This document provides instructions for nursing students on how to search for scholarly articles on PubMed related to a research topic. It involves searching PubMed directly using keywords as well as searching for standardized medical subject headings (MeSH) terms. The instructions also describe how to filter search results, find full-text articles available through the college's resources, and request articles through interlibrary loan if not available otherwise. Students are asked to include citations for two relevant articles they found through following the search process.

1. Name:
PubMed Worksheet for NURS312/313
1. Search the PubMed Database (Simple Search)
What is your research topic?
Go to the NURS305 library webpage, Select PubMed
http://libguides.messiah.edu/content.php?pid=274222&sid=4447294
Type your topic into the search box using keywords. How many results?
Does the first page of results contain any articles that you would use? _
2. Search for Subject (MeSH), Subheadings, Major Topic (Advanced)
Go back to the PubMed home page by using the back button, or selecting PubMed.gov at the top, and select the “MeSH Database” in the bottom menu.
Type your topic (type only 1-2 keywords) into the MeSH search box.
Is there a “standard” subject word/phrase? What is it? .
Click on the search phrase to go to the MeSH record.
If there is not a standard subject, try typing in other keywords to describe your topic to see if there is a relevant MeSH word or phrase.
Contact the Librarian for help if you are having difficulty finding a MeSH term.
In the subheadings section, look for relevant subheadings.
If you find relevant subheading(s) (optional), click that box(es). What is the relevant subheading(s) you chose?
Click the “Restrict Search to Major Topic Headings Only” box
Select “Send to Search Builder” button.
Repeat this process to find additional MeSH terms for your research topic as appropriate.
Search PubMed button
Now how many results are there?
Do they seem to be more relevant than your initial simple search?
Go back and revise your search strategy/MeSH/subheadings as needed.
3. Set Filters
Select filters on the left (you may need to select Show Additional Filters to see options).
What filter(s) did you select?
Now how many results are there?
Are there any results in the first few pages that look relevant?
If you do not see any relevant articles, contact the Librarian for help.

2. 4. How to Get the Article
Select an article that you would like to look at to see the PubMed record. Click on the Messiah icon in the upper right corner to open the full article. If there is no Messiah College icon, follow the next step as well.
If the article does not open, or if there is no Messiah College icon, go to the “Periodicals List” in the “Do We Have a Specific Journal” box on the NURS 305/312/313 library webpage.
Type the name of the JOURNAL (not the name of the journal article) in the search box.
Type in the full journal title. If you don’t know the full title, hover your mouse over the abbreviated journal title in the PubMed record to see the full title.
If the journal is listed, we should have the journal online or in print.
 If online, select the database name to go to the journal. Browse to the issue you need (year, volume, issue and page number of the article, found by looking at the citation in the PubMed record).
 If in print, come to the library to get the print article.
5. If Not Available at Messiah, Get Article Through Interlibrary Loan
If we don’t have the article (it is not listed in the Periodicals List), you can request it through Interlibrary Loan; it will take a few days to get the article.
Go to the Interlibrary Loan link on the Library Homepage.
Select ILLIAD and sign in with your network ID and password.
Request a New Article, complete the form with information about the article, and submit the request.
You can track the progress of getting your article in your ILLIAD account.
You will get an email when the article is here, and you can get to the article in your ILLIAD account.
6. Type in two citations of relevant, recent articles you found through this process. (APA citation style).
7. Submit this worksheet for review and grading through Canvas.
Questions?? Ask your Librarian!! Beth Transue
btransue@messiah.edu - Facebook - x3810