause of death in America (Omura et al., 2019). It is therefore crucial that we learn how to prevent and manage this disease. The first step is to search for the topic in a health database such as PubMed and Google Scholar.
Using PubMed, I entered the keywords “Cardiovascular Disease Prevention” in the search bar and hit enter. This produced over 300,000 results which I narrowed down by applying the available filters. I chose the last 5 years for the time filter so as to have time relevant information and free full text for the text availability so that I would not be prompted to purchase the article. This produced about 39,000 results. Finally, under article type, I chose “review”, bringing the results to about 7000. I was able to browse and find the article with the information I was looking for. The article is a ACC/AHA guide on preventing heart disease (Arnett et al., 2019).
The article I chose is credible for a number of reasons. First, the article is published in a scientific journal, the Journal of the American Heart Association. Second, the article has been written by a variety of authors with verified credentials in their specific fields of expertise. It is also peer reviewed meaning that the article has been subjected to scrutiny by other experts in the same field. In comparison, I prefer the PubMed database. This is because the interface allows for more filters to apply to the search compared to Google Scholar. PubMed also pulls results from a database of defined journals unlike Google Scholar which show results beyond scientific journals (Shultz, 2007).
A database search can facilitate scholarly work by finding scholarly articles on numerous topics to broaden one’s knowledge in a particular field. It can also bolster evidence-based nursing practice by basing care interventions on best practice standards using peer-reviewed sources(Miller, Graves, Jones & Sievert, 2010). Finally, databases can enable personal development by allowing nurses to find articles on how to create an effective personal development plan that allows them to not only succeed professionally but personally.

References

Arnett, D., Blumenthal, R., Albert, M., Buroker, A., Goldberger, Z., & Hahn, E. et al. (2019). 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation, 140(11). doi: 10.1161/cir.0000000000000678

Miller, L., Graves, R., Jones, B., & Sievert, M. (2010). Beyond Google: Finding and Evaluating Web-Based Information for Community-Based Nursing Practice. International Journal Of Nursing Education Scholarship, 7(1). doi: 10.2202/1548-923x.1961

Omura, J., Ussery, E., Loustalot, F., Fulton, J., & Carlson, S. (2019). Walking as an Opportunity for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention. Preventing Chronic Disease, 16. doi: 10.5888/pcd16.180690

Shultz, M. (2007). Comparing test searches in PubMed and Google Scholar. Journal Of The Medical Library Association : JMLA, 95(4), 442-445. doi: 10.3163/1536-5050.95.4.442