Writing a nursing research paper can prove a daunting task. Besides the vast range of resources to read comes the complicated task of selecting a topic that allows you to provide unique insight into a hot nursing topic.
Students often find themselves stuck midway through their applied nursing research papers out of confusion regarding the approach to nursing papers and the outline to follow. This article will highlight some tips for writing a nursing research paper to help you realize a quality paper without much fuss.
How to write a nursing research paper?
Some of the steps to consider when approaching a nursing research paper include:
- Topic selection
when asked to write a nursing research paper, take time to select a topic that piques your interest. Ideally, your topic should address a recent issue in your field and offer room for new insights on the topic.
Therefore, this step should be inspired by topic boards and guided by the existing research on your topic. If you are spoilt for choices, feel free to engage your peers and the tutor to shed some ideas, leaving a few relevant topics for consideration.
- Research
After selecting a topic, conduct vast research on the topic to establish the research gaps you could address and also to broaden your perspective on the topic issue. When going about your research, jot down various ideas and criticisms of various sources for easy retrieval as you prepare your literature review and use these ideas for support in your paper.
For more credible sources, consider checking various academic databases dedicated to medical publications.
- Research approval
After you have established the angle from which to address your thesis and the methodology for research, prepare a research proposal and present it for approval. This step is essential as it gives you expert insight into any changes that could be made to your research to yield relevant results.
- Data collection
Finally, conduct your research as you outlined in your methodology. Make note of any challenges you encounter and how you maneuvered these challenges to allow for easy replication in case a fellow researcher wants to test the credibility of your findings.
- Writing
When going about your research paper, we suggest a chapter-by-chapter approach. This approach will allow you to develop outlines with ease and to check how your thesis statement has been developed throughout your paper.
- Editing
Finally, take time to revise your paper to ensure proper referencing, the coherence of arguments, and the grammatical correctness of your paper. You could consider engaging an expert for editing after each chapter to nip various mistakes before increasing the size of your paper.
Nursing research paper outline
The basic format of qualitative research in nursing includes sections such as:
- Abstract
- Literature review
- Introduction
- Methodology
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- Appendices
- References
However, be keen to consult your faculty’s guidelines to update yourself on the recommended chapters and length of your nursing research paper.
Topic ideas for nursing research papers
Critical care nursing research topics
- Do you believe that visitors ought to be permitted in the critical care unit?
- Case study on the post-traumatic stress disorder system for nurses following a patient’s passing
- A case scenario examination of the differences between planned and emergency surgery
- An investigation of how essential nurses’ low pay impacts their commitment to their jobs and level of motivation
- Can sound critical thinking translate into effective decision-making when it comes to critical nursing care?
- Do critical care needs for men and women differ?
Pediatric nursing research topics
- An investigation into the challenges faced by the nursing staff in the pediatric ward as a result of incorrect diagnosis
- An analysis of the education and experience of pediatric nurses in the care of chemotherapy-treated children
- Research on the handling of patients with neurological diseases by pediatric nurses
- What part do pediatric nurses possibly play in convincing parents to vaccinate their infants?
- Contrasting and comparing the breastfeeding requirements for children in industrialized and developing countries
- An exploratory assessment of existing practices and initiatives in the United Kingdom to determine the importance of child health nurses in breastfeeding intervention and promotion techniques
- Pediatric nurses’ responsibilities in the treatment of newborn jaundice
Psychiatric nursing research topics
- Physical injuries that cause mental trauma: how to aid healing
- How and why can sleep deprivation affect emotional and mental well-being?
- How does peer pressure affect mental health and how can it be handled?
- The impact of hormonal abnormalities on women’s mental health
- The benefits of music therapy for PTSD
- Mental illness warning signs that should never be disregarded
- Do kids who play video games become angry and aggressive adults?
