A nursing literature review maps a focused question, searches widely, screens sources, and synthesizes findings to guide practice, education, or research.
What A Nursing Literature Review Really Does
A strong review does four jobs. It clarifies the clinical question, shows what is known, shows where the gaps sit, and guides the next move. In nursing, that work links evidence to bedside care, education, and policy. Before writing, pick the review type that matches your goal and timeline.
Common Review Types In Nursing
| Type | Main Aim | When To Use |
|---|---|---|
| Narrative | Broad picture built from selected studies | Early scoping, course assignments, quick overviews |
| Integrative | Brings together varied methods to answer one question | Mixed designs, practice change proposals |
| Scoping | Maps the range of evidence without heavy appraisal | New topics, wide fields, service planning |
| Systematic | Structured search, appraisal, and synthesis with set criteria | Guideline input, capstone, thesis, grant support |
Composing A Literature Review In Nursing: A Repeatable Workflow
Clarify The Question And Scope
Anchor the project with a tight, searchable question. Use a clear pattern such as PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) for interventions, PEO (Population, Exposure, Outcome) for qualitative topics, or SPIDER for qualitative searching. Define patient group, setting, and outcomes you can actually measure. State limits for language, dates, and study types up front so choices stay consistent later.
Plan Your Search Strategy
List the databases that fit nursing: CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and relevant education or social care indexes. Map keywords to controlled vocabulary. In PubMed, Medical Subject Headings help pull variants under one idea; you can learn them through the
MeSH pages. Combine terms with AND/OR, add truncation for word stems, and set date or age limits only if they match your scope. Draft your strategies in a shared document so you can copy, tweak, and rerun them. Team up with a librarian if one is available through your school or clinical site.
Run Searches And Document Everything
Record the platform, exact string, date run, and the number of hits. Export results to a manager such as Zotero or Mendeley with full abstracts and citation data. Keep duplicates until you can de-duplicate inside the manager, then note how many were removed. Create a tracking sheet for screening decisions. If your course or program wants a flow diagram, the
PRISMA 2020 checklist and flow templates show the common fields to report. Good notes save hours when you move from draft to final.
Screen Records With Clear Criteria
Set inclusion and exclusion rules before you open a single abstract. Base them on population, setting, study type, and outcomes. Screen titles and abstracts in pairs if you can. Use short reasons for exclusion: wrong setting, wrong population, not a research study, not in scope, duplicate. Move full texts that look eligible into a separate folder. Keep the rules stable so reviewers can reproduce your path.
Appraise Each Study
Pick an appraisal tool that matches the design. The JBI checklists cover qualitative work, case reports, cohort studies, randomized trials, and more. Work through each item and make a brief note on bias risks, sampling, measures, and reporting. Appraisal is not a number game; the value sits in plain notes that explain the strengths and weaknesses that matter to your question. Use the same tool across similar designs for fair treatment.
Extract Data Into A Clean Chart
Create a sheet with columns that you will actually use. Typical fields: author and year, country, setting, aim, design, sample, exposures or interventions, measures, main findings, limits, and any notes on relevance. Keep variable names short and consistent. Store PDFs with clear names that match the sheet so you can find them instantly while writing.
Synthesize Findings
Decide how you will bring studies together. For quantitative work with similar designs, a compact table and a short narrative often fit course papers. For mixed methods or varied designs, draw themes that sit across studies and show how the evidence converges or conflicts. Avoid stringing one study after another like a list; group by theme, design, or setting so the reader can track patterns. Use short subheadings inside Results to keep the thread.
Write The Paper: Sections That Keep Readers On Track
Title And Abstract That Match The Question
Keep the title plain, specific, and searchable. Lead with the core concept and patient group. The abstract should state the question, the sources searched, the number of included studies, how you appraised them, and the main takeaways for nurses.
Introduction: The Clinical Problem And Rationale
Open with the problem that nurses face in real settings. Size the issue with a few current statistics if they add value. State the aim of the review and the choice of review type. End the section with your research question in one clear sentence.
Methods: Search, Screening, And Appraisal
Describe databases, date ranges, search strings or key terms, and any limits. Mention how you handled duplicates and screening. Name the appraisal tool you used and how many reviewers checked each study. If you followed set reporting items, say so and point to an appendix with full strategies. Keep this section detailed enough that another student or nurse could repeat your steps.
Results: What You Found
Start with counts: records found, after de-duplication, screened at abstract level, reviewed in full, and included. If you built a flow diagram, place it in the appendix or near the Methods. Then move to the included studies. A table of characteristics helps the reader grasp design mix and settings at a glance. After that, present your themes or pooled signals with short subheadings. Quote sparingly and paraphrase with citations to keep the voice consistent.
Discussion: What It Means For Nursing Practice
Pull the thread back to care delivery. Note where evidence is strong, where results clash, and what nurses can do with the most reliable patterns. If evidence is thin, say what piece is missing: design, population, setting, or outcomes. Suggest how leaders, educators, or bedside teams might test a small change linked to your findings.
Limitations And Next Steps
Be candid about search limits, languages, time windows, and designs you did not include. Note risks from single-reviewer screening or appraisal if they applied. Point out any missing gray literature that might matter. List clear next steps that a student or team could act on within a semester or term.
Style, Citations, And Academic Integrity
Use active voice, short sentences, and plain terms that match how nurses talk on shift. Follow your program’s style guide for headings, in-text citations, and reference lists; many nursing schools use APA. Keep your citation manager tidy with folders for “screened out,” “included,” and “maybe.” Check every direct quote against the PDF. Run a draft through your campus originality checker before you submit. If you paraphrase, change both words and structure, and cite the source every time.
Time-Saving Moves That Protect Rigor
- Build and reuse a search log template so every search looks the same.
- Paste each final search string into your notes right after you run it.
- Name PDFs with first author, year, and a short tag for design.
- Set up reference styles in your manager early to avoid last-night edits.
- Write the Methods section as you go; it is easier to record choices in the moment.
- Draft the tables before full prose; they act as a backbone when you start writing.
Minimal Search Log Template
| Field | What To Record | Example Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Database | Platform and database name | EBSCO CINAHL Complete |
| Search String | Full final string with limits | (“pressure ulcer*” OR “pressure injur*”) AND nurse* |
| Date And Hits | Date run and total records | 2025-09-10; n=412 |
Common Pitfalls And Easy Fixes
Vague scope: Tighten the population and setting, or split the question.
Over-limiting: Remove age or date limits that are not tied to the aim.
One database only: Add at least one nursing index and one biomedical index.
No appraisal: Pick a matching checklist and take brief notes on bias and methods.
List-like synthesis: Regroup by theme or outcome and rewrite in that order.
Messy references: Clean duplicates, fix caps, and standardize journal names.
Submission Checklist You Can Trust
- Clear question early in the paper
- Stated review type with a short reason
- Named databases and date ranges
- Full strings saved in notes or appendix
- Screening rules written before review
- Appraisal tool matched to design
- Data chart completed and stored
- Results grouped by themes or comparable outcomes
- Practical takeaways for nurses
- Honest limits and next steps
- Accurate references in the asked style
Ethics And Grey Literature
If your course permits, add dissertations, conference abstracts, and policy papers for added reach. Check sites of nursing boards or large clinical bodies for reports. State how you searched these sources and how you judged their value. Be careful with preprints and non-peer-reviewed work; cite them clearly and weigh them with care.
From Plan To Polished Draft
Start with a skeleton: title page, headings, and placeholder tables. Fill in Methods while you search. Once screening ends, complete the characteristics table, then draft the Results themes. Write Introduction last, when you know the field. Set a short revision loop: one pass for flow, one for citations, one for copy errors. A clean, consistent layout earns trust.
Linked Resources You Can Use Today
Learn MeSH terms in PubMed through the National Library of Medicine page. Review reporting items with the PRISMA 2020 statement and flow diagram templates.