CINAHL and other Nursing Sources

CINAHL stands for Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature

Finding the right terms

As with other Ebsco databases, CINAHL has a thesaurus that lists the terms that are being used to describe the items indexed in the database.  CINAHL allows for a thesaurus search using the CINAHL Subject Headings found at the top of the screen.

Entry screen for CINAHL with a pointer pointing at the Subject Headings header

 

It is a good idea to check to see that you are using the best terms for your topic.  The subject heading list will recommend the best terms to use in your search. 

When typing "brain injury", the system recommends using the term "Brain Injuries"

Example of the CINAHL headings page

 

 

The thesaurus contains scope notes that explain what is meant by particular terms. You may check a box that 'explodes' a thesaurus term, meaning that all of the related terms will be added to your search.