Psychiatric Nursing

Choosing a topic

When choosing a topic for your research paper, think about the following:

• Unless your instructor assigns a topic, try to select a topic that interests you.
• Make sure your topic is not too broad, or too narrow. You will find too much information when searching for a broad topic; and not enough information when searching for a narrow topic.
• If you already have a general topic, try searching the library's catalog or the library's databases for ideas on how to narrow that topic down.
• Visit the library's Reference Desk and request to view the following book: 10,000 ideas for term papers, projects, reports and speeches: Intriguing, original research topics for every student's need.
• For current events and issues in the news, try searching the library's database: CQ Researcher.
• For debatable or controversial issues, ask one of the librarians about the Opposing Viewpoints Series, the Taking Sides Series, Issues in Focus Series and/or the Current Controversies Series.
• Visit the Social Issues Research Guide. There you will find a list of current social issues to choose from.

Reference Collection

The Reference Collection will provide an excellent starting point for your research in the field of Psychiatric Nursing. Reference books often give you background information and a general overview on your topic so that you can proceed with greater understanding to a more detailed treatment of your subject in other books and periodicals. Reference books may include specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, almanacs, atlases and/or statistical reports. The librarian at the Reference Desk can help in locating an appropriate source. Listed below are the titles and call numbers of some of the Psychiatric Nursing books in the library's reference collection. The reference collection is located on the main level of the library. Books within the reference collection cannot be checked out of the library.

Library Catalog

The library catalog is used to locate books both at RVCC, as well as from other libraries in the Somerset County Library System. Books will provide in-depth information not found in reference sources.

Quick Tips:

• Start with a Keyword search. Once you find one or two books about your topic, check the book's record to see what Subjects are being used. Once you find the appropriate Subject Heading, repeat your search using those headings. Generally, the results from a Subject search will always be more accurate than the results from a Keyword search.
• If you know the title of the book you are looking for, do a Title search.
• If you are looking for a book with a specific author, do an Author search (last name first).

Suggested Subject Headings for Psychiatric Nursing:

• Adolescent psychiatric nursing
• Child psychiatric nursing
• Community mental health services
• Mental health services
• Nursing
• Nursing care plans
• Psychiatric social work
• Psychiatric nursing
• Psychiatric hospital care
• Psychiatry
• Psychiatry -- Case studies

Consult with the reference librarian to find the term best suited to your needs.

Browse the Collection:

Most of the books can be found in the following areas:

• RA790 - 790.95 -- Mental health
• RC435 - 571 -- Psychiatry

All of the library's circulating books are located on the upper level of the library.

For additional library catalogs, including libraries in Hunterdon and Middlesex counties, consult the Additional Library Catalogs page. If you find a book in one of these catalogs that the library does not own, request the book using the library's Interlibrary Loan Service.

Research Databases - Finding Articles

The Evelyn S. Field Library has access to thousands of periodicals. (Periodicals can be magazines, scholarly journals, or newspapers.) Some periodicals are in the library's print (or hard copy) collection. However, the majority of periodicals are available in the Research Databases. These databases provide access to articles. This information is generally more current than material found in books.

Search for periodical articles on Psychiatric Nursing using the databases listed below. They can be accessed from the Library Database Page. (If you are using these databases from an off-campus location, you will be asked to identify yourself by logging in with your Username and Password. This is the same login you use on campus. The Research Databases are available only to registered RVCC students.)

• Health and Wellness Resource Center. Use this Resource Center to find magazines, journals, newspapers, definitions, directories, and information on: Fitness, Pregnancy, Medicine, Nutrition, Diseases, Public Health, Occupational Health and Safety, Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Prescription Drugs, etc. Included are links to diet, cancer, and health assessment sites as well as government databases.
• Health Reference Center. Use this database to find articles on: Fitness, Pregnancy, Medicine, Nutrition, Diseases, Public Health, Occupational Health and Safety, Alcohol and Drug Abuse, HMOs, Prescription Drugs, etc.
• PubMed. (Medline from the National Library of Science). The PubMed database was developed in conjunction with publishers of biomedical literature as a search tool for accessing literature citations and linking to full text journal articles at web sites of participating publishers. Publishers participating in PubMed electronically supply the National Library of Medicine with their citations prior to or at the time of publication.
• Science Direct. Full text database of thousands of journals in all scientific fields, including the social sciences and clinical medicine.

After finding an article on your research topic, the database will either provide a citation and summary of the article, or it will provide the full-text (the complete article). If you are only given a citation and summary of the article, you can check the Periodical Locator to determine if the periodical you are looking for is available in another database. (The Periodical Locator is an alphabetical list of all the journals the library has access to. Feel free to talk with a librarian for assistance.) If the article is not available in any of the library's research databases, request the article using the library's Interlibrary Loan Service.

If, for your assignment, you are required to have sources from scholarly journals, use the Magazine vs. Journal guide to help you determine if your source is a magazine article or a scholarly article.

Professional Organizations

• American Psychiatric Nurses Association
  http://www.apna.org
• Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nurses (ACAPN)
  http://www.ispn-psych.org/html/acapn.html
• International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses (ISPN)
  http://www.ispn-psych.org

Internet Resources

• Mental Health by Dr. Phillip Long
  http://www.mentalhealth.com
• Methodist Health Care System
  http://www.methodisthealth.com

Additional Help

• Call or visit the Reference Desk to speak to one of the librarians. The Reference Desk is located on the main floor of the library. The phone number is 908-526-1200 x8350.
• Email your question to one of the librarians using the Ask-A-Librarian Service.

For further information about this guide, please contact Julie Maginn
Last Updated - December, 2007