angiebridgescare

Applying AI in Practice: Using Generative AI to refine DNP Research Question

Artifact Title: AI-Assisted Development of a DNP Research Question

Goal: Develop a focused DNP research question examining the impact of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy on developmental outcomes in children with autism.

Challenge: The initial topic was too broad for a graduate-level evidence review. I used generative AI to help identify knowledge gaps, refine my research question, and locate recent peer-reviewed studies while maintaining responsibility for source verification and evidence appraisal.

Why This Matters: This project demonstrates how AI can support evidence-based nursing practice by accelerating literature exploration while preserving human oversight and clinical judgment.

The Problem

My initial research interest focused broadly on autism and ABA therapy. However, the topic lacked sufficient focus for a graduate-level evidence review. I needed a method to efficiently explore the literature, identify patterns, and refine the scope of my research question.

The Process

Stage	AI Role	My Role
Topic Exploration	Generated potential research directions	Evaluated relevance
Literature Research	Suggest recent studies	Verified sources
Question Refinement	Helped identify gaps	Determined final focus
Evidence Review	Summarized findings	Critically appraised evidence

The Outcome

Through iterative prompting and evidence review, I refined my topic from a broad interest in autism and ABA therapy to a focused examination of developmental outcomes in children receiving ABA interventions.

Prompt Evolution

Initial Prompt: Find studies about autism progress with ABA therapy.

Challenge: Results were too broad and included studies outside my assignment requirements as some references were older than 5 years.

Refined Prompt: Identify peer-reviewed studies published within the past five years that examine developmental outcomes among children with autism receiving ABA therapy.

Final Prompt: Compare developmental outcomes in children with autism receiving ABA therapy versus those receiving alternative interventions, using studies published within the past five years.

Evidence Verification

Although AI accelerated the discovery process, I independently verified all information before incorporating it into my academic work.

Verification steps included:

• Confirming publication dates
• Confirming peer-reviewed status
• Reviewing full-text articles
• Comparing findings across multiple sources
• Evaluating study quality and relevance

Here is a visual take!

My Reflection

This experience reinforced that AI is most effective when used as a collaborative tool rather than an authority. While AI accelerated topic refinement and literature exploration, nursing judgment remained essential for evaluating evidence quality, identifying limitations, and ensuring academic integrity.

Skills demonstrated