LibGuides: Nursing: Publicly Available Resources

Quick Guide

Here is a Quick Guide to information resources that continue to be available for use after graduation as you enter the workforce.

Please note that you are always welcome to use York Library books and journals including e-journals and other e-resources while on campus. If you wish to borrow books, a library card can be purchased annually. Unfortunately due to publisher restrictions, e-resources are not accessible off campus even with a library card.

Nursing Websites

Government Health Websites

OPHLA Canadian Public Health Information Search Engine
Created by the Ontario Public Health Libraries Association, this custom search engine enables searching in the websites of Canada's federal and provincial health departments, public health agencies, and collaborating centres. Note that a list of websites is provided
Nursing Act (Ontario)
Regulated Health Professions Act (Ontario)

Practice Guidelines and Standards in Ontario

CNO Compendium of Standards of Practice for Nurses in Ontario
The Compendium of Standards of Practice for Nurses in Ontario comprises everything a practising nurse needs to know about the regulation of the nursing profession in Ontario. CNO standards are included in full, as well as information on College governance, the Quality Assurance Program, complaints and discipline procedures and more.
RNAO Best Practice Guidelines
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario

MetaSearch Engines

Trip Database: Turning Research into Practice
Trip is a clinical search engine designed to allow users to quickly and easily find and use high-quality research evidence to support their practice and/or care. Includes Canadian Practice Guidelines and other Evidence Type options

Systematic Reviews

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Cochrane Reviews are systematic reviews of primary research in human health care and health policy. They investigate the effects of interventions for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.
PubMed
Refine a search by selecting the Systematic Reviews filter from “Article Types” – from the left hand column
e.g. Does Kangaroo care improve health outcomes of premature infants?

Articles Databases

PubMed
also searches free full-text articles from PubMed Central
Google Scholar
Searches for grey and scholarly Open Access articles that are free on the web in government and academic websites and in institutional repositories.

Alternative Therapies

PubMed
Refine a search by selecting the Complementary Medicine filter from “Subject” Systematic and Randomized Controlled Trial “Article Types” – from the left hand column
e.g. Are low carbohydrate diets effective in controlling blood sugar levels in Type 2 Diabetes?

Background and Consumer Information

If you end up practicing in Toronto, then you have access to the Toronto Public Library system, and their Interlibrary Loans. The TPL subscribes to a number of consumer health databases that provide valuable information, and these are accessible with a valid TPL library card.

Additional online consumer health resources available free of charge

MedlinePlus
MedlinePlus is the National Institutes of Health's Consumer Health Web site providing information about diseases, conditions, treatments, and wellness issues.
Hardin Meta Directory of Internet Health Sources
Links to Internet resources selected by the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences at the University of Iowa.

Critical Appraisal of Research Articles

CASP Critical Appraisal Tools
This set of eight critical appraisal tools are designed to be used when reading research. These include tools for Systematic Reviews, Randomised Controlled Trials, Cohort Studies, Case Control Studies, Economic Evaluations, Diagnostic Studies, Qualitative Studies and Clinical Prediction Rules.
Cochrane Principles of Critical Appraisal
Understand the components that relate to quality of a quantitative and qualitative primary study
Understand the term ‘bias’ and types of bias
Learn to assess the quality of a health promotion or public health primary study (qualitative and quantitative)

Print PDF of Quick Guide

Finding Nursing Information after Graduation
Quick Guide to Some Publicly Available Resources for Nursing