Over the past several years, HSLS librarians have increasingly been invited to be part of a team of clinicians or researchers working on projects or grants. These HSLS reference librarians bring knowledge-based resources and expert search skills to the team. They are trained to analyze complex questions and formulate comprehensive search strategies.
For example, librarians work on systematic reviews teams. Charles Wessel, head of hospital services, was a member of a clinician team that researched and authored an interventional review article, “Parenteral Calcium for Intensive Care Unit Patients,” published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 4. Article No.: CD006163.
Librarians are members of research teams. Rebecca Abromitis, reference librarian, worked with a group conducting research for the poster “Non-Pharmacological Therapeutic Techniques to Decrease Agitation in the Geriatric-Psychiatric Patient with Dementia in a Psychiatric Hospital Setting” as part of the Nursing Evidence-Based Practice and Research Council at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. The poster won the “Impact of Nursing on Practice” award during the UPMC 2009 Nurses Week Celebration, April 28-30, 2009.
HSLS Librarians participate in Morning Report on the General Internal Medicine Service at UPMC Montefiore. The daily Morning Report session, which includes an attending physician, chief resident, and eight medical residents, is an important educational component of internal medicine resident training programs. The presence of a librarian in this process serves as a reminder that quality primary literature is readily available.
These are just a few examples of how HSLS librarians work as part of a team. If you are interested in having a librarian on your team, contact the Falk Library reference desk at 412-648-8796 or send an email to medlibq@pitt.edu.
~ Nancy Tannery