Nursing Resources at the LAVC Library

CINAHL

CINAHL is accessed through the LAVC Library website. To find it, click on the green, circular "Databases" button near the top of the Library homepage, then, scroll down the alphabetical list and click on CINAHL Plus with Full Text (EBSCO). Clicking on the CINAHL link above (in blue) will also take you to the database.

Getting Started: Instructional Videos

CINAHL Tips

• Useful Advanced Search Limiters: when conducting an advanced search (see video, above) you will have the option to limit your results to certain types of sources. For example, you can tell CINAHL to narrow search results to articles written by nurses (i.e., authors with an RN, BSN, MSN, or equivalent foreign credential, as long as the credentials are listed in the article), or, limit results to evidence based practice (see screenshot, right). Note: these limiters can also be found under “Refine Your Results/Show More” on the search results page in CINAHL Advanced Search.

• Evidence-Based Publication Types in CINAHL: try adding one or all of the following publication type limits to an advanced search to retrieve evidence-based results (see screenshot, right): clinical trial, critical path, evidence-based care sheets, meta analysis, meta synthesis, practice guidelines, randomized controlled trial, standards, systematic review. Note: you can also access the additional limits page by clicking "edit" next the search you're working with in your search history.

• Use the CINAHL/MeSH Subject Headings to get better results: watch the video linked below to learn about official subject headings and how they can help you find more relevant material.
  • CINAHL - Using Subject Headings Video [3:33]

Advanced CINAHL Skills

Ready to take your CINAHL skills to the next level? Take a deep dive into the guides below, which go in-depth and show you how to take advantage of all of CINAHL's most-useful features:

• Searching CINAHL Guide (University of Otago, Wellington Medical Library)
• CINAHL Guide (Library of Rush University Medical Center)

Note: the 2 guides linked above were not created by LAVC Library and, thus, the help features located within them may not be available to LAVC students. If you need help or have questions, come back to this guide and use the help features here.