Nursing Research Topics: Get Original Ideas for Nursing Papers (2021 Update)

Students studying Nursing and Medicine are usually assigned plenty of writing projects, so they are always looking for fresh ideas for their nursing research topics. Normally, students studying Nursing or Healthcare study a lot and they need to investigate different complicated issues. One of the biggest difficulties that nurses encounter is how to strike a proper balance between their studying and work/internship. Nurses are usually those who have to practice a lot even if they are still studying. Even though some people consider that nursing professor is not as serious as doctor’s, it is a hasty conclusion since nurses usually have to make quick decisions as well as provide recommendations on how to overcome specific conditions or deal with illnesses. Moreover, they are in charge of providing some specific medical instructions and providing care and support for patients when they feel bad. As a rule, all of the nursing requirements and work principles are covered while they are studying, namely, they provide nursing papers on a variety of topics and in a variety of subjects.

Nonetheless, according to the estimates gathered from different researches and questionnaires, nurses encounter challenges with writing because of boring and tedious paper topics. Nursing students mainly do not try to choose researchable topics in nursing on their own and they merely come to their professor and ask for a topic to be assigned to them. As a result, many of them are either really controversial topics in nursing or too boring or complicated hence the need for a nursing student to be able to come up with interesting topics properly.

Nursing Research Definition: 5 Meanings

If you have been assigned a research paper in nursing for the very first time, make sure you find out a nursing research definition. Understanding in-depth what nursing research means will ease you the whole writing process. Find out the nursing research definitions that are widely known nowadays:

1. Nursing research is a kind of research that is conducted within the realm of nursing practices and provides evidence pertaining to the specific topic.
2. Nursing research is a type of research that is conducted by nurses in healthcare settings, particularly in the areas of nursing administration, clinical practice, nursing education, nursing methodology, and evaluation.
3. A nursing research is a type of systematic, formal, and meticulous investigation process that is carried out by nurses in an urge to test specific propositions or generate concepts pertaining to a specific topic.
4. Nursing research is a kind of a study that generates knowledge relating to the healthcare provision throughout a person’s lifespan, nursing actions needed to be taken in order to deliver high-quality healthcare service, proper nursing care for the disabled, etc.
5. Nursing research is a kind of research study that demonstrates how quality care can be provided based on evidence-based research. Normally, when working on nursing research projects, nurses investigate the difference of providing quality help to individuals, groups of people, families, organizations, and even healthcare systems. Moreover, when working on nursing research papers, nurses investigate how nursing services can be provided on the federal, state, and local levels.

Importance of Nursing Research

The importance of nursing research lies in the considerable impact it poses on the development of the current and future nursing area. Its main focus is on the educational progress and improvement of the nursing practice in general. The main aim of conducting new research is to implement some specific study that will help with medical advancements and improvement of the healthcare services provided by nurses. Moreover, when choosing some EBP nursing topics and conducting corresponding research, nursing students may contribute to the overall medical sphere and also contribute to the improvement of medical care. Particularly, they will study the existing peer-reviewed research, gain an in-depth understanding of specific issues, and even come up with a new methodology aimed at improving patients’ outcomes.

Types of Nursing Research

If you have been assigned to conduct research in the sphere of nursing, be sure you are well versed in the types of nursing research before you start working on your research project. Check out the main types of research below:

1. Basic research in nursing and health. This basic research is also known as fundamental, theoretical or pure research the main aim and principle of which is to enrich the theoretic base with new findings. This research type is the underlying one in the formal deductive analysis that leads to the development of new theories. As such, it may provide new theories or elaborate on the existing ones.
2. Applied research. This research type is also known as empirical research. The main difference between empirical and theoretical research is that the former enriches the practical application of the latter. It mainly deals with answering questions that relate to the applicability of the underlying theories.
3. Exploratory research. This research type is also known as formulative research that is carried out on a specific topic or in a specific field even when not much information is known. Sometimes, exploratory research is called a pilot study.
4. Descriptive research. This is a type of a non-experimental study that aims at exploring the new meaning and generating new facts and data when there is no sufficient information within the sphere of interest. When it comes to the data collection process, it is important to be aware of its main constituents: interview, observation, and questionnaire. The main questions that descriptive research aims at answering are “why” and “what.” It may also be related to the current issues in nursing.
5. Diagnostic research. This research paper type is similar to the abovementioned type. The only difference is the focus. Diagnostic research focuses on finding out what is happening, why it is happening, and what it signifies about. The aim is to identify what caused a specific problem and what potential solutions can be found. It is necessary to formulate a hypothesis when one conducts diagnostic research.
6. Evaluative research. When you evaluate something, you identify the results and analyze them in an objective manner. Normally, evaluative studies are effective in terms of accomplishing some objectives that mainly relate to social, health, and economic programs.
7. Action research. As it can be inferred from the name of the research, nursing students involved in it should initiate action and implement a specific application as a short-term goal. The research is not aimed at the development of theory but towards initiating a specific action.

Components of Nursing Research Process

When you have started conducting the research, make sure you have learned about the components of nursing research process. The main stages of the research process are the following:

• Assessment stage, where a researcher identifies the problem, reviews specific literature (it should adhere to the topic and be peer-reviewed), and comes up with the identification of variables.
• Planning stage, where the research formulates a strong and clear research hypothesis and decides on how to measure the research variables and properly choose the sample.
• Intervention stage, where a researcher collects data.
• Evaluation stage, where a researcher critically analyzes the findings and interprets them. It is essential to outline the main findings of the research during this stage.

Directions of Nursing Research

A nursing student should be given specific directions of nursing research that will help him/ her to maintain proper organization and logical development of ideas. Check out the following directions since, if nursing research wants to gain priority, it should definitely provide knowledge and practical skills in the following areas:

1. Preventing different illnesses and health conditions during one’s life span if there is a probability that they will reduce overall life satisfaction and productivity.
2. Promoting personal healthcare competence, well-being, and good health among representatives of different age groups.
3. Tackling the negative effect of health problems that relate to productivity rates, coping capabilities, as well as overall satisfaction of a specific individual or the whole family.
4. Making sure that the healthcare needs of specific groups or individuals are met with the help of specific strategies.
5. Constructing and developing cost-effective healthcare systems that can fulfill the needs of vulnerable populations and needy individuals.

Nursing Research Questions

When you are working on a qualitative research in nursing, be sure you come up with PICOT nursing research questions that relate to the main four constituents of properly formulated clinical nursing problems (research questions):

P (stands for patient, population, problem): Who is the target patient? Consider their belonging to a specific population group, sex, age, and any other specific features.

I (stands for the indicator, intervention): In what diagnostic test, management strategy or exposure are you interested?

C (stands for control, comparison): Is there any other alternative that you may put forward in an urge to compare to the indicator or a specific intervention?

O (stands for outcome): Is there some alternative management or control strategy that you would be interested to compare to the indicator or intervention technique?

T (stands for the type of question/ study or time): What study type is the most appropriate for tackling with a specific issue/ topic? What timelapse should be taken into account? What is the clinical domain of your research problem?

Nursing Research Project Ideas for Students

If you do not know what research topics for nursing students are the best for you, check out the following nursing research project ideas for students provided below. They are grouped into separate areas or specialties, so be sure to choose the one you like best.

Child Nursing Research Topic Ideas

1. Is the main cause of diabetes among the youths relates to the genetic factor?
2. Are there positive effects in music therapy when it comes to providing health care to children in the process of phlebotomy?
3. What are the new approaches that prove to be effective when treating autism spectrum disorder?
4. Does breastfeeding decrease the probability of the development of leukemia among young children?
5. What interventions can be made in order to maintain control of suboptimal diabetes?

Adult Nursing Research Topics Ideas

6. Is the new drug testing some symptoms of prostate disorder associated with the risk of falls?
7. What new genes have been discovered in studies about brain disorders?
8. Does abdominal massage reduce the risks of gastric residual volumes among seriously-ill patients?
9. What is the relation between clinical depression and fatigue resulting from a cancer diagnosis?
10. The importance of self-care management.

Women Health Research Topics Ideas

11. Focus on the issues of sexual dysfunction, inflammation, and sleep deprivation among women veterans.
12. HIV among lesbians.
13. Barriers towards timely breast cancer screening in third-world countries.
14. The infertility risks resulting from the untreated celiac disease.
15. Recent findings on the increasing cases of fatigue.

Midwifery Research Topics Ideas

16. Giving birth in water: is it the most perfect way of giving birth?
17. What challenges may women encounter during given birth depending on their size?
18. Superstitions connected with labor and the effect of the moon on the process of giving birth.
19. What interventions can be used for the prevention of STI, HIV, and unwanted pregnancy in adolescence?
20. Family planning in African countries.

Nursing Issues Research Topics Ideas

21. Bioscience and its relation to nursing education.
22. The influence of cultural factors on the nursing practice.
23. Vital strategies and principles for the improvement of nurses’ emotional well-being.
24. What important factors should be taken into account when providing high-quality nursing care?
25. What role does a nurse play in improving the quality of health care provided in the clinical settings?

Pain Management Research Topics Ideas

26. How has the role of a pain management nurse developed over time?
27. What innovations can help prevent chronic diseases or manage them better?
28. What are the effective healthcare interventions that can be implemented as a part of end-life care?
29. Pain management in children: how has it progressed over time?
30. What alternative ways of treatment can be used for treating long-term pain?

Care of the Older Person Research Topics Ideas

31. What critical problems do the geriatric patients face?
32. How should the healthcare provision be adjusted to ensure quality health care in the geriatric sector?
33. Home is the best place for growing old. How far do you agree?
34. Is it ethical to perform clinical trials on geriatric patients?
35. Elaborate on the trend of aging and the concept of global health.
36. What is the minimum required level of training for nurses and how can it be improved?
37. Does assistance during mealtime help the elderly to better monitor their protein and vitamins intake?
38. What are the factors that help a nursing practitioner identify an elderly patient who has been previously abused?
39. Do you agree that the community-based social innovations have led to healthy aging?
40. Should relatives of a geriatric patient be held responsible for advancing specific treatment for the patients?

Mental Health Research Topics Ideas

41. Ways of analyzing behavior in pediatrics.
42. Ways of treating mood dysregulation disorder or disruptive nature in children.
43. In what cases is psychotherapy an effective treatment option?
44. How to eradicate health disparities?
45. What mental conditions are specifically inherent in women?
46. What therapies are considered to belong to the brain-stimulative type?
47. How do you predict technology will improve the process of treatment?
48. Psychology of diversity, gender, and sexual orientation.
49. What are the mechanisms for tackling violence?
50. Alternative treatment of mental illnesses.

Primary Healthcare Nursing Research Topics Ideas

51. The bias that lies behind the financing strategies in health care.
52. Assessment methods of health care.
53. Responsibilities and duties of a pharmacist.
54. ER and symptoms that cannot be medically explained.
55. What main recommendations are necessary for successful primary health care?
56. The necessity of childcare services within the realm of primary health care.
57. Private and state sectors in the mental health treatment system.
58. Ethical data collection process in primary health care.
59. Pros and cons of vaccination programs. What is the difference between them in remote and rural areas?
60. An economic evaluation of primary health care.

Nursing Research Topics on Obstetrics

61. The main resuscitation rules for the newborn.
62. The ethical side of carrying out abortions.
63. Management of delivery.
64. Gynecology education of teenage girls.
65. Dangers of pre-term labor.
66. The causes and effects of the hypertensive disorder.
67. Recommendations for antenatal care.
68. Challenges that lie behind saving the life of a mother or child during labor.
69. Preparation for the Caesarean section.
70. Behavior checklist for the delivery room.

Nursing Careers Research Topics

71. The main questions concerning remote intensive care unit.
72. What does diversity in healthcare settings look like?
73. Nursing management in the critical care section.
74. The main works of nursing theorists.
75. Proper medical treatment of the homeless.
76. How to effectively manage stress when working night shifts?
77. The main roles of clinical nurses.
78. How not to get stuck in between professional and career service?
79. Nursing practitioners.
80. The future of nursing in the digital age.

Health Promotion Research Topics

81. The main dangers that relate to health care in the digital age.
82. Initiatives aimed at controlling different diseases and preventing them.
83. Ethical issues behind sales promotion in the medical field.
84. The role of social work, particularly that of the health promotion worker.
85. Is the education on safe-sex culture needed in the modern world?
86. The main responsibility of the pharmaceutical industry.
87. What roles do parents perform in order to maintain children’s healthy lifestyles and eating habits?
88. Pros and cons of telemedicine.
89. The main roles of nurses working at schools.

Healthcare Management Research Topics

90. The main rules of the nursing uniform code.
91. Medical decisions in relation to apology laws.
92. Limitations that may be faced in the process of contracting in health care.
93. How to initiate private medical practice?
94. Is there prejudice based on gender when it comes to the nursing profession?
95. The benefits and drawbacks of Medicare.
96. What legal risks may be encountered by non-native patients?
97. What does the insufficient number of men in the healthcare setting related to?
98. The main rules behind marijuana management?
99. Medical service at home.

Nursing Research Paper Topics on Various Subjects

Since it is predominantly tough for students to cope up with successful and effective nursing research paper topics, we have grouped the best topics into the following categories:

Research Paper Topics on Standard Treatments

100. How to prevent occurrence of the pneumonia caused by ventilators?
101. What phlebotomy skills should any nurse be aware of?
102. The primary healthcare plan that may be used for asthma patients.
103. The role of effective post-surgery care in increasing recovery rates of patients.
104. What specific health care plan is effective for diabetes patients?
105. Should nurses be entitled the right to give antibiotics to patients without allowance of doctor?
106. What is the importance of devising a successful healthcare plan for asthma patients?
107. Anaphylactic shock and the quick-thinking process required to deal with it.
108. The benefits of oxygen therapy in the process of treating cardiovascular diseases.
109. What are the best ways to support the family of ICU patients?

Relationships between Doctors and Nurses Paper Topics

110. Do you agree that nurses should be provided equal opportunities to prescribe medicine just as doctors do?
111. The main difference between treatment methods of nurses and doctors.
112. Do you believe that the equality between a doctor and a nurse will become a reality or will it always be a myth?
113. Is there a necessity to provide nurses’ residencies?
114. What are the specifics of cooperation between a doctor and a nurse?

Stereotypes and Prejudice in Nursing Paper Topics

115. The stereotypes about the nursing profession that prevail in the society.
116. Ethical issues that happen in the nursing practice.
117. Do you agree that nurses are frequently perceived as sex objects?
118. What are the pros and cons of a gap year for nursing students?
119. The role of government in supporting nurses` education.

Nurse Services and Nurse Rights Paper Topics

120. Compare and contrast pediatric and regular nursing services.
121. The rights of nurses when they encounter abusive patients.
122. Nurses` appearance: discrimination addressed to overweight nurses. Where is the golden rule in this issue?
123. Functions and roles of a nurse in the palliative care.
124. Nurses` assistance when it comes to dealing with geriatric patients with mental disorders.

ANA Journal Topics

If you want to come up with effective topics, look through some nursing research articles and find some ANA journal topics that may be used for your research. Check them out below:

125. The importance of giving accreditation to the nursing schools.
126. The importance for nurses to regularly attend conferences.
127. Importance of nurses` classifications.
128. Similarities and differences between nurses from different countries of the world.

Evidence Based Practice Nursing Topics

129. If you are interested in evidence-based practice, check out the following list of evidence based practice nursing topics:
130. The role registered nurses play in providing sedation.
131. Can low-density lipoproteins be reduced by Q10 coenzyme?
132. Can such non-conventional treatment as cranberry supplements be used for prevention and treatment of urinary tract infections?
133. The relation between vitamin D and stones in kidneys.
134. Is cinnamon helpful when treating diabetes?
135. Ways of evaluating pain range in critically ill patients.
136. Where should the line be drawn between patients` self-neglecting behavior and nurses` responsibility?
137. The most effective treatment for Hepatitis C.
138. How helpful are probiotics in dealing with diarrhea?
139. Regulation of noise distractors when it comes to patients` sleeping routines.

Nursing Research Topics 2021

140. How to become a certified nursing assistant
141. Nursing homes with covid 19
142. Illinois nursing home covid cases
143. Nursing homes affected by covid 19
144. How has technology changed nursing?
145. Challenges nurses will face in 2021
146. Nursing education transitioning online
147. Facing systemic racism in healthcare

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