AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO DECIDE ON NURSING RESEARCH PAPER TOPICS
Throughout the past two centuries, the roles of nurses have evolved significantly. Nursing research has a huge impact on the present and future nursing practices that rendering it one of the most important parts of higher nursing courses. Nurses work in a variety of organizational setups such as hospitals, health clinics, diagnostic centres, health departments, and laboratories. Though the roles they play vary from one setup to another, one thing always remains the same to provide optimal care or support to the clients depending on the infrastructural availability. In nursing assignment research works topics given to the budding nursing professionals or when they are asked to choose the topics, these things are kept in focus. Research topics should be selected with an aim to find new avenues for nursing services.
How to decide on a nursing research paper topic?
Students are often uncertain about their research topics. They couldn’t decide what to choose and what not or how to come out with an attractive and relevant research proposal. That means, getting started is the first challenge.
Ways to find the best research idea
- Write down five to ten topics that interest you in your field – keep in mind that the topics should be
- Research worthy – Relevant to the nursing community and nursing as a service. Your research must contribute to the community either adding value to an existing service or process or developing a new concept. For example, two types of therapies may be result-oriented and proven records for treating frozen shoulder. You may take a research topic for comparing the two or why one therapy X is better than therapy B.
- Relatable to the community – The research topic should be relatable to the community directly not remotely. That is to say, the nursing community will find the research useful to their services.
- Interest the mentor/professor/ examiner – The topic you are going to choose should interest the mentor, professor, or examiner who will take care of your research work and research papers later. If possible, consult with them about your preferences and observe their reactions. They may also suggest you some changes.
- Choose the topic that could be studied as per the guidelines – Your institute or university will provide you with a copy of guidelines regarding the research work, survey methods, and other matters. Choose the research topic that could be undertaken following the guidelines.
- Be comfortable with the topic – Don’t choose any topic to get attention from other students or your mentor. Choose the one with which you are comfortable and where you have enough knowledge.
- Do some literature review before finalizing your topic – Literature review helps to find how much works have been done in your chosen field so far, what kinds of works are accomplished so far, the relevance of the works for your community or medical world, the gaps in research findings, the limitations of the research works done on the subject, etc. It will help you to fix the topic and research methodology. The whole picture will be clear to you so also the crus of the problem on which you will work.
Other important aspects related to nursing research papers topics
- Read the guidelines again and again before finalizing the topic and sending the research proposal (if the course curriculum wants so). Don’t miss any point that might be relatively important for the research work. In case of any doubt, clear it from the mentor.
- The bibliography is important. Ensure that you know the referencing style well. If not, ask your mentor or read online the rules or regulations of the referencing style you are asked to follow.
- Sanctity of the data and its analysis are important for great research work. Take care of these aspects as well.
Having a relevant and interesting topic on which you have a good hold means half the battle won. Let’s work on the topic first and get approval from a mentor or anyone authorized for this. The rest of the work will be easier then.