HSLIC News

Where do you go for quick nursing evidence summaries?

Evidence-based practice is a problem-solving approach to clinical decision-making based on the best available research evidence (Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt 2023). While it is preferable to read the original research reports to evaluate the validity and applicability firsthand, nurses, educators, and students often lack the time to do so.  

I recently discovered the journal, Evidence-Based Nursing, which is available from HSLIC. According to the publisher, the journal publishes critical commentaries and summaries of the most valid research in nursing. Key findings and implications for nursing practice are discussed. The original research articles are clearly referenced, allowing readers to find and appraise the complete reports if desired. In addition to commentaries, the journal publishes two other article types: Research Discussions and Evidence for Nursing Education.

Since my subject expertise is in health education and information sciences, rather than nursing, this journal is invaluable to me. As the librarian for the graduate nursing programs, I can quickly scan information that is relevant to nursing practice.

Evidence-Based Nursing is also available through BrowZine, an application that allows users to browse, read, and monitor journals available through the library. Learn more about BrowZine here.

So, where do you go for quick nursing evidence summaries? I encourage you to add Evidence-Based Nursing to your list of favorites! 

References:

BMJ Publishing Group (2023). Evidence-Based Nursing. https://ebn.bmj.com/
Gleasner, Robyn (2022, December 7). What is BrowZine? https://libguides.health.unm.edu/c.php?g=1206413&p=8823251
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2023). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare : a guide to best practice (Fifth). Wolters Kluwer.

Open Educational Resources (OERs) are teaching and learning materials that are available in the public domain, freely accessible, and free to reuse. 

OERs include any medium and any format from full courses, specific course material, textbooks, videos, or any other format to support learning. Because there is no cost associated with using an OER, they are a great way to save your students from having to purchase an expensive textbook.

There are a number of OER platforms that include textbooks for the health sciences:

LibreTexts Medicine Library

This Living Library is a principal hub of the LibreTexts project, which is a multi-institutional collaborative venture to develop the next generation of open-access texts to improve postsecondary education at all levels of higher learning. The LibreTexts approach is highly collaborative, where an Open Access textbook environment is under constant revision by students, faculty, and outside experts to supplant conventional paper-based books.

MedEd Portal

MedEdPORTAL Publications is a free publication service provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges in partnership with the American Dental Education Association. MedEdPORTAL Publications promotes educational scholarship and collaboration by facilitating the open exchange of peer-reviewed health education teaching and assessment resources.

MERLOT Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching

MERLOT is a free and open online community of resources designed primarily for faculty, staff, and students of higher education from around the world to share their learning materials and pedagogy.

OpenStax

OpenStax publishes high-quality, peer-reviewed, openly licensed college textbooks that are absolutely free online and low-cost in print.

For more information about OERs and how to adopt them for your courses, please see HSLIC’s Open Educational Resources Guide.

We are thrilled to introduce Varina (she/her) as HSLIC's new Justice, Equity, and Inclusion (JEI) Chair. Varina brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion to this crucial role, and we couldn't be more excited about the positive impact she will make in advancing the committee's goals within our library and beyond.

Varina works in the Public Services department and previously served as the JEI Committee’s Vice Chair. During that time, she collaborated with colleagues to establish the menstrual equity project and provide free menstrual products in all library restrooms. She was project lead on the Wellness Room seed funding initiative, which resulted in a space for students to stretch, meditate, pray, or take a break. For the past two years, she’s organized the library’s Pride Month display, working with colleagues to highlight LGBTQIA+ resources and collect donations for the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico.   

Varina’s research and JEI interests include intersectional feminism, trans rights, accessibility for neurodiverse folks, and providing support for people experiencing income or resource insecurity. Some of her priorities as JEI Committee Chair include increased transparency between the committee and its stakeholders and continuing work to make library spaces more accessible. She is also interested at examining ways in which the committee can work with other campus organizations to address findings of the UNM Basic Needs survey. She’s excited to collaborate with the committee and explore new ideas that benefit HSLIC’s staff and student communities.    

Varina was born and raised in southern Colorado and has a passion for hiking and fossil hunting. Growing up, she frequently visited beautiful northern New Mexico and eagerly seized the chance to move to Albuquerque nine years ago. She lives with her partner and an extremely pampered cat.

Stay tuned for updates on the exciting initiatives and projects that Varina will lead. Together, we can create a more equitable and inclusive library for all.        

As part of our Wellness Program, HSLIC has purchased two MetroNap Pods! These two nap pods will offer HSLIC patrons a means to support their mental and physical health by taking a 20-30 minute power nap when needed throughout the day. Pods include a privacy visor, built-in timer, and specifically composed sleep music with built in headphones.

“I highly recommend them,” said Amy Weig-Pickering, Library Info Specialist 3. “The music is soft with soothing ocean waves. Also, there is a massage feature which is subtle and relaxing. If you are worried about privacy, there is a screen that wraps around the front of the pod that provides good coverage.”

To keep our nap pods clean and usable for years to come, please no food or drink while using.

Come check them out on the southeast portion of HSLIC’s third floor. Happy napping!

Special Collections consist of noncirculating research materials organized by provenance or a theme. These materials are often rare or unique and can be primary or secondary sources.

At HSLIC, our Special Collections, the New Mexico Health Historical Collection, “documents the history of health in the state and the Southwest by collecting and preserving materials that include oral histories, organizational records, rare books, photographs, artifacts, and a monograph collection.” Our repository also contains institutional archives, vertical files, serials, audiovisual materials, and digital records.  

Collecting strengths include the history of tuberculosis treatment in the state, the UNM Health Sciences Center, public health, New Mexico’s medical providers, and the oral history collection. Guides to processed collections are available via New Mexico Archives Online. Digitized materials are available through New Mexico Digital Collections and our institutional repository.

Special Collections is open to all researchers. To make a research appointment or to learn more about our holdings, please contact us at hsc-archivist@salud.unm.edu. Please allow at least five business days for us to retrieve materials during regular operations.  

Want to learn more about eTextbooks? Unsure which titles have unlimited access and whether or not you should assign them to your class? Already assigned a title and want to confirm how many people can access it at a time? Join us on Wednesday, July 26th from 10-10:30 am to learn more. Please bring any questions or concerns you have about any of our ebooks. The session will take place via Zoom. 

Register now: https://libcal.health.unm.edu/event/1093946

WELCOME!  WELCOME!  WELCOME!  WELCOME!               

The Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center (HSLIC) welcomes our new and returning residents.  We look forward to serving resident research and clinical education needs this upcoming year and for many years to come.

Some of the ways that we can help:

• literature searches
• research consultations
• Interlibrary Loan
• individualized and classroom instruction
• databases, point-of-care Tools, mobile resources, ebooks, print books, Systematic Review tools, citation management

Point-of-Care Tools

Point-of-care tools are essential to modern clinical practice.  Some of the HSLIC point-of-care tools include:

• ClinicalKey
• UpToDate
• VisualDx
• Access Medicine
• Access Pediatrics
• Access Surgery

Please look at our list of DATABASES to find our point-of-care tools, plus all of the other databases and eResources we offer.

The Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.  Users can access the Library in the evening and on weekends by swiping their badge at the front door.

HSLIC will be unstaffed tomorrow, July 4th, in honor of Independence Day. However, we will still be open to those with badge access to come in and study.

We wish everyone a safe and wonderful holiday.

Who knew there was a holiday every July 3 that encourages you to attend a movie or spend the day at the gym? A holiday to save your skin! These past few days have been HOT, and summer has just begun. It may not be practical to spend a day indoors, but give yourself and your skin a break and seek shade either indoors, under an umbrella or floppy hat, or in front of HSLIC in the early morning – and don’t forget those UV protection sunglasses.

The Solar UV index is the strength of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Last week, the local UV index reached its most extreme level, which means to avoid the sun between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. when skin damage can happen in minutes. Check out the hourly UV index at your location at the EPA website UV Index.

We conducted a survey recently to get your feedback about how to make the front area of the HSLIC building more functional and inviting. The top three responses were: tables, improved aesthetics, and additional SHADE. We are listening and planning. Meanwhile, be smart in the sun.