Nursing - Suggested Library Databases - DNP Program - LibGuides at Ferris State University

Background Information

Gathering background information, or "presearch" is a crucial part of information gathering. Reference books are a great source of background information. Suggested resources for background information include:

Books:

Search for print and e-books, as well as other library materials.

STAT!Ref (Teton Data Systems) This link opens in a new window
This database cross-searches numerous medical reference books.
eBook Collection (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
You'll find your Scope & Standards books in this ebook database, as well as other books relevant to nursing.
Ebook Central (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Cross-search numerous ebooks, including ones relevant to nursing.
Health and Wellness (Gale) This link opens in a new window
By default, results come from Books (primarily medical encyclopedias) and Fact Sheets (also excellent sources of background information).

Database Recommendations

CINAHL: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature draws information from more than 3000 journals. This tends to become a favorite of health professions students because of its awesome content and APA citing help. Learn to love it!
PubMed This link opens in a new window
This is the largest biomedical database, that is cross-searching over 5000 journals. For hints on using PubMed, please see the PubMed Quick Start Guide or take the PubMed Tutorial, both made available by the National Library of Medicine . This database is free, so please make it your friend!!!! No matter where you end up working, you can still use PubMed. While you're a Ferris student, please use a library link to get to PubMed so you have access to our link out to take advantage of our over 100,000 online journals.
STAT!Ref (Teton Data Systems) This link opens in a new window
Also listed as a source for background information, this database cross-searches over 30 medical reference books, and has useful content coming specifically from nursing books.
Cochrane Library This link opens in a new window
Contains different types of high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making and provides information about Cochrane groups.
Gale PowerSearch This link opens in a new window
This HUGE database is actually cross-searching the very large databases Academic Onefile and General Onefile, as well as other Gale databases, so it is a great place to look when you have a challenging topic to research.
Anatomy.TV This link opens in a new window
3D interactive models of human anatomy as well as media, x-rays, MRIs, animations, and live-action movies. Video clips can be downloaded for use in presentations.
MedlinePlus This link opens in a new window
This database is made freely available by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), and provides reliable patient-oriented information from sources selected by the NLM.
ScienceDirect This link opens in a new window
Full text articles from over 3,800 journals on scientific, and technical subjects from 1995 to present, including nursing-relevant information.

Full Text Reminder

Remember, to link out to the full text of articles in databases such as PubMed and CINAHL, you'll need to use the Find It link. If you need a reminder on using the Find It link, please see the Full Text Linking tab.

Building Your Search Strategy

Before you begin searching in large article databases such as CINAHL or PubMed, be sure to create an effective search strategy to obtain optimal results. Please download the document below.

Building an Effective Search Strategy PDF fillable form to help you build a search strategy. ADA accessible.

Explore More Databases

Databases A - Z Alphabetical list of FLITE's more than 100 databases.
Databases by Broad Subject Areas Business, Financial, & Legal; Education & Career; General & Multidisciplinary; Health & Medical; Humanities; Librarian Resources; News Service / Newspapers; Reference; Science & Technology; Social Sciences
Databases by Major: All listings within system
Databases by Major: COHP, MCO & Pharmacy Database recommendations for College of Pharmacy, College of Health Professions, and Michigan College of Optometry
Ebook Databases Find full ebooks or relevant chapters / book entries.
Reference: Encyclopedias, Dictionaries.... Need an encyclopedia entry or a definition? Try these databases.
Video Databases Streaming videos.