Over the course of the past several weeks, I have worked with a group of four students to further our research of the effects, if any, of vitamin D levels on postpartum depression. I was very surprised with the amount of research regarding this topic. While initially I had assumed that it would be difficult to find enough research, we actually discovered that there was so much literature published about our area of interest that we would need to decide which articles were most appropriate for our own research.
After consolidating these articles, we then further analyzed and appraised each one to determine the main findings and assess the overall quality of the research. Thus far, the literature appraisal has not changed my assumptions about our topic of interest. I was not surprised to find a correlation between deficient vitamin D levels and postpartum depression in women. After their own appraisal, my team members came to this same conclusion. Through evidence appraisal and synthesis, I discovered that our research topic is quite popular. However, a lot of the research done has a lot of limitations due to confounding variables including season changes and unforeseen traumatic life events. Nonetheless, there does appear to be a significant correlation between vitamin D levels and postpartum depression. This is an important finding as a simple blood test and, if appropriate, daily vitamin can greatly change the course of a new mother’s overall quality of life. As a future nurse, I will utilize this information to encourage vitamin D screening and supplementation in perinatal women.
Reflecting on my team process over these past several weeks, we have encountered some challenges regarding collaboration. Working with others is a beneficial learning experience but can accompany its own challenges. Once again, we have found a lack of in person communication to be an issue. It can be difficult to find times to meet in person between four different people and so we have slipped back into our routine of utilizing the phone to communicate. Additionally, I have found that my team members do not all share the same work ethic. Unfortunately, both of these issues have caused problems with our work. We have all decided that meeting in person should be a priority throughout the rest of our research and will utilize our allotted class times to work together. Despite these challenges, I am confident in my team’s ability to further collaborate and continue our research.
