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Nursing: Advanced Searching: CINAHL

This guide is intended to support the Graduate Nursing Program - MSN.

CINAHL

Basic Searching Tutorial Video

For more information on subject headings and using them in CINAHL (and other databases) see the "Subject headings video tutorials" tab above!

Advanced Searching Tutorial Video

For more information on subject headings and using them in CINAHL (and other databases) see the "Subject headings video tutorials" tab above!

Subject headings search

To do a subject headings search in CINAHL, check Suggest Subject Terms option, enter your search terms and click the Search button.

Check off the appropriate suggested subject heading.

This will reveal a list of subheadings. By default, the Include All Subheadings feature is already selected (green arrow). You can deselect that option and instead narrow your search using the appropriate subheadings.

To search, click the Search Database button.

You can also combine Subject Term searches. After I performed the search above, I started a new search for "bandages" (using the same steps) and then selected "Bandages and Dressings" and performed the search. To combine these two different searches, click the Search History link.

A list of the previous searches you've conducted is shown. You can check off the two searches and then combine using either the Search with AND or the Search with OR buttons.

For more information on how to fully use the CINAHL subject headings, see the video below.

Using CINAHL/MeSH Subject Headings

Library Tools


Install LibKey Nomad!

  • Go to libkeynomad.com 
  • Select your browser
  • Download and install
  • Select Vanguard University
  • Go! Check out Wikipedia, PubMed, Sage, and other websites and look for LibKey links.
  • Look for the "Access Options" button on the websites you visit.

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