research question in nursing examples

PICOT Question Examples for Nursing Research

Are you looking for examples of nursing PICOT questions to inspire your creativity as you research for a perfect nursing topic for your paper? You came to the right place.

We have a comprehensive guide on how to write a good PICO Question for your case study, research paper, white paper, term paper, project, or capstone paper. Therefore, we will not go into the details in this post. A good PICOT question possesses the following qualities:

• A clinical-based question addresses the nursing research areas or topics.
• It is specific, concise, and clear.
• Patient, problem, or population.
• Intervention.
• Comparison.
• Includes medical, clinical, and nursing terms where necessary.
• It is not ambiguous.

For more information, read our comprehensive PICOT Question guide . You can use these questions to inspire your PICOT choice for your evidence-based papers , reports, or nursing research papers.

If you are stuck with assignments and want some help, we offer the best nursing research assignment help online. We have expert nursing writers who can formulate an excellent clinical, research, and PICOT question for you. They can also write dissertations, white papers, theses, reports, and capstones. Do not hesitate to place an order.

List of 180 Plus Best PICOT Questions to Get Inspiration From

Here is a list of nursing PICO questions to inspire you when developing yours. Some PICOT questions might be suitable for BSN and MSN but not DNP. If you are writing a change project for your DNP, try to focus on PICOT questions that align to process changes. 

• Among healthy newborn infants in low- and middle-income countries (P), does early skin-to-skin contact of the baby with the mother in the first hour of life (I) compared with drying and wrapping (C) have an impact on neonatal mortality, hypothermia or initiation/exclusivity/ duration of breastfeeding (O)?
• Is it necessary to test blood glucose levels 4 times daily for a patient suffering from Type 1 diabetes?
• Does raising the head of the bed of a mechanically ventilated patient reduce the chances of pneumonia?
• Does music therapy is an effective mode of PACU pain management for patients who are slowly coming out from their anesthesia?
• For all neonates (P), should vitamin K prophylaxis (I) be given for the prevention of vitamin K deficiency bleeding (O)?
• For young infants (0-2 months) with suspected sepsis managed in health facilities (P), should third generation cephalosporin monotherapy (I) replace currently recommended ampicillin-gentamicin combination (C) as first line empiric treatment for preventing death and sequelae (O)?
• In low-birth-weight/pre-term neonates in health facilities (P), is skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth (I) more effective than conventional care (C) in preventing hypothermia (O)?
• In children aged 2–59 months (P), what is the most effective antibiotic therapy (I, C) for severe pneumonia (O)?
• Is skin-to-skin contact of the infant with the mother a more assured way of ensuring neonatal mortality compared to drying and wrapping?
• Are oral contraceptives effective in stopping pregnancy for women above 30 years?
• Is spironolactone a better drug for reducing the blood pressure of teenagers when compared to clonidine?
• What is the usefulness of an LP/spinal tap after the beginning of antivirals for a pediatric population suffering from fever?
• In children aged 2–59 months in developing countries (P), which parenteral antibiotic or combination of antibiotics (I), at what dose and duration, is effective for the treatment of suspected bacterial meningitis in hospital in reducing mortality and sequelae (O)?
• Does the habit of washing hands third-generation workers decrease the events of infections in hospitals?
• Is the intake of zinc pills more effective than Vitamin C for preventing cold during winter for middle-aged women?
• In children with acute severe malnutrition (P), are antibiotics (I) effective in preventing death and sequelae (O)?
• Among, children with lower respiratory tract infection (P), what are the best cut off oxygen saturation levels (D), at different altitudes that will determine hypoxaemia requiring oxygen therapy (O)?
• In infants and children in low-resource settings (P), what is the most appropriate method (D) of detecting hypoxaemia in hospitals (O)?
• In children with shock (P), what is the most appropriate choice of intravenous fluid therapy (I) to prevent death and sequelae (O)?
• In fully conscious children with hypoglycaemia (P) what is the effectiveness of administering sublingual sugar (I)?
• Is using toys as distractions during giving needle vaccinations to toddlers an effective pain response management?
• What is the result of a higher amount of potassium intake among children with low blood pressure?
• Is cup feeding an infant better than feeding through tubes in a NICU setup?
• Does the intervention of flushing the heroin via lines a more effective way of treating patients with CVLs/PICCs?
• Is the use of intravenous fluid intervention a better remedy for infants under fatal conditions?
• Do bedside shift reports help in the overall patient care for nurses?
• Is home visitation a better way of dealing with teen pregnancy when compared to regular school visits in rural areas?
• Is fentanyl more effective than morphine in dealing with the pain of adults over the age of 50 years?
• What are the health outcomes of having a high amount of potassium for adults over the age of 21 years?
• Does the use of continuous feed during emesis a more effective way of intervention when compared to the process of stopping the feed for a short period?
• Does controlling the amount of sublingual sugar help completely conscious children suffering from hypoglycemia?
• Is the lithotomy position an ideal position for giving birth to women in labor?
• Does group therapy help patients with schizophrenia to help their conversational skills?
• What are the probable after-effects, in the form of bruises and other injuries, of heparin injection therapy for COPD patients?
• Would standardized discharge medication education improve home medication adherence in adults age 65 and older compared to-standardized discharge medication education?
• In patients with psychiatric disorders is medication non-compliance a greater risk compared with adults experiencing chronic illness?
• Is the use of beta-blockers for lowering blood pressure for adult men over the age of 70 years effective?
• Nasal swab or nasal aspirate? Which one is more effective for children suffering from seasonal flu?
• What are the effects of adding beta-blockers for lowering blood pressure for adult men over the age of 70 years?
• Does the process of stopping lipids for 4 hours an effective measure of obtaining the desired TG level for patients who are about to receive TPN?
• Is medical intervention a proper way of dealing with childhood obesity among school-going children?
• Can nurse-led presentations of mental health associated with bullying help in combating such tendencies in public schools?
• What are the impacts of managing Prevacid before a pH probe study for pediatric patients with GERD?
• What are the measurable effects of extending ICU stays and antibiotic consumption amongst children with sepsis?
• Does the use of infrared skin thermometers justified when compared to the tympanic thermometers for a pediatric population?
• What are the roles of a pre-surgery cardiac nurse in order to prevent depression among patients awaiting cardiac operation?
• Does the increase in the habit of smoking marijuana among Dutch students increase the chances of depression?
• What is the direct connection between VAP and NGT?
• Is psychological intervention for people suffering from dementia a more effective measure than giving them a placebo?
• Are alarm sensors effective in preventing accidents in hospitals for patients over the age of 65 years?
• Is the sudden change of temperature harmful for patients who are neurologically devastated?
• Is it necessary to test blood glucose levels, 4 times a day, for a patient suffering from Type 1 diabetes?
• Is the use of MDI derive better results, when compared to regular nebulizers, for pediatric patients suffering from asthma?
• What are the effects of IVF bolus in controlling the amount of Magnesium Sulfate for patients who are suffering from asthma?
• Is the process of stopping lipids for 4 hours an effective measure of obtaining the desired TG level for patients who are about to receive TPN?
• What are the standards of vital signs for a pediatric population?
• Is daily blood pressure monitoring help in addressing the triggers of hypertension among males over 65 years?
• Does receiving phone tweets lower blood sugar levels for people suffering from Type 1 diabetes?
• Are males over the age of 30 years who have smoked for more than 1 year exposed to a greater risk of esophageal cancer when compared to the same age group of men who have no history of smoking?
• Does the increase in the use of mosquito nets in Uganda help in the reduction of malaria among the infants?
• Does the increase in the intake of oral contraceptives increase the chances of breast cancer among 20-30 years old women in the UK?
• In postpartum women with postnatal depression (P), does group therapy (I) compared to individual therapy (C) improve maternal-infant bonding (O) after eight weeks (T)?
• In patients with chronic pain (P), does mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (I) compared to pharmacotherapy (C) improve quality of life (O) after 12 weeks (T)?
• In patients with type 2 diabetes (P), does continuous glucose monitoring (I) compared to self-monitoring of blood glucose (C) improve glycemic control (O) over a period of three months (T)?
• In patients with chronic kidney disease (P), does a vegetarian diet (I) compared to a regular diet (C) slow the decline in renal function (O) after one year (T)?
• In pediatric patients with acute otitis media (P), does delayed antibiotic prescribing (I) compared to immediate antibiotic prescribing (C) reduce antibiotic use (O) within one week (T)?
• In older adults with dementia (P), does pet therapy (I) compared to no pet therapy (C) decrease agitation (O) after three months (T)?
• In patients with chronic heart failure (P), does telemonitoring of vital signs (I) compared to standard care (C) reduce hospital readmissions (O) within six months (T)?
• In patients with anxiety disorders (P), does exposure therapy (I) compared to cognitive therapy (C) reduce anxiety symptoms (O) after 12 weeks (T)?
• In postpartum women with breastfeeding difficulties (P), does lactation consultation (I) compared to standard care (C) increase breastfeeding rates (O) after four weeks (T)?
• In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P), does long-acting bronchodilator therapy (I) compared to short-acting bronchodilator therapy (C) improve lung function (O) after three months (T)?
• In patients with major depressive disorder (P), does bright light therapy (I) compared to placebo (C) reduce depressive symptoms (O) after six weeks (T)?
• In patients with diabetes (P), does telemedicine-based diabetes management (I) compared to standard care (C) improve glycemic control (O) over a period of six months (T)?
• In patients with chronic kidney disease (P), does a low-phosphorus diet (I) compared to a regular diet (C) decrease serum phosphate levels (O) after one year (T)?
• In pediatric patients with acute gastroenteritis (P), does probiotic supplementation (I) compared to placebo (C) reduce the duration of diarrhea (O) within 48 hours (T)?
• In patients with chronic pain (P), does acupuncture (I) compared to sham acupuncture (C) reduce pain intensity (O) after eight weeks (T)?
• In older adults at risk of falls (P), does a home modification program (I) compared to no intervention (C) reduce the incidence of falls (O) over a period of six months (T)?
• In patients with schizophrenia (P), does cognitive remediation therapy (I) compared to standard therapy (C) improve cognitive function (O) after one year (T)?
• In patients with chronic kidney disease (P), does angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (I) compared to angiotensin receptor blockers (C) slow the progression of renal disease (O) over a period of two years (T)?
• In postoperative patients (P), does chlorhexidine bathing (I) compared to regular bathing (C) reduce the risk of surgical site infections (O) within 30 days (T)?
• In patients with type 2 diabetes (P), does a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (I) compared to a low-fat diet (C) improve glycemic control (O) over a period of six months (T)?
• In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P), does pulmonary rehabilitation combined with telemonitoring (I) compared to standard pulmonary rehabilitation (C) improve exercise capacity (O) after three months (T)?
• In patients with heart failure (P), does a nurse-led heart failure clinic (I) compared to usual care (C) improve self-care behaviors (O) after six months (T)?
• In postpartum women with postnatal depression (P), does telephone-based counseling (I) compared to face-to-face counseling (C) reduce depressive symptoms (O) after eight weeks (T)?
• In patients with chronic migraine (P), does prophylactic treatment with topiramate (I) compared to amitriptyline (C) reduce the frequency of migraines (O) after three months (T)?
• In pediatric patients with acute otitis media (P), does watchful waiting (I) compared to immediate antibiotic treatment (C) reduce the duration of symptoms (O) within seven days (T)?
• In older adults with dementia (P), does reminiscence therapy (I) compared to usual care (C) improve cognitive function (O) after three months (T)?
• In patients with chronic heart failure (P), does telemonitoring combined with a medication reminder system (I) compared to telemonitoring alone (C) reduce hospital readmissions (O) within six months (T)?
• In patients with asthma (P), does self-management education (I) compared to standard care (C) reduce asthma exacerbations (O) over a period of one year (T)?
• In postoperative patients (P), does the use of wound dressings with antimicrobial properties (I) compared to standard dressings (C) reduce the incidence of surgical site infections (O) within 30 days (T)?
• In patients with chronic kidney disease (P), does mindfulness-based stress reduction (I) compared to usual care (C) improve psychological well-being (O) over a period of three months (T)?
• In adult patients with chronic pain (P), does biofeedback therapy (I) compared to relaxation techniques (C) reduce pain intensity (O) after eight weeks (T)?
• In patients with type 2 diabetes (P), does a low-glycemic index diet (I) compared to a high-glycemic-index diet (C) improve glycemic control (O) over a period of six months (T)?
• In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P), does regular physical activity (I) compared to no physical activity (C) improve health-related quality of life (O) after three months (T)?
• In patients with major depressive disorder (P), does mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (I) compared to antidepressant medication (C) reduce depressive symptoms (O) after eight weeks (T)?
• In postpartum women (P), does perineal warm compresses (I) compared to standard perineal care (C) reduce perineal pain (O) after vaginal delivery (T)?
• In patients with chronic kidney disease (P), does a low-protein, low-phosphorus diet (I) compared to a low-protein diet alone (C) slow the progression of renal disease(O) after two years (T)?
• In pediatric patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (P), does mindfulness-based interventions (I) compared to medication alone (C) improve attention and behavior (O) after six months (T)?
• In patients with chronic pain (P), does cognitive-behavioral therapy (I) compared to physical therapy (C) reduce pain interference (O) after 12 weeks (T)?
• In elderly patients with osteoarthritis (P), does aquatic exercise (I) compared to land-based exercise (C) improve joint flexibility and reduce pain (O) after eight weeks (T)?
• In patients with multiple sclerosis (P), does high-intensity interval training (I) compared to moderate-intensity continuous training (C) improve physical function (O) after three months (T)?
• In postoperative patients (P), does preoperative carbohydrate loading (I) compared to fasting (C) reduce postoperative insulin resistance (O) within 24 hours (T)?
• In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P), does home-based tele-rehabilitation (I) compared to center-based rehabilitation (C) improve exercise capacity (O) after six months (T)?
• In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (P), does tai chi (I) compared to pharmacological treatment (C) reduce joint pain and improve physical function (O) after six months (T)?
• In postpartum women with postpartum hemorrhage (P), does early administration of tranexamic acid (I) compared to standard administration (C) reduce blood loss (O) within two hours (T)?
• In patients with hypertension (P), does mindfulness meditation (I) compared to relaxation techniques (C) reduce blood pressure (O) after eight weeks (T)?
• In elderly patients with hip fractures (P), does multidisciplinary geriatric care (I) compared to standard care (C) improve functional outcomes (O) after three months (T)?
• In patients with chronic kidney disease (P), does aerobic exercise (I) compared to resistance exercise (C) improve renal function (O) after six months (T)?
• In patients with major depressive disorder (P), does add-on treatment with omega-3 fatty acids (I) compared to placebo (C) reduce depressive symptoms (O) after 12 weeks (T)?
• In postoperative patients (P), does preoperative education using multimedia materials (I) compared to standard education (C) improve patient satisfaction (O) after surgery (T)?
• In patients with type 2 diabetes (P), does a plant-based diet (I) compared to a standard diet (C) improve glycemic control (O) after three months (T)?
• In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P), does high-flow oxygen therapy (I) compared to standard oxygen therapy (C) improve exercise tolerance (O) after three months (T)?
• In patients with heart failure (P), does nurse-led telephone follow-up (I) compared to standard care (C) reduce hospital readmissions (O) within six months (T)?
• In postpartum women with postnatal depression (P), does online cognitive-behavioral therapy (I) compared to face-to-face therapy (C) reduce depressive symptoms (O) after eight weeks (T)?
• In patients with chronic migraine (P), does mindfulness-based stress reduction (I) compared to medication alone (C) reduce the frequency and severity of migraines (O) after three months (T)?
• In older adults with delirium (P), does structured music intervention (I) compared to standard care (C) reduce the duration of delirium episodes (O) during hospitalization (T)?
• In patients with chronic low back pain (P), does yoga (I) compared to physical therapy (C) reduce pain intensity (O) after six weeks (T)?
• In pediatric patients with acute otitis media (P), does watchful waiting with pain management (I) compared to immediate antibiotic treatment (C) reduce the need for antibiotics (O) within one week (T)?
• In patients with schizophrenia (P), does family psychoeducation (I) compared to standard treatment (C) improve medication adherence (O) over a period of six months (T)?
• In patients with chronic kidney disease (P), does a low-phosphorus diet (I) compared to a regular diet (C) slow the progression of renal disease (O) after one year (T)?
• In postoperative patients (P), does wound irrigation with saline solution (I) compared to povidone-iodine solution (C) reduce the incidence of surgical site infections (O) within 30 days (T)?
• In patients with type 1 diabetes (P), does continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (I) compared to multiple daily injections (C) improve glycemic control (O) over a period of six months (T)?
• In postoperative patients (P), does the use of prophylactic antibiotics (I) compared to no antibiotics (C) reduce the incidence of surgical site infections (O) within 30 days (T)?
• In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P), does smoking cessation counseling (I) compared to no counseling (C) decrease the frequency of exacerbations (O) over a period of six months (T)?
• In patients with diabetes (P), does a multidisciplinary team approach (I) compared to standard care (C) improve self-management behaviors (O) over a period of one year (T)?
• In pregnant women with gestational hypertension (P), does bed rest (I) compared to regular activity (C) reduce the risk of developing preeclampsia (O) before delivery (T)?
• In patients with chronic kidney disease (P), does angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (I) compared to placebo (C) slow the progression of renal disease (O) over a period of two years (T)?
• In older adults with hip fractures (P), does early surgical intervention (I) compared to delayed surgery (C) improve functional outcomes (O) after six months (T)?
• In patients with major depressive disorder (P), does exercise (I) compared to antidepressant medication (C) reduce depressive symptoms (O) after eight weeks (T)?
• In children with autism spectrum disorder (P), does applied behavior analysis (I) compared to standard therapy (C) improve social communication skills (O) over a period of one year (T)?
• In postoperative patients (P), does the use of incentive spirometry (I) compared to no spirometry (C) decrease the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (O) within seven days (T)?
• In patients with hypertension (P), does a combination of diet modification and exercise (I) compared to medication alone (C) lower blood pressure (O) after six months (T)?
• In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P), does home oxygen therapy (I) compared to no oxygen therapy (C) improve exercise capacity (O) after threemonths (T)?
• In patients with heart failure (P), does a multidisciplinary heart failure management program (I) compared to standard care (C) reduce hospital readmissions (O) within six months (T)?
• In postpartum women with postnatal depression (P), does mindfulness meditation (I) compared to relaxation techniques (C) reduce depressive symptoms (O) after eight weeks (T)?
• In patients with chronic kidney disease (P), does a low-sodium diet (I) compared to a regular diet (C) lower blood pressure (O) after six months (T)?
• In pediatric patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (P), does neurofeedback training (I) compared to medication (C) improve attention and behavior (O) after six months (T)?
• In patients with chronic pain (P), does transcranial direct current stimulation (I) compared to sham stimulation (C) reduce pain intensity (O) after eight weeks (T)?
• In older adults with osteoporosis (P), does a structured exercise program (I) compared to no exercise (C) improve bone mineral density (O) after six months (T)?
• In patients with type 2 diabetes (P), does a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet (I) compared to a standard diet (C) improve glycemic control (O) over a period of six months (T)?
• In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P), does mindfulness-based stress reduction (I) compared to usual care (C) improve dyspnea symptoms (O) after three months (T)?
• In postpartum women with postnatal depression (P), does online peer support (I) compared to individual therapy (C) reduce depressive symptoms (O) after eight weeks (T)?
• In patients with chronic kidney disease (P), does resistance training (I) compared to aerobic training (C) improve muscle strength (O) after six months (T)?
• In pediatric patients with asthma (P), does a written asthma action plan (I) compared to verbal instructions (C) reduce emergency department visits (O) within six months (T)?
• In patients with chronic pain (P), does yoga (I) compared to pharmacological treatment (C) reduce pain interference (O) after eight weeks (T)?
• In older adults at risk of falls (P), does a multifactorial falls prevention program (I) compared to no intervention (C) reduce the rate of falls (O) over a period of six months (T)?
• In patients with schizophrenia (P), does cognitive-behavioral therapy (I) compared to medication alone (C) reduce positive symptom severity (O) after six months (T)?
• In postpartum women with breastfeeding difficulties (P), does breast massage (I) compared to no massage (C) improve milk flow (O) after four weeks (T)?
• In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P), does long-term oxygen therapy (I) compared to short-term oxygen therapy (C) improve survival rates (O) after one year (T)?
• In patients with major depressive disorder (P), does repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (I) compared to sham treatment (C) reduce depressive symptoms (O) after six weeks (T)?
• In patients with diabetes (P), does a digital health app (I) compared to standard care (C) improve medication adherence (O) over a period of six months (T)?
• In patients with chronic kidney disease (P), does a low-potassium diet (I) compared to a regular diet (C) lower serum potassium levels (O) after one year (T)?
• In pediatric patients with acute gastroenteritis (P), does oral rehydration solution (I) compared to intravenous fluid therapy (C) reduce hospital admissions (O) within 48 hours (T)?
• In patients with chronic pain (P), does hypnotherapy (I) compared to no hypnotherapy (C) reduce pain intensity (O) after eight weeks (T)?
• In older adults at risk of falls (P), does a tai chi program (I) compared to no exercise program (C) improve balance and stability (O) after six months (T)?
• In patients with chronic heart failure (P), does a home-based self-care intervention (I) compared to standard care (C) reduce hospital readmissions (O) within six months (T)?
• In patients with anxiety disorders (P), does acceptance and commitment therapy (I) compared to cognitive-behavioral therapy (C) reduce anxiety symptoms (O) after 12 weeks (T)?
• In postpartum women with breastfeeding difficulties (P), does the use of nipple shields (I) compared to no nipple shields (C) improve breastfeeding success (O) after four weeks (T)?
• In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P), does a comprehensive self-management program (I) compared to usual care (C) improve health-related quality of life (O) after three months (T)?
• In patients with major depressive disorder (P), does internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (I) compared to face-to-face therapy (C) reduce depressive symptoms (O) after eight weeks (T)?
• Does the increase in the habit of smoking marijuana among Dutch students increase the likelihood of depression?
• Does the use of pain relief medication during surgery provide more effective pain reduction compared to the same medication given post-surgery?
• Does the increase in the intake of oral contraceptives increase the risk of breast cancer among women aged 20-30 in the UK?
• Does the habit of washing hands among healthcare workers decrease the rate of infections in hospitals?
• Does the use of modern syringes help in reducing needle injuries among healthcare workers in America?
• Does encouraging male work colleagues to talk about sexual harassment decrease the rate of depression in the workplace?
• Does bullying in boarding schools in Scotland increase the likelihood of domestic violence within a 20-year timeframe?
• Does breastfeeding among toddlers in urban United States decrease their chances of obesity as pre-schoolers?
• Does the increase in the intake of antidepressants among urban women aged 30 years and older affect their maternal health?
• Does forming work groups to discuss domestic violence among the rural population of the United States reduce stress and depression among women?
• Does the increased use of mosquito nets in Uganda help in reducing malaria cases among infants?
• Can colon cancer be more effectively detected when colonoscopy is supported by an occult blood test compared to colonoscopy alone?
• Does regular usage of low-dose aspirin effectively reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke for women above the age of 80 years?
• Is yoga an effective medical therapy for reducing lymphedema in patients recovering from neck cancer?
• Does daily blood pressure monitoring help in addressing the triggers of hypertension among males over 65 years?
• Does a regular 30-minute exercise regimen effectively reduce the risk of heart disease in adults over 65 years?
• Does prolonged exposure to chemotherapy increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases among teenagers suffering from cancer?
• Does breastfeeding among toddlers in the urban United States decrease their chances of obesity as pre-schoolers?
• Are first-time mothers giving birth to premature babies more prone to postpartum depression compared to second or third-time mothers in the same condition?
• For women under the age of 50 years, is a yearly mammogram more effective in preventing breast cancer compared to a mammogram done every 3 years?
• After being diagnosed with blood sugar levels, is a four-times-a-day blood glucose monitoring process more effective in controlling the onset of Type 1 diabetes?

Related: How to write an abstract poster presentation.

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If you need a personalized approach to choosing a good PICOT question and writing a problem and purpose statement, our nursing paper acers can help you.

Nursing research specialists work with nursing students, professional nurses, and medical students to advance their academic and career goals. We offer private, reliable, confidential, and top-quality services.

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Best Nursing Research Topics for Students

What is a nursing research paper.

• What They Include
• Choosing a Topic
• Best Nursing Research Topics
• Research Paper Writing Tips

Writing a research paper is a massive task that involves careful organization, critical analysis, and a lot of time. Some nursing students are natural writers, while others struggle to select a nursing research topic, let alone write about it.

If you're a nursing student who dreads writing research papers, this article may help ease your anxiety. We'll cover everything you need to know about writing nursing school research papers and the top topics for nursing research.  

Continue reading to make your paper-writing jitters a thing of the past.

A nursing research paper is a work of academic writing composed by a nurse or nursing student. The paper may present information on a specific topic or answer a question.

During LPN/LVN and RN programs, most papers you write focus on learning to use research databases, evaluate appropriate resources, and format your writing with APA style. You'll then synthesize your research information to answer a question or analyze a topic.

BSN , MSN , Ph.D., and DNP programs also write nursing research papers. Students in these programs may also participate in conducting original research studies.

Writing papers during your academic program improves and develops many skills, including the ability to:

• Select nursing topics for research
• Conduct effective research
• Analyze published academic literature
• Format and cite sources
• Synthesize data
• Organize and articulate findings

About Nursing Research Papers

When do nursing students write research papers.

You may need to write a research paper for any of the nursing courses you take. Research papers help develop critical thinking and communication skills. They allow you to learn how to conduct research and critically review publications.

That said, not every class will require in-depth, 10-20-page papers. The more advanced your degree path, the more you can expect to write and conduct research. If you're in an associate or bachelor's program, you'll probably write a few papers each semester or term.

Do Nursing Students Conduct Original Research?

Most of the time, you won't be designing, conducting, and evaluating new research. Instead, your projects will focus on learning the research process and the scientific method. You'll achieve these objectives by evaluating existing nursing literature and sources and defending a thesis.

However, many nursing faculty members do conduct original research. So, you may get opportunities to participate in, and publish, research articles.

Example Research Project Scenario:

In your maternal child nursing class, the professor assigns the class a research paper regarding developmentally appropriate nursing interventions for the pediatric population. While that may sound specific, you have almost endless opportunities to narrow down the focus of your writing. 

You could choose pain intervention measures in toddlers. Conversely, you can research the effects of prolonged hospitalization on adolescents' social-emotional development.

What Does a Nursing Research Paper Include?

Your professor should provide a thorough guideline of the scope of the paper. In general, an undergraduate nursing research paper will consist of:

Introduction : A brief overview of the research question/thesis statement your paper will discuss. You can include why the topic is relevant.

Body : This section presents your research findings and allows you to synthesize the information and data you collected. You'll have a chance to articulate your evaluation and answer your research question. The length of this section depends on your assignment.

Conclusion : A brief review of the information and analysis you presented throughout the body of the paper. This section is a recap of your paper and another chance to reassert your thesis.

The best advice is to follow your instructor's rubric and guidelines. Remember to ask for help whenever needed, and avoid overcomplicating the assignment!

How to Choose a Nursing Research Topic

The sheer volume of prospective nursing research topics can become overwhelming for students. Additionally, you may get the misconception that all the 'good' research ideas are exhausted. However, a personal approach may help you narrow down a research topic and find a unique angle.

Writing your research paper about a topic you value or connect with makes the task easier. Additionally, you should consider the material's breadth. Topics with plenty of existing literature will make developing a research question and thesis smoother.

Finally, feel free to shift gears if necessary, especially if you're still early in the research process. If you start down one path and have trouble finding published information, ask your professor if you can choose another topic.

The Best Research Topics for Nursing Students

You have endless subject choices for nursing research papers. This non-exhaustive list just scratches the surface of some of the best nursing research topics.

1. Clinical Nursing Research Topics

• Analyze the use of telehealth/virtual nursing to reduce inpatient nurse duties.
• Discuss the impact of evidence-based respiratory interventions on patient outcomes in critical care settings.
• Explore the effectiveness of pain management protocols in pediatric patients.

2. Community Health Nursing Research Topics

• Assess the impact of nurse-led diabetes education in Type II Diabetics.
• Analyze the relationship between socioeconomic status and access to healthcare services.

3. Nurse Education Research Topics

• Review the effectiveness of simulation-based learning to improve nursing students' clinical skills.
• Identify methods that best prepare pre-licensure students for clinical practice.
• Investigate factors that influence nurses to pursue advanced degrees.
• Evaluate education methods that enhance cultural competence among nurses.
• Describe the role of mindfulness interventions in reducing stress and burnout among nurses.

4. Mental Health Nursing Research Topics

• Explore patient outcomes related to nurse staffing levels in acute behavioral health settings.
• Assess the effectiveness of mental health education among emergency room nurses .
• Explore de-escalation techniques that result in improved patient outcomes.
• Review the effectiveness of therapeutic communication in improving patient outcomes.

5. Pediatric Nursing Research Topics

• Assess the impact of parental involvement in pediatric asthma treatment adherence.
• Explore challenges related to chronic illness management in pediatric patients.
• Review the role of play therapy and other therapeutic interventions that alleviate anxiety among hospitalized children.

6. The Nursing Profession Research Topics

• Analyze the effects of short staffing on nurse burnout .
• Evaluate factors that facilitate resiliency among nursing professionals.
• Examine predictors of nurse dissatisfaction and burnout.
• Posit how nursing theories influence modern nursing practice.

Tips for Writing a Nursing Research Paper

The best nursing research advice we can provide is to follow your professor's rubric and instructions. However, here are a few study tips for nursing students to make paper writing less painful:

Avoid procrastination: Everyone says it, but few follow this advice. You can significantly lower your stress levels if you avoid procrastinating and start working on your project immediately.

Plan Ahead: Break down the writing process into smaller sections, especially if it seems overwhelming. Give yourself time for each step in the process.

Research: Use your resources and ask for help from the librarian or instructor. The rest should come together quickly once you find high-quality studies to analyze.

Outline: Create an outline to help you organize your thoughts. Then, you can plug in information throughout the research process. 

Clear Language: Use plain language as much as possible to get your point across. Jargon is inevitable when writing academic nursing papers, but keep it to a minimum.

Cite Properly: Accurately cite all sources using the appropriate citation style. Nursing research papers will almost always implement APA style. Check out the resources below for some excellent reference management options.

Revise and Edit: Once you finish your first draft, put it away for one to two hours or, preferably, a whole day. Once you've placed some space between you and your paper, read through and edit for clarity, coherence, and grammatical errors. Reading your essay out loud is an excellent way to check for the 'flow' of the paper.

Helpful Nursing Research Writing Resources:

Purdue OWL (Online writing lab) has a robust APA guide covering everything you need about APA style and rules.

Grammarly helps you edit grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Upgrading to a paid plan will get you plagiarism detection, formatting, and engagement suggestions. This tool is excellent to help you simplify complicated sentences.

Mendeley is a free reference management software. It stores, organizes, and cites references. It has a Microsoft plug-in that inserts and correctly formats APA citations.

Don't let nursing research papers scare you away from starting nursing school or furthering your education. Their purpose is to develop skills you'll need to be an effective nurse: critical thinking, communication, and the ability to review published information critically.

Choose a great topic and follow your teacher's instructions; you'll finish that paper in no time.

Joleen Sams is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner based in the Kansas City metro area. During her 10-year RN career, Joleen worked in NICU, inpatient pediatrics, and regulatory compliance. Since graduating with her MSN-FNP in 2019, she has worked in urgent care and nursing administration. Connect with Joleen on LinkedIn or see more of her writing on her website.

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Examples of Research Questions

Phd in nursing science program, examples of broad clinical research questions include:.

• Does the administration of pain medication at time of surgical incision reduce the need for pain medication twenty-four hours after surgery?
• What maternal factors are associated with obesity in toddlers?
• What elements of a peer support intervention prevent suicide in high school females?
• What is the most accurate and comprehensive way to determine men’s experience of physical assault?
• Is yoga as effective as traditional physical therapy in reducing lymphedema in patients who have had head and neck cancer treatment?
• In the third stage of labor, what is the effect of cord cutting within the first three minutes on placenta separation?
• Do teenagers with Type 1 diabetes who receive phone tweet reminders maintain lower blood sugars than those who do not?
• Do the elderly diagnosed with dementia experience pain?
•  How can siblings’ risk of depression be predicted after the death of a child?
•  How can cachexia be prevented in cancer patients receiving aggressive protocols involving radiation and chemotherapy?

Examples of some general health services research questions are:

• Does the organization of renal transplant nurse coordinators’ responsibilities influence live donor rates?
• What activities of nurse managers are associated with nurse turnover?  30 day readmission rates?
• What effect does the Nurse Faculty Loan program have on the nurse researcher workforce?  What effect would a 20% decrease in funds have?
• How do psychiatric hospital unit designs influence the incidence of patients’ aggression?
• What are Native American patient preferences regarding the timing, location and costs for weight management counseling and how will meeting these preferences influence participation?
•  What predicts registered nurse retention in the US Army?
• How, if at all, are the timing and location of suicide prevention appointments linked to veterans‘ suicide rates?
• What predicts the sustainability of quality improvement programs in operating rooms?
• Do integrated computerized nursing records across points of care improve patient outcomes?
• How many nurse practitioners will the US need in 2020?

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200+ Great Ideas of Nursing Research Topics to Get Started

Running out of topic ideas for your nursing research paper?

Stay on this page to find really cool and helpful lists of interesting research topics for your nursing dissertation or thesis.

What are Some Cool topics to Research?

Whenever students are asked to work on a research paper or present their thesis, the very first concern for them is choosing a unique, interesting, and research-worthy topic that makes their research significant and has enough future scope.

When it comes to finding a unique topic without working on something that’s already been done, most of the nursing and healthcare students struggle. A good research topic should be unique, relevant to current times, and have future scope as well. And you’ll find all three qualities in the topics mentioned below:

1. Primary Healthcare Nursing Research Topics

Primary healthcare refers to essential or basic health care service based on socially acceptable and scientifically sound methods and technology. Since it includes physical, social, emotional, and mental well-being, there are many topics for nursing scholars to explore:

• Strengthening primary healthcare system as the first line of referral system
• Introduction of home health nursing in the community set up
• Primary health care delivery system clinical pathways
• From home visits to home health care: strengthening primary health care delivery system
• Expanding the roles of community health nurses
• Millennial models of health care system
• Strengthening disease surveillance program in the community health set-up
• Home health care of debilitated patients
• Acceptance of evidence-based practice in the primary health care
• Strengthening continuity of care in the community / home health care post hospitalization
• Physical rehabilitation and occupational therapy in the community health care setting

2. Good Research Topics in Healthcare Management

Healthcare management is the management, administration, or oversight of healthcare systems, hospitals, public health systems, and other medical facilities. Since it comprises the overall management of all the work of the hospitals, it opens avenues for a lot of research work. Take, for example, the following:

• Evaluating who is responsible for failure in surgeries?
• Healthcare Contracts Limitations
• Medical Home Service
• Analysing nursing channels that nurses can use for becoming physicians?
• Gender Bias in Nursing Profession
• Starting Private Practice as a Nurse
• Medicare: Pros and Cons
• What are the most appropriate methods for increasing staff retention in a health care setting?
• Nursing Uniform Code Rules
• Role of nurses in enhancing a hospital quality improvement
• Legal Risks with Non-English Patients
• Medical Marijuana: Risk, Benefits, and Management Rules
• Shortage of Men in Healthcare
• Health tracking apps for continuity of care post discharge to home
• Telehealth: the impact of virtual care to urban and rural areas
• Strategic referral system to prevent tertiary hospital congestion
• Clinical pathways for referral system
• Drive-thru pharmacy
• Strenghtening the roles of social works and social workers in the health care team
• Case management approach in the healthcare delivery system
• Defining and application of Expected Length of Stay in patient management
• Impact of case managers in Expected Length of Stay and patient outcomes
• Redefining hospital cultures on bed rest versus mobilization
• Redefining hospital cultures on diet and food services
• Redefining hospital cultures on the assumption of the sick roles
• Strict implementation of Expected Length of Stay to prevent hospital congestion
• Roles of Case manager in the Clinical pathways
• Case Manager as a new nursing role an specialization
• Nurse navigator as a new form of nurse entrepreneurship
• Case management clinical pathway for smooth admission, patient flow and continuity of care after discharge
• Increase nursing specialization
• Internet savvy for healthcare providers

3. Nursing Research Topics about Pain Management

Pain management, in nursing, includes study of all the interventions nurses can make during their hospital hours – mainly to relieve a patient’s pain or ailments through medicinal interventions. Pain is complex, with many treatment options such as therapies, medicines, and also mind-body techniques. Nursing research scholars can research about the following topics:

• Pain management in children suffering from life-limiting illnesses: learning about the best practices
• Headache Treatment Protocol
• A closer look at hemophilia patient’s pain management
• Myofascial Pain Rehabilitation
• Labor and delivery: best practices for pain management
• Using Opioid for Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Fetal pain perception: analysis by medical experts
• Innovative Injection Use
• Therapeutic Injections: Cons & Pros
• Cognitive hypnotherapy application: how effective are they in pain management?
• Evaluating the effectiveness of Benson’s relaxation therapy as a pain management practice.
• Post-discharge pain-management strategies: evaluating their effectiveness in a health care setting?
• Phantom Pains Phenomenon
• Pain management in cancer patients: best practices according to expert nurses
• Spinal cord nerve injury related to chronic constipation
• Mobile pain unit

4. Pediatric Nursing Research Topics

In Pediatric nursing, the nursing staff is responsible for medical care of the children and neonates, and adolescents – mainly in a day-clinic or the in-patient setting. Though the main role of child health nursing is administering procedures and medicines to all children as per their prescribed nursing care plans, the research scholars can write papers on the following topics:

• Speech Disorders Therapy
• ADHD Causes & treatment
• Prevalence of misdiagnosis in child health or paediatric ward
• Vaccination & Autism
• Systematic review of range of child health nursing services in UK
• Antibiotic Resistance in Preschool Children
• Mental and Emotional health of children under 10
• Eating Disorders in Children
• Social Media Impact on Teenagers
• Seizures Causes in Infants
• Teething issues in children under 10
• Psychological Aspects of Infant Care
• Use of social media platforms in preparation and prevention of hospital phobia among pediatric groups
• Family engagement in the pediatric care by using hospital information system
• Safety and efficacy of telehealth for pediatric patients

What are the Current issues in Nursing?

Nursing is a high-pressure job. It demands patience, determination, and perseverance. As a high-pressure job, it gets quite challenging and leads to issues from time to time. Some of the examples being staff shortages, long working hours, workplace hazards, personal health, and workplace violence. All of these can be addressed in nursing research papers:

• Analysis of the registered nurse workforce and the relationship to work environments
• Transforming loss: A developing concept for nursing
• Nursing Staff Shortages
• Nursing Practitioners
• Meeting Patient Expectations: A challenge for nurses
• Biggest obstacles nurses face in their education and maintaining career alongside
• Workplace Violence and Hazards Nurses face
• Diversity in Healthcare
• Importance of Community Nursing
• Future of Nursing in the Digital Age
• What measure can a nurse take for helping a person with their eating disorder?
• Clinical Nurse Roles
• How can nurses help in treating patients who already know they don’t have a survival rate?
• Ethics and Homeless People Treatment
• Critical Care Nursing Management
• A nurse’s role in helping and assisting patients with chronic diseases?
• Nursing Theorists Works
• Remote Intensive Care Unit
• Stress Management Practice for Nurses Working in Night Shifts
• Between Career & Professional Service
• Preceptorship and training after distant education program and online learning
• Centralized infectious disease surveillance
• Centralized reporting of chronic diseases
• Patient become more educated: the pros and cons of social media
• Fake news and misinformation on health related issue with the rise of social media platforms
• BPO and call centers for medical procedures booking and admission to decongest emergency room
• Application of BPO in the quality assurance monitoring in documentation

What are Some of the Research Topic Ideas in Surgical Nursing?

• Moral distress among nurses in Surgical units
• Patient’s satisfaction and experience about care provided by nurses in the surgical units
• Organizational effects on patient satisfaction in surgical units
• Medical-Surgical nurses and their perceived leadership abilities as responders in patient deterioration events
• Role of Nurses in Surgical Wards
• Medical-surgical nursing: Critical thinking in client care
• Pain assessment and management in surgical nursing
• Understanding technology in contemporary surgical nursing
• Understanding Medical surgical nursing as an integrated approach
• Standardising fast-track surgical nursing care
• Mobilization team for the fast recovery of post-operative patients
• Use of telehealth for pre-operative preparations and elective surgical admissions to lessen hospital length of stay among surgical patients
• Continuity of care post surgery in the community health care

What have been some of the more important nursing research questions discussed in nursing class?

If you are here to find more important topics for your nursing dissertations, then scroll through this section for topics that are often discussed in nursing classes. Nursing research articles and topics change over time. However, we find these relevant to current times and challenges in healthcare:

1. Research topic ideas for Midwifery Nursing

Nurse-midwife, as a licensed healthcare professional, specialises in child birth and also women’s reproductive health. Apart from attending pregnant women during childbirth, they are responsible for several roles during emergencies, and pre and postnatal care. Hence, opening avenues for research topics such as:

• Role of nurses in improving patient safety during childbirth: Evidence from obstetric trauma
• Evaluate the impact of delayed umbilical cord clamping after child birth
• Maternal & Neonatal Practices in Rural Areas
• Emerging trends in obstetrical and midwifery nursing
• First Antenatal Appointment Analysis
• Limiting interventions during a low-risk labour
• Mental Illness & Post-natal Period
• Analysing the role of prenatal care in pregnant women
• Shift Study Midwives & Length
• Evaluating impact of AIDS and Hepatitis B in the pregnant women
• Self-Instruction Kits & Natal Safety
• Studying advanced trends in obstetrics and gynaecology
• Midwifery Continued Care
• Evaluating pros and cons of labouring in water
• Gestational Weight Gain Challenges
• Vitamin D’s role as a supplement during pregnancy
• Studying clinical reasoning integration into midwifery practice
• Obese Pregnant Women Safety Rules
• A decade after BEmONC and CEmONC

2. Health Promotion Research Topics

Health promotion mainly comes from behavioral social science which draws from the environmental, biological, psychological, medical, and physical sciences for promoting health and preventing diseases. For health promotion, the research topics include the following:

• Healthcare Dangers of Digital Age
• Benefits and Shortages of Telemedicine
• Healthy living and Preventive medicine for Senior Citizens
• Role of School Nurses
• Obstacles for Smoking cessation
• Healthy Eating & Sports
• Causes of Youth Inactivity
• Roles of Parents for Healthy Lifestyle of Children
• Obesity and Mental Stability
• Pharmacist Responsibility
• Social Media and Educational Strategies
• HealthBank as new form of medical insurance inside the hospital organization
• Collaboration of private health insurance company with public and private hospitals

3. Adult Research Topics for Nursing Students

As a nursing scholar, you can also write research papers on adult healthcare, disease prevention, and management. Take, for example, reasons behind anxiety disorders in adults. Find more topics in the list below:

• Nurses’ experiences with urinary catheter insertion: A qualitative focus group study
• Clinical Cardiology Innovations
• CV Imaging Process
• Migraine Case Example
• Bipolar Disorder Non-Chemical Practices
• Mental Health & Psychiatric Care in Adults
• Online nursing education program
• Self care in Nursing
• Home health care for longterm vented patients
• Clinical Instructor, Preceptorship, Educator and Professor as specialized field requiring licensure
• Specialization program in nursing education

4. Geriatric Care Nursing Journal Topics

Nurses working in Geriatric care and management are responsible for coordinating and planning care of the elderly people dealing with mental or physical disabilities. Some of the research work topic ideas for geriatric care include the following:

• Cerebrovascular Disease and Stroke in Elderly people
• Pain in elderly people: Assessment and Management
• Joint Disorders Study in Elderly Population
• Rapid Nutritional assessment in Elderly
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Bladder Cancer Therapy
• Atrial Fibrillation Study
• Critical Care Requirements
• Cardiovascular Risk Reduction
• Geriatrics Ethics
• Restless Legs Syndrome
• Parkinson’s Disease Precautions
• Geriatric care clinical pathways of care: holistic approach

What are the recent nursing research paper topics?

If you’re facing the challenge of choosing a recent nursing research topic, we’ve got your back. Many nurses, including experienced and freshers, are faced with this challenge at some point. But there’s no need to panic. So, without further ado, let’s jump-start the list of most recent research topics for nursing students:

1. Women’s Health Nursing Research Topics

Research topics related to women’s health are always trending, relevant, and have future scope as well. Hence, these topics are still worth exploring and researching:

• Culture affects women’s health
• Substance Abuse and Addiction in Women
• Menopause Challenges
• Infertility Ethical Rules
• Ovarian Cancer and Ovarian Disorder Analysis
• Modern Neonatal Practices
• Pregnancy Prevention Measures
• Sepsis after labour
• Cosmetic Dermatology
• Cystic Fibroids
• Sleep Disorders in Women
• Reproductive Endocrinology
• Women’s Sexual Health Disorders
• HPV and Cervical Cancer
• Vaginal Atrophy Causes
• Sleep disturbances in Women

2. Mental Health Nursing Research Articles Topics

Research papers focusing on mental health are still one of the most read and referred papers. And there’s still more scope for research on topics such as:

• Evaluating the concept of Integrated Mental and Physical Health Care
• Psychiatric Nursing and Mental Health
• Possible skills required for Nurses in Mental health care setting
• Assessing the mental health of nurses
• Depression Causes
• Schizophrenia Diagnostics
• Alcohol Addiction Disorders
• Bipolar Disorder
• Studying the impact of PTSD in the Army Veterans
• Impact of Video Games on Teenage Aggression
• Stress Among Police Officers
• Psychiatric Patient Ethics
• Forbidden Substances: Prevention and Use
• Bioterrorism Medicine
• Physical Traumas & Recovery Methods
• Application of Nursing Case Management in Psychiatry

Nursing leaders have called for research focusing on which of the following topics?

If you’d like to take an expert’s opinion before choosing a topic for your nursing dissertation, this section will be helpful. Our list of best nursing research topics doesn’t end here. We’ve got here more interesting topics that are recommended by nursing leaders and experts. Take a look at some more relevant topics:

• Preterm Labor Dangers
• Labor and Delivery Management Practices
• Saving Mother & Child Challenges
• Abortion Care Ethical Side
• Adolescent Gynecology Education
• Antenatal Care Recommendations
• Hypertensive Disorders Causes
• Newborn Resuscitation Rules
• Caesarean Section Preparation
• Delivery Room Behavior Checklist
• Nurses play vital roles in healthcare. Why are they invisible in the media?
• Increasing nursing research capacity: The roles of nurse scientists within healthcare systems
• Microeconomics and macroeconomics for sources of hospital funds
• Diverting patients and funds to economical services
• Culture vs evidence based practice
• Social media influencer in health education dissemination
• Acceptance of evidence based practice in the hospital
• Impact of socio-cultural nursing to evidence-based practice
• Hindrances in the implementation of evidence-based practice
• Nursing faculty shortage and brain-drain
• Online continuing professional education and development

Academic Writing Service: Work Directly With the Experts

The are list of best nursing research paper topics ends here. However, we still have something helpful for you. Writing a dissertation or a nursing paper is time consuming – needless to mention the mental exertion. That explains why the majority of students prefer seeking research writing help.

Take, for example, apessay.com , a place where you can get in touch with registered experts who have successfully passed their competency examinations to provide academic writing service at an affordable rate. The three USPs include plagiarism free content, complete privacy and security standards to protect your personal info, and money-back guarantee.

What makes apessay.com academic writing service unique is you can work in direct cooperation with your preferred writer and consult them for everything – from choosing a relevant topic to revisions for final submission.

Feel free to get professional help from nursing research paper writing service which will take care of your nursing papers online.

Final Thoughts

Nursing research topics for a dissertation or thesis should not be difficult to find through the ideas suggestion above. Just make sure that you provide a twist (segment or expand the topic, perhaps) and come up with a unique topic for your paper.

During the initial stages of finalising a nursing research topic, you can struggle with a lot of choices or overwhelming information. However, when you start to consider a research topic’s limitations and scope, and outline your topic into a question, you’ll be able to get a better understanding of the topic you can manage in terms of workload.

We hope these nursing research topics mentioned above help you find that unique thesis statement or idea you’re looking for. In case you’re still having a tough time making a choice, leave us a comment or drop a mail, and we will direct you to better resources.

• https://www.journals.elsevier.com/applied-nursing-research/recent-articles
• https://www.syberscribe.com.au/blog/10-emerging-trends-healthcare-technology-2019-beyond/
• https://www.purdueglobal.edu/blog/nursing/top-10-nursing-trends/
• http://ojin.nursingworld.org/

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Evidence-based practice in nursing: beyond the scientific proof of care, nursing research definition: the importance and nurses roles.

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Develop your research question

• Search for your assignment
• Find books and journal articles
• Find evidence (Government and organisation information)
• Data & statistics
• Forgotten Australians
• Clinical skills
• Aged care & mental health
• Mental health resources: 0-65 years
• Finding resources for your assignment
• HLTH 1036: Global and National Health – A1 Task 2 & A2
• HLTH 1047: First Peoples' Health – A1
• NURS 1072: Foundations of Nursing Practice
• NURS 2023: Health of Adults - Nursing Case Study Report
• NURS 2024: Health of Older Adults
• NURS 5164: Best Practice in Adolescent Mental Health
• NURS 3055: Evidence Based Nursing Practice
• NURS 3045: Nursing Context of Practice: Primary Health Care
• UniSA Online - NURS 1066: Living Skills and Life Routines in Aged Care

STEP 1: Understand your research objective

Before you start developing your research question, think about your research objectives:

• What are you trying to do? (compare, analyse)
• What do you need to know about the topic?
• What type of research are you doing?
• What types of information/studies do you need? (e.g. randomised controlled trial, case study, guideline, protocol?)
• Does the information need to be current?

Watch the following video (6:26) to get you started:

Key points from the video

• All good academic research starts with a research question.
• A research question is an actual question you want to answer about a particular topic.
• Developing a question helps you focus on an aspect of your topic, which will streamline your research and writing.
• Pick a topic you are interested in.
• Narrow the topic to a particular aspect.
• Brainstorm some questions around your topic aspect.
• Select a question to work with.
• Focus the question by making it more specific. Make sure your question clearly states who, what, when, where, and why.
• A good research question focuses on one issue only and requires analysis.
• Your search for information should be directed by your research question.
• Your thesis or hypothesis should be a direct answer to your research question, summarised into one sentence.

STEP 2: Search before you research

The benefits of doing a background search :

• You can gather more background knowledge on a subject
• explore different aspects of your topic
• identify additional keywords and terminology

STEP 3: Choose a topic

The resources linked below are a good place to start: 

• UpToDate It covers thousands of clinical topics grouped into specialties with links to articles, drugs and drug interaction databases, medical calculators and guidelines.
• An@tomedia This online anatomy resource features images, videos, and slides together with interactive, educational text and quiz questions.
• Anatomy.tv Find 3D anatomical images; functional anatomy animations and videos, and MRI, anatomy, and clinical slides. Test your knowledge through interactive activities and quizzes.

STEP 4: Brainstorm your questions

Now you have explored different aspects of your topic, you may construct more focused questions (you can create a few questions and pick one later).

Learn more: 

• Clear and present questions: formulating questions for evidence based practice (Booth 2006) This article provides an overview of thinking in relation to the theory and practice of formulating answerable research questions.

STEP 5: Pick a question and focus

Once you have a few questions to choose from, pick one and refine it even further.

Are you required to use "PICO"?

• PICO worksheet
• Other frameworks

The PICO framework (or other variations) can be useful for developing an answerable clinical question. 

The example question used in this guide is a PICO question:   How does speech therapy compare to cognitive behavioural therapy in improving speech fluency in adolescents?

Use the interactive PICO worksheet to get started with your question, or you can download the worksheet document.

• Building your question with PICO

Here are some different frameworks you may want to use:

There are a number of PICO variations which can be used for different types of questions, such as qualitative, and background and foreground questions. Visit the Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Guide to learn more:

• Evidence Based Practice guide
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• Next: Search for your assignment >>
• Last Updated: Apr 18, 2024 10:51 AM
• URL: https://guides.library.unisa.edu.au/Nursing

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• Information Literacy in Nursing
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Before You Start Searching

Clinical and epidemiological question frameworks.

• Basic Literature Searching
• Advanced Literature Searching
• Searching for Evidence with ABCDE
• Citation Management
• Citing Sources: APA and Other Styles

Step One: Start to formulate a research question or topic.

Aiming for clarity at the beginning of the project can help you get started right. It can be helpful to use one of the question frameworks detailed below.

Step Two: Do some background searching on the topic.

Taking a look in relevant resources to see what's already been written about your topic will help you understand how you can best contribute to the body of literature. It will also help you grasp the terminology around the topic, so that you'll be more prepared to do an effective literature search.

Step Three: Narrow down the question or topic if needed.

You may find that your original topic is too broad. After you have taken the time to evaluate what's already been written about your topic, you'll have a better understanding of what you're interested in.

Step Four: Meet with your librarian.

Try one of these tried and true clinical or quantitative research question frameworks. Not sure where to start? PICO is the most common clinical question framework. and PEO works well for public health and epidemiology.

• Condition, Context, Population
• Aromataris, E., & Munn, Z. (2017). Joanna Briggs Institute reviewer's manual. The Joanna Briggs Institute. Available from JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis .
• Population, Exposure of Interest, Outcome or Response
• Population or Problem, Intervention or Exposure, Comparison or Control, Outcome
• Heneghan, C., & Badenoch, D. (2002). Evidence-based medicine toolkit. London: BMJ Books. https://www.worldcat.org/title/evidence-based-medicine-toolkit/oclc/62307845
• Population or Problem, Intervention or Exposure, Comparison or Control, Outcome, Study Type
• Methley, A. M., Campbell, S., Chew-Graham, C., McNally, R., & Cheraghi-Sohi, S. (2014). PICO, PICOS and SPIDER: a comparison study of specificity and sensitivity in three search tools for qualitative systematic reviews. BMC health services research, 14, 579. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-014-0579-0 .
• Population or Problem, Intervention or Exposure, Comparison or Control, Outcome, Time
• Richardson, W. S., Wilson, M. C., Nishikawa, J., & Hayward, R. S. (1995). The well-built clinical question: A key to evidence-based decisions. ACP Journal Club, 123(3), A12-A12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7582737/
• Population, Index Test, Reference Test, Diagnosis of Interest
• << Previous: Datasets
• Next: Searching for Evidence >>
• Last Updated: Mar 6, 2024 3:09 PM
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200+ Quantitative Research Topics for Nursing Students [Updated 2023]

Quantitative research plays an important role in the field of nursing education. It empowers nursing students to develop critical thinking skills, fosters evidence-based practice, and paves the way for career growth in the nursing profession. However, the journey of a nursing student in selecting the right quantitative research topic can be daunting. In this blog, we’ll delve into the world of quantitative research topics for nursing students. 

We’ll discuss why these topics matter, offer tips on choosing them, and provide a comprehensive list of intriguing research ideas across various nursing subfields.

Benefits of Quantitative Research for Nursing Students

Table of Contents

Before we dive into the world of quantitative research topics for nursing students, let’s understand why quantitative research is so crucial for nursing students:

• Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills: Nursing students often find themselves in situations where they must assess, analyze, and make decisions that directly impact patient care. Engaging in quantitative research hone these critical thinking skills, enabling students to approach complex problems methodically.
• Contributing to Evidence-Based Nursing Practice: Evidence-based practice is the cornerstone of modern healthcare. Quantitative research empowers nursing students to explore and apply the latest evidence in their clinical practice, ensuring the best possible care for patients.
• Career Advancement: As nursing professionals progress in their careers, research experience becomes increasingly valuable. Nurses who can conduct and interpret quantitative research are more likely to secure leadership roles, contribute to policy development, and influence positive change in healthcare systems.

How to Choose Quantitative Research Topics

Selecting suitable quantitative research topics for nursing students is the first and often the most critical step in the research process. Here are some tips for nursing students on how to choose the right quantitative research topic:

Opt for a topic that aligns with your interests and career goals. Research is a long journey, and enthusiasm for your topic will sustain your motivation.

Feasibility

Consider the resources available to you. Assess the feasibility of data collection, analysis, and the overall research process. A well-planned study within your means is more likely to succeed.

Literature Review

Conduct a thorough literature review to identify gaps in existing research. Your topic should address an unanswered question or provide a fresh perspective on an existing issue.

Consult with Advisors

Seek guidance from your professors or mentors. They can help you refine your research question and provide valuable insights based on their experience.

200+ Quantitative Research Topics for Nursing Students

Now, let’s explore a range of quantitative research topics that nursing students can consider across different subfields:

Nursing Workforce and Patient Outcomes

• The Impact of Nurse-Patient Ratios on Patient Outcomes in Critical Care Units.
• Assessing the Relationship Between Nurse Staffing Levels and Falls Among Hospitalized Patients.
• The Effect of Nursing Workload on Medication Errors in Acute Care Settings.
• Investigating the Influence of Nurse Experience on Surgical Site Infections.
• Nurse Burnout and Its Consequences on Patient Safety and Satisfaction.
• Examining the Link Between Nurse-to-Patient Ratios and Pressure Ulcer Development.
• The Role of Nurse Education and Certification in Reducing Hospital Readmissions.
• Assessing the Impact of Nursing Leadership Styles on Patient Outcomes.
• Investigating the Association Between Nurse Retention Rates and Patient Mortality.
• The Effect of Multidisciplinary Team Collaboration on Patient Care in Oncology Units.
• Nurse-Patient Communication and Its Effect on Pain Management in Postoperative Patients.
• The Influence of Nurse Staffing on the Length of Hospital Stay for Surgical Patients.
• Examining the Relationship Between Nurse-Patient Ratios and Delirium in Elderly Patients.
• The Impact of Shift Length and Overtime on Nurse Performance and Patient Safety.
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Nurse-Managed Early Warning Systems in Identifying Deteriorating Patients.
• Investigating the Link Between Nurse Workforce Diversity and Cultural Competence in Patient Care.
• Nurse-to-Patient Ratios and the Incidence of Healthcare-Associated Infections in Long-Term Care Facilities.
• The Role of Nursing Workforce Development Programs in Enhancing Patient-Centered Care.
• Exploring the Effect of Nurse Staffing Levels on Patient Satisfaction and Hospital Ratings.
• Nurse Burnout and Its Influence on Discharge Planning and Patient Education.

Telehealth and Remote Monitoring

• The Effectiveness of Telehealth in Improving Access to Mental Health Services in Rural Areas.
• Assessing the Impact of Remote Monitoring on Medication Adherence Among Chronic Disease Patients.
• Telehealth for Pediatric Care: Examining Parental Satisfaction and Child Outcomes.
• Investigating the Use of Telehealth in Post-Operative Care and Its Effect on Recovery Rates.
• Telehealth and Diabetes Management: A Comparative Analysis of Telemedicine vs. Traditional Care.
• The Role of Telehealth in Preventive Care: Evaluating its Effectiveness in Promoting Healthier Lifestyles.
• Telehealth for Stroke Rehabilitation: A Study on Functional Outcomes and Cost Savings.
• Telemedicine in Mental Health Crisis Intervention: Assessing Crisis Resolution and Patient Satisfaction.
• Exploring the Use of Wearable Devices and Remote Monitoring in Monitoring Elderly Patients’ Health.
• Telehealth and Chronic Pain Management: A Comparative Study of Virtual vs. In-Person Consultations.
• The Impact of Telehealth on Reducing Hospital Readmissions Among Heart Failure Patients.
• Telehealth and Maternal Care: Investigating its Role in Prenatal Monitoring and Postpartum Support.
• Telemedicine in Emergency Medical Services: Evaluating its Effectiveness in Triage and Decision-Making.
• Telehealth and Home-Based Palliative Care: A Study on Patient Comfort and Quality of Life.
• Remote Monitoring of COVID-19 Patients: Assessing its Role in Early Detection of Complications.
• Telehealth for Geriatric Care: Analyzing its Impact on Aging-in-Place and Independence.
• Investigating the Cost-Effectiveness of Telehealth Interventions in Managing Obesity and Weight Loss.
• Telemedicine in Speech Therapy for Children with Speech Disorders: Evaluating Speech Outcomes.
• Telehealth for Dermatology Consultations: A Comparative Analysis of Diagnostic Accuracy.
• The Use of Telehealth in Mental Health Crisis Intervention for Veterans: Assessing PTSD Symptom Reduction.

Mental Health Nursing

• The Efficacy of Telehealth Interventions in Providing Mental Health Support to Remote or Underserved Populations.
• Assessing the Impact of Peer Support Programs on the Recovery of Individuals with Severe Mental Illness.
• Exploring the Relationship Between Childhood Trauma and the Development of Mental Health Disorders in Adulthood.
• The Role of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Reducing Anxiety and Depression Among College Students.
• Investigating the Effectiveness of Art Therapy in Improving Emotional Regulation in Adolescents with Behavioral Disorders.
• Assessing the Impact of Music Therapy on Agitation Levels in Dementia Patients in Long-Term Care Facilities.
• The Influence of Nurse-Administered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Depression Remission Rates.
• Exploring the Use of Digital Mental Health Apps in Improving Treatment Adherence Among Individuals with Bipolar Disorder.
• Investigating the Association Between Sleep Patterns and Mental Health Outcomes in Adolescents.
• The Effect of Family Involvement in Therapy on the Outcomes of Schizophrenia Patients.
• Evaluating the Role of Mental Health Nurses in Suicide Prevention and Postvention Strategies.
• Assessing the Effectiveness of School-Based Mental Health Programs in Reducing Bullying and Its Impact on Mental Health.
• Exploring the Use of Animal-Assisted Therapy in Reducing Anxiety and Depression in Psychiatric Patients.
• Investigating the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Mental Health in Young Adults.
• The Impact of Cultural Competence Training on Mental Health Care Delivery for Diverse Populations.
• Assessing the Effect of Physical Activity and Exercise Programs on the Mental Health of Individuals with Schizophrenia.
• Exploring the Role of Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation in Mental Health Disparities and Access to Care.
• Investigating the Influence of Stigma on Help-Seeking Behavior Among Individuals with Mental Health Disorders.
• The Effectiveness of Psychoeducation Programs in Reducing Relapse Rates in Individuals with Bipolar Disorder.
• Assessing the Impact of Trauma-Informed Care in Mental Health Settings on Patient Outcomes and Staff Well-being.

Pediatric Nursing

• The Impact of Parental Involvement in Pediatric Pain Management.
• The Effectiveness of Child Life Specialists in Reducing Pediatric Anxiety During Medical Procedures.
• Assessing the Role of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners in Early Childhood Development Screening.
• Investigating the Relationship Between Pediatric Obesity and Long-Term Health Outcomes.
• Exploring the Use of Play Therapy in Pediatric Pain Management.
• The Impact of Pediatric Palliative Care on Quality of Life for Seriously Ill Children and Their Families.
• The Role of School Nurses in Promoting Mental Health Awareness Among School-Aged Children.
• Investigating the Efficacy of Pediatric Vaccination Education Programs in Increasing Immunization Rates.
• The Effect of Parenting Styles on Pediatric Asthma Management and Control.
• Assessing the Impact of Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease Management Programs on Disease Outcomes.
• Exploring the Influence of Family-Centered Care on Pediatric Hospitalization Experiences.
• The Relationship Between Childhood Trauma and Mental Health Outcomes in Adolescents.
• Investigating the Effectiveness of Pediatric Telehealth Services for Rural and Underserved Populations.
• The Impact of Pediatric Nursing Interventions on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in Infants Born to Substance-Using Mothers.
• Assessing the Efficacy of Pediatric Nutrition Education Programs in Reducing Childhood Obesity Rates.
• Exploring the Use of Technology and Apps for Pediatric Diabetes Management.
• The Role of Pediatric Nurses in Early Detection and Intervention for Developmental Delays.
• Investigating the Relationship Between Childhood Vaccination Rates and School Immunization Policies.
• The Effect of Child Abuse Prevention Programs on Reducing Child Maltreatment Incidents.
• Assessing the Impact of Pediatric Pain Assessment Tools on Pain Management Practices in Pediatric Settings.

Gerontological Nursing

• The Impact of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment on Hospital Readmission Rates in Elderly Patients with Multiple Comorbidities.
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Fall Prevention Interventions in Nursing Homes for Older Adults with Dementia.
• The Role of Family Caregivers in Managing Chronic Illnesses and Maintaining Quality of Life for Elderly Patients.
• Investigating the Relationship Between Social Isolation and Cognitive Decline in the Aging Population.
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Palliative Care Services in Improving End-of-Life Quality for Elderly Patients.
• The Influence of Nutrition and Diet on Functional Independence in Older Adults.
• Examining the Impact of Gerontological Nursing Education on the Competence and Confidence of Nursing Students in Caring for Older Adults.
• Exploring the Role of Exercise and Physical Activity in Preventing Falls and Fractures in Elderly Individuals.
• The Effect of Medication Management Programs on Medication Adherence and Health Outcomes in Older Adults.
• Investigating the Prevalence and Risk Factors of Elder Abuse in Long-Term Care Facilities.
• Assessing the Impact of Cognitive Training Programs on Delaying the Onset of Alzheimer’s Disease in Older Adults.
• Exploring the Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Cognitive Function in the Aging Population.
• The Role of Gerontological Nurses in Promoting Advance Care Planning and End-of-Life Decision-Making in Older Adults.
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Home-Based Telehealth Services in Managing Chronic Conditions for Elderly Patients Living Alone.
• Investigating the Influence of Multimorbidity on Healthcare Utilization and Quality of Life in Older Adults.
• The Impact of Music Therapy on Emotional Well-Being and Quality of Life in Nursing Home Residents with Dementia.
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Interventions to Reduce Polypharmacy in Older Adults.
• Exploring the Role of Gerontological Nurses in Addressing Loneliness and Social Isolation in Older Adults.
• The Relationship Between Oral Health and Overall Health in the Aging Population: Implications for Nursing Care.
• Investigating the Use of Robotics and Assistive Technologies in Promoting Independence and Quality of Life for Older Adults.

Women’s Health Nursing

• The Impact of Midwife-Led Care on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes.
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Prenatal Education Programs in Reducing Maternal Anxiety and Stress.
• Investigating the Relationship Between Maternal Nutrition and Birth Weight in Low-Income Communities.
• The Role of Postpartum Support in Preventing Postpartum Depression.
• Exploring the Barriers to Accessing Reproductive Health Services Among Underserved Women.
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Intimate Partner Violence Screening and Intervention in Obstetric Care.
• The Association Between Breastfeeding Duration and Postpartum Weight Loss in Mothers.
• Assessing the Impact of Menopause Education Programs on Women’s Quality of Life.
• Investigating the Role of Nurse Practitioners in Providing Comprehensive Menopausal Care.
• The Effect of Body Image and Self-Esteem on Women’s Health Behaviors.
• Exploring Factors Influencing Women’s Decision-Making Regarding Contraceptive Methods.
• Evaluating the Efficacy of Sex Education Programs in Preventing Teenage Pregnancy.
• The Relationship Between Fertility Awareness-Based Methods and Contraceptive Efficacy.
• Assessing the Effect of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training in Managing Urinary Incontinence in Women.
• Investigating the Impact of Hormone Replacement Therapy on Cardiovascular Health in Postmenopausal Women.
• The Role of Preconception Health Promotion in Reducing Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes.
• Exploring the Use of Telehealth for Gynecological Consultations and Follow-Up.
• The Association Between Body Mass Index (BMI) and Infertility in Women.
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Nurse-Led Support Groups for Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
• Investigating the Influence of Cultural and Socioeconomic Factors on Maternal Health Disparities in Minority Populations.

Community Health Nursing

• The Impact of Community Health Education Programs on Smoking Cessation Rates in High-Risk Populations.
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of School-Based Nutrition Interventions in Reducing Childhood Obesity.
• Assessing the Role of Community Health Nurses in Promoting Vaccination Compliance and Preventing Infectious Disease Outbreaks.
• Investigating the Relationship Between Access to Green Spaces and Mental Health in Urban Communities.
• The Effect of Community-Based Diabetes Management Programs on Glycemic Control and Health Outcomes.
• Exploring the Challenges and Strategies in Providing Culturally Competent Care in Diverse Community Settings.
• The Influence of Social Determinants of Health on Health Disparities in Underserved Communities.
• Assessing the Impact of Mobile Health (mHealth) Apps in Promoting Healthy Lifestyles in Rural Areas.
• Investigating the Role of Community Health Nurses in Disaster Preparedness and Response.
• The Effectiveness of Community Health Worker (CHW) Programs in Reducing Healthcare Costs and Hospital Readmissions.
• Exploring the Relationship Between Community Health Nursing Interventions and Reductions in Substance Abuse Rates.
• Evaluating the Impact of Maternal and Child Health Programs on Infant Mortality Rates in Low-Income Communities.
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Community-Based Mental Health Support Services in Preventing Hospitalizations.
• Investigating the Influence of Community Health Promotion Campaigns on Immunization Rates.
• The Role of Community Health Nurses in Addressing the Opioid Epidemic Through Harm Reduction Strategies.
• Exploring the Impact of Community Health Initiatives on Improving Access to Healthcare Services in Rural Areas.
• Assessing the Effect of Home Visiting Programs on Maternal and Child Health Outcomes.
• Investigating the Relationship Between Food Insecurity and Chronic Disease Management in Urban Communities.
• The Effectiveness of Telehealth Services in Providing Mental Health Support to Underserved Populations.
• Exploring the Implementation of Community-Based Palliative Care Programs and Their Impact on Quality of Life for Terminally Ill Patients.

Nursing Education and Training

• The Impact of Simulation-Based Training on Nursing Student Competency.
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Blended Learning Models in Nursing Education.
• Assessing the Integration of Cultural Competence Training in Nursing Curricula.
• Investigating the Role of Interprofessional Education in Preparing Nursing Students for Collaborative Practice.
• The Influence of Emotional Intelligence Training on Nursing Students’ Interpersonal Skills.
• Exploring the Use of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in Nursing Education.
• The Effect of Peer Mentoring Programs on Retention and Success Rates of Nursing Students.
• Analyzing the Efficacy of Team-Based Learning in Nursing Curriculum.
• Investigating the Impact of Preceptorship Programs on Transition to Practice for New Graduates.
• Assessing the Role of Reflective Practice in Developing Clinical Decision-Making Skills in Nursing Students.
• The Influence of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Training on Nursing Student’s EBP Implementation.
• Exploring the Integration of Mindfulness and Resilience Training in Nursing Education.
• Investigating the Use of Social Media and Technology in Enhancing Nursing Education.
• Assessing the Role of Nursing Simulation Centers in Improving Clinical Competence.
• The Effect of Cultural Immersion Experiences on Cultural Competency Development in Nursing Students.
• Analyzing the Impact of High-Fidelity Patient Simulators on Critical Thinking Skills in Nursing Education.
• Investigating the Use of Competency-Based Education in Nursing Programs.
• Assessing the Role of Clinical Reasoning Development in Nursing Education.
• The Influence of Team-Based Care Training on Nursing Students’ Understanding of Collaborative Healthcare Models.
• Exploring Strategies to Enhance Clinical Placement Experiences for Nursing Students.

Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety

• The Impact of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) on Patient Safety and Data Accuracy.
• Strategies to Reduce Medication Errors in Hospital Settings.
• The Role of Nurse Staffing Levels in Preventing Adverse Patient Outcomes.
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Rapid Response Teams in Hospitals.
• Investigating the Relationship Between Hospital Accreditation and Patient Safety.
• The Use of Human Factors Engineering to Enhance Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety.
• Evaluating the Implementation of Surgical Safety Checklists and Their Impact on Surgical Complications.
• Analyzing the Link Between Hand Hygiene Compliance and Hospital-Acquired Infections.
• The Role of Patient and Family Engagement in Promoting Healthcare Quality and Safety.
• Investigating the Effect of Healthcare Provider Burnout on Patient Safety.
• Assessing the Impact of Telemedicine on Patient Safety and Care Quality.
• Strategies for Reducing Diagnostic Errors in Healthcare.
• The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning in Predicting and Preventing Patient Safety Incidents.
• Examining the Influence of Organizational Culture on Patient Safety Practices.
• The Effectiveness of Team-Based Training in Enhancing Communication and Reducing Errors in Healthcare.
• Investigating the Relationship Between Nurse Leadership Styles and Patient Safety Culture.
• Assessing the Impact of Patient Safety Initiatives on Healthcare Costs.
• Strategies for Improving Patient Handoff Communication to Enhance Continuity of Care.
• Analyzing the Effect of Healthcare Policy Changes on Patient Safety Outcomes.
• The Role of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Enhancing Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety.

Cultural Competence in Nursing

• The Impact of Cultural Competence Training on Nurses’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Diverse Healthcare Settings.
• Exploring the Role of Cultural Competence in Reducing Health Disparities Among Minority Populations.
• Assessing the Influence of Cultural Competence on Patient-Centered Care and Patient Satisfaction.
• The Relationship Between Language Proficiency and Effective Communication in Cross-Cultural Nursing Care.
• Investigating the Effect of Cultural Competence on Nursing Student Preparedness for Providing Culturally Sensitive Care.
• The Influence of Cultural Competence on Nurse-Patient Trust and Rapport Building in Multicultural Healthcare Settings.
• Evaluating the Impact of Cultural Competence Education on Nursing Curricula and Program Outcomes.
• Exploring the Challenges and Barriers Faced by Nurses in Providing Culturally Competent Care.
• The Effect of Cultural Competence on Medication Adherence and Health Outcomes Among Diverse Patient Groups.
• Assessing the Cultural Competence of Healthcare Organizations and Its Relationship to Quality of Care.
• Investigating the Influence of Cultural Competence on Ethical Decision-Making in Nursing Practice.
• The Role of Cultural Competence in Reducing Healthcare Misdiagnoses and Medical Errors.
• Exploring the Effectiveness of Cultural Competence Models and Frameworks in Nursing Education.
• Assessing the Cultural Competence of Nursing Leadership and Its Impact on Staff Morale and Retention.
• Investigating the Influence of Cultural Competence on End-of-Life Care Preferences and Decision-Making in Diverse Populations.
• The Relationship Between Cultural Competence and the Delivery of Culturally Tailored Health Promotion Programs.
• Evaluating the Role of Cultural Competence in Shaping Nursing Practice Guidelines and Protocols.
• Exploring the Impact of Cultural Competence on the Management of Chronic Diseases in Culturally Diverse Patient Populations.
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Culturally Competent Care in Reducing Hospital Readmission Rates.
• Investigating the Link Between Cultural Competence and Health Equity Initiatives in Healthcare Systems.

Tips for Conducting Quantitative Nursing Research

Now that you have a glimpse of potential research topics, it’s essential to understand the key steps involved in conducting quantitative nursing research:

• Research Design and Methodology: Choose the most appropriate research design (e.g., cross-sectional, longitudinal, experimental) and methodology (e.g., surveys, experiments) for your research question.
• Data Collection Methods: Determine how you’ll collect data. Will it involve surveys, observations, or analysis of existing datasets? Ensure your data collection methods align with your research design.
• Data Analysis Techniques: Familiarize yourself with statistical analysis tools and techniques (e.g., regression analysis , t-tests) to analyze your data accurately.
• Data Management: Develop a robust data management plan to organize, store, and protect your research data. Adherence to ethical data handling is crucial.
• Ethical Considerations: Always prioritize ethical principles in your research. Obtain informed consent from participants, maintain confidentiality, and seek ethical approval if required.

Resources for Nursing Students

To support your journey in quantitative research topics for nursing students, here are some recommended resources:

• “Nursing Research: Generating and Assessing Evidence” by Denise F. Polit and Cheryl Tatano Beck.
• “Quantitative Research in Nursing and Healthcare” by Immy Holloway and Stephanie Wheeler.
• “Journal of Nursing Scholarship”
• “Research in Nursing & Health”

Online Resources

• The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) offers valuable research resources and funding opportunities.
• Online courses and webinars on research methods and statistical analysis (e.g., Coursera, edX).

Quantitative research is an indispensable tool for nursing students looking to make a meaningful impact in their field. By choosing the right quantitative research topics for nursing students and following ethical research practices, nursing students can contribute to the body of nursing knowledge, improve patient care, and advance their careers. 

So, don’t hesitate to embark on your quantitative research journey, and let your curiosity and passion drive you toward excellence in nursing practice.

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• Locations and Hours
• UCLA Library
• Research Guides
• Biomedical Library Guides
• Forming Evidence-Based (EBP) Questions
• Reference Sources
• Drugs, Patient Care and Education
• Article Databases

Narrowing a Clinical Question

Two types of clinical questions, what is pico anyway, picott alternatives and additions, pico process in action, using pico to form the research question, tips and tricks.

• Evidence-Based Practice
• Psychological Tests
• Web Resources
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Citation Guides
• Mobile Applications
• Unit Recommended Online Journals
• Resource Types and Evaluating Information
• Investigate
• Tools and Resources

To begin to develop and narrow a clinical research question it is advisable to craft an answerable question that begins and ends with a patient, population, or problem. These are the beginnings of not only developing an answerable EBP question, but also using the PICO process  for developing well-built searchable and answerable clinical questions. 

There are many elements to developing a good clinical question. Clinical questions can be further divided into two major areas: Background Questions and Foreground Questions .

Background Questions refer to general knowledge and facts. The majority of the information that can be used to inform answers to background questions are found in reference resources like Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Textbooks, Atlases, Almanacs, Government Publications & Statistical Information, and Indexes.

Foreground Questions are generally more precise and usually revolve around patient/s, populations, or a specific problem. Crafting an appropriate EBP question will not only inform your search strategy which you will apply to the medical literature but will also create a framework for how to maintain and develop your investigative process.

What are some examples of P ?

• Diabetes mellitus, Type 2 (problem) Obese
• elderly (population)

What are some examples of I ?

• Chlorpropamide

What are some examples of C ?

What are some examples of O ?

• Management of glucose levels

Using the example from the bottom-center we can start forming a research question: 

Is Chlorpropamide (intevention) more efficient than Metformin (comparator) in managing Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 (problem) for obese elderly patients (population)?

*Note: It is not necessary to use every element in PICO or to have both a problem and population in your question. PICO is a tool that helps researchers frame an answerable EBP question. 

Synonyms can very helpful throughout your investigative and research process. Using synonyms with boolean operators can potentially expand your search. Databases with subject headings or controlled vocabularies like MeSH in PubMed often have a thesaurus that can match you with appropriate terms.

Boolean operators allow you to manipulate your search.

Use AND to narrow your search

  eg. elderly AND diabetes  

Use OR to broaden your search

  eg. myocardial infarction OR heart attack

Use NOT to exclude terms from your search

  eg. children NOT infants  

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120+ Best Quantitative Research Topics for Nursing Students (2024 Edition)

• Post author By admin
• October 7, 2023

Explore a comprehensive list of quantitative research topics for nursing students, covering various aspects of healthcare.

Welcome to the exciting world of nursing research! For nursing students, quantitative research is like a treasure map, guiding you through the uncharted waters of healthcare with data as your compass.

It’s not just about numbers; it’s about unlocking the secrets of patient care, unraveling the mysteries of healthcare policies, and making a real impact in the field.

In this article, we’re your partners in this thrilling quest as we unveil a treasure trove of quantitative research topics tailor-made for nursing students.

These topics aren’t just lines on a page; they’re sparks of inspiration that can ignite your curiosity and fuel your passion for nursing.

So, whether you’re just beginning your research journey or you’re a seasoned explorer, grab your mental hiking boots, and let’s venture into the captivating world of quantitative research topics that will take your nursing studies to extraordinary places.

Table of Contents

The Significance of Quantitative Research in Nursing

Welcome to the dynamic world of nursing, where patient well-being is paramount. Beyond the bustling corridors and comforting smiles of nurses, there’s a vital aspect that often goes unseen but holds tremendous significance: quantitative research.

Quantitative research is like a secret ingredient that elevates nursing from being a caring profession to a dynamic force of positive change in healthcare. It’s the art of collecting, crunching, and deciphering numbers to uncover profound insights. In nursing, quantitative research shines for a multitude of reasons:

1. Identifying Trends in Patient Health

Think of it as a detective’s magnifying glass, revealing hidden patterns in patient data. Nurses can track changes over time, deciphering trends that could be game-changers in patient care.

2. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Interventions

When nurses administer treatments or implement new protocols, they want to know if it’s making a difference. Quantitative research steps in to provide concrete answers, ensuring that patient care isn’t just a guessing game.

3. Informing Policy Decisions

Policies shouldn’t be written in the dark. Quantitative research sheds light on what works and what doesn’t in healthcare, shaping policies that are backed by hard data.

4. Enhancing Evidence-Based Practice

It’s the golden standard in healthcare. Nurses are expected to base their decisions on research findings. Quantitative research equips nurses with a powerful tool to make informed choices, ultimately benefiting patients.

So, quantitative research isn’t just about numbers and statistics. It’s the compass that guides nurses in their quest to provide top-notch care, the fuel that propels innovation in healthcare, and the cornerstone of evidence-based practice.

For nursing students setting out on their educational odyssey and seasoned nurses striving for excellence, embracing quantitative research isn’t just a choice; it’s the heartbeat of progress.

It’s a journey of discovery that leads to better patient outcomes, more effective care, and a brighter future for healthcare.

Quantitative Research Topics For Nursing Students

Check out the best quatitive research topics for nursing students:-

Patient Care and Outcomes

• Analyzing the Relationship Between Nurse-Patient Ratios and Incidence of Medication Errors.
• Investigating the Impact of Early Ambulation Protocols on Postoperative Complications in Orthopedic Patients.
• Conducting a Longitudinal Study on Medication Adherence Among Diabetes Patients.
• Identifying Risk Factors Associated with Patient Falls in Geriatric Care Settings.
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Nurse Communication Training on Patient Satisfaction Scores.
• Examining the Impact of Hourly Rounding on Patient Call Light Usage in Medical-Surgical Units.
• Analyzing the Correlation Between Nurse Experience Levels and Pressure Ulcer Rates.
• Investigating the Use of Telehealth Monitoring on Readmission Rates Among Heart Failure Patients.
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Pain Assessment Tools in Pediatric Pain Management.
• Measuring the Impact of Nurse-Driven Protocols on Reducing Hospital-Acquired Infections.

Healthcare Quality and Management

• Implementing Lean Management Principles in an Outpatient Clinic to Improve Efficiency.
• Assessing the Impact of Electronic Health Record System Upgrades on Clinical Workflow.
• Conducting a Patient Satisfaction Survey to Identify Areas for Quality Improvement in an Emergency Department.
• Analyzing the Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines in a Surgical Unit.
• Evaluating the Impact of Hospital Policies on Reducing Medication Errors.
• Investigating the Effect of Nurse-to-Nurse Handoff Communication on Patient Safety.
• Measuring the Efficiency of Discharge Planning in Reducing Readmission Rates.
• Analyzing the Use of Six Sigma Methodology in Improving Radiology Department Operations.
• Assessing the Impact of Nurse-Led Interdisciplinary Rounds on Care Coordination.
• Examining the Role of Healthcare Administrators in Promoting Patient-Centered Care.

Mental Health and Well-Being

• Evaluating the Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Programs for Nursing Students.
• Investigating the Impact of Nursing Workload on Nurse Burnout and Patient Outcomes in Psychiatric Units.
• Assessing the Effectiveness of School-Based Mental Health Education Programs on Student Well-Being.
• Analyzing the Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Mental Health in College Students.
• Conducting a Comparative Study of Teletherapy versus In-Person Therapy for Treating Depression.
• Investigating the Influence of Peer Support Groups on Coping with Anxiety Disorders.
• Evaluating the Effect of Art Therapy on Reducing Stress and Anxiety in Hospitalized Patients.
• Assessing the Impact of Nurse-Led Mental Health Screenings in Primary Care Settings.
• Measuring the Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
• Analyzing the Role of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners in Improving Mental Health Access in Underserved Areas.

Pediatrics and Child Health

• Conducting a Longitudinal Study on Childhood Obesity Trends and Contributing Factors.
• Investigating Parental Attitudes and Knowledge Regarding Childhood Vaccinations.
• Assessing the Impact of Parental Involvement in Pediatric Asthma Management on Disease Control.
• Implementing an Early Intervention Program for Speech Delay in Toddlers and Measuring Outcomes.
• Analyzing the Effectiveness of Pediatric Pain Management Protocols in Emergency Departments.
• Evaluating the Use of Pediatric Simulation Training for Nursing Students.
• Investigating Parental Perceptions of Childhood Immunizations and Vaccine Hesitancy.
• Assessing the Influence of Childhood Nutrition Education on Dietary Choices and Health Outcomes.
• Conducting a Comparative Study of Pediatric Nursing Care in Hospital vs. Home Settings.
• Analyzing the Impact of Child Life Specialists on Pediatric Patient Anxiety in Hospitals.

Community Health and Health Disparities

• Conducting a Cross-Cultural Study on Healthcare Access Disparities Among Diverse Ethnic Groups.
• Evaluating the Impact of Community Health Worker Interventions on Reducing Health Inequities.
• Assessing the Effectiveness of School-Based Health Promotion Programs in Underserved Areas.
• Investigating Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Services in Rural Communities.
• Analyzing the Influence of Public Health Campaigns on Smoking Cessation in Low-Income Neighborhoods.
• Conducting a Longitudinal Study on the Relationship Between Neighborhood Environments and Health Outcomes.
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nutrition Education Programs in Reducing Childhood Obesity Disparities.
• Investigating the Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Healthcare Access and Health Disparities.
• Assessing the Role of Cultural Competency Training in Reducing Healthcare Disparities.
• Analyzing the Utilization of Telehealth Services in Addressing Rural Healthcare Disparities.

Nursing Education and Training

• Evaluating the Integration of Simulation-Based Learning into Nursing Curricula and Its Impact on Clinical Competency.
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Nursing Preceptorship Programs in Improving New Graduate Nurse Transitions.
• Investigating Factors Influencing Nursing Students’ Choice of Specialization and Career Paths.
• Analyzing the Use of Technology-Enhanced Learning Tools in Nursing Education.
• Evaluating the Long-Term Outcomes and Career Advancement of Certified Nursing Professionals.
• Assessing the Impact of Multisensory Teaching Approaches on Nursing Students’ Knowledge Retention.
• Investigating the Effect of Educational Interventions on Nursing Students’ Critical Thinking Skills.
• Analyzing the Role of Faculty Mentorship in Nursing Student Success.
• Evaluating the Efficacy of Interprofessional Education in Nursing and Healthcare.
• Assessing the Impact of Clinical Simulation on Nursing Students’ Confidence and Clinical Decision-Making.

Elderly Care and Aging Population

• Investigating the Relationship Between Polypharmacy and Adverse Drug Reactions in Elderly Patients.
• Analyzing the Role of Geriatric Nurses in Detecting and Preventing Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes.
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Person-Centered Care Approaches in Long-Term Care Facilities.
• Assessing the Impact of Falls Prevention Programs on Reducing Fall-Related Injuries in the Elderly.
• Investigating the Influence of Social Isolation on Cognitive Decline in Older Adults.
• Analyzing the Use of Telehealth Services in Providing Geriatric Care and Monitoring.
• Evaluating the Effect of Nutrition Programs on the Nutritional Status and Health Outcomes of Elderly Individuals.
• Assessing the Role of Gerontological Nurse Practitioners in Managing Chronic Illnesses in Older Adults.
• Investigating the Impact of Aging-Friendly Home Modifications on Elderly Independence.
• Analyzing the Effectiveness of Memory Enhancement Interventions in Delaying Cognitive Impairment in Seniors.

These project ideas offer a wide range of opportunities for nursing students to engage in meaningful quantitative research, contribute to the field of nursing, and address critical healthcare issues across various domains.

What are the quantitative research topics for nursing?

In the world of nursing, data isn’t just numbers; it’s the key to unlocking insights that can transform patient care.

Quantitative research, with its focus on collecting and analyzing numerical data, is the superpower that empowers nurses and nursing students to answer critical questions. It’s the compass that guides us through a multitude of fascinating topics in healthcare.

Here’s a glimpse of the diverse world that quantitative research in nursing opens up:

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Diseases and Conditions

This type of research helps us understand not only the most common diseases and conditions but also the factors that increase the likelihood of someone developing them. It’s like shining a spotlight on health risks.

Effectiveness of Treatments and Interventions

Whether it’s a new drug or an innovative therapy, quantitative research allows us to rigorously test their effectiveness. It’s the litmus test for healthcare solutions.

Quality Assessment of Healthcare Services

Want to know how different healthcare facilities stack up in terms of quality? Quantitative research is the yardstick for evaluating services in hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes.

Impact of Nursing Care on Patient Outcomes

The care nurses provide isn’t just about empathy; it’s about measurable outcomes like hospital stays, readmission rates, and even mortality. Quantitative research connects the dots.

Now, let’s dive into some specific and intriguing quantitative research topics in nursing:

The Relationship Between Nurse Staffing Levels and Patient Outcomes

Ever wondered how the number of nurses on duty affects the experiences and health outcomes of patients? It’s an essential question for improving patient care.

The Effectiveness of Various Pain Management Interventions for Cancer Patients

For those battling cancer, effective pain management can be a game-changer. Quantitative research helps us identify what works best.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Pressure Ulcers in Hospitalized Patients

Pressure ulcers are a significant concern in healthcare. Quantitative research unveils their prevalence and contributing factors.

Impact of Educational Programs on Nurses’ Knowledge and Skills

The learning and training of nurses are pivotal. Quantitative research assesses how educational programs enhance nurses’ knowledge and abilities.

The Relationship Between Nurses’ Job Satisfaction and Patient Satisfaction

Happy nurses, happy patients – that’s the mantra. Quantitative research explores the connection between nurses’ job satisfaction and the contentment of those they care for.

Quantitative research isn’t just about data; it’s about making healthcare better, more effective, and patient-focused. It’s the bridge between questions and answers, between problems and solutions.

What is an example of quantitative research for nursing students?

For nursing students, quantitative research is like a treasure map, guiding them to uncover valuable healthcare insights. It’s not about complex data but practical answers to vital questions.

Here are two exciting examples of quantitative research topics made simple:

Do More Nurses Mean Better Care?

Imagine a busy hospital. Does having more nurses around mean better care for patients? This is a question nursing students can investigate.

They can study a hospital, noting the number of nurses for each patient and patient outcomes like how long they stay, how often they’re readmitted, and even survival rates.

By connecting the dots in this data, students can find out if more nurses lead to better patient outcomes.

Soothing Pain for Cancer Patients

Cancer patients often deal with pain, and easing it is crucial. Quantitative research can help answer which pain management methods work best. Nursing students can set up a trial, testing different pain relief approaches.

They might compare various medicines and alternative options like massage or acupuncture. Once the trial is done and data collected, students can tell us which pain relief method works best for cancer patients.

Quantitative research isn’t just about numbers; it’s about nursing students making healthcare better. By exploring these topics, students not only learn but also become healthcare problem-solvers.

It’s a journey of discovery that promises to improve patient care and the quality of healthcare services, one research question at a time.

What are some good research topics for nursing?

In the world of nursing, research is a powerful tool for improving patient care and making healthcare more effective.

Here are some simple and engaging research topics that nursing students and professionals can delve into:

Better Communication, Better Care

How can nurses’ communication skills influence patient satisfaction and health outcomes? Investigate how clear and compassionate communication can make a difference.

Tackling Nurse Burnout

Nursing can be challenging. Explore ways to prevent burnout among nurses and ensure they stay healthy and motivated in their demanding roles.

Mental Health Matters

Delve into the stigma surrounding mental health among nurses. Does it affect their willingness to seek help and their ability to provide quality care?

Making Care Safer

Patient safety is crucial. Study strategies to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety in hospitals and healthcare facilities.

Technology and Nursing

How is technology changing nursing practice? Analyze the impact of electronic health records , telemedicine, and other innovations on patient care.

Cultural Competence Counts

Why is cultural competency vital in nursing care? Explore the benefits of nurses understanding and respecting diverse cultural backgrounds.

Nurse-Patient Ratios

Do nurse staffing levels affect patient outcomes? Investigate how the number of nurses on duty relates to patient mortality, readmissions, and infections.

Palliative Care Excellence

Assess the effectiveness of palliative care programs in enhancing the quality of life for patients with terminal illnesses.

Education for Competence

How can nursing education prepare students for real-world practice? Look into innovative educational methods like simulation-based learning.

Pain Relief for Kids

Pediatric patients need specialized care, especially when it comes to pain management. Explore methods to improve pain management for young patients.

Closing Health Gaps

Investigate the factors contributing to health disparities among different populations, with a focus on maternal and child health.

Nursing Leadership’s Impact

Examine how different leadership styles among nurses influence the work environment, job satisfaction, and patient care quality.

Ethical Decisions in Nursing

Explore the ethical dilemmas that nurses face in their daily practice and develop guidelines for making ethical decisions.

Managing Chronic Conditions

Study nursing-led interventions in managing chronic diseases like diabetes or hypertension to improve patient outcomes.

Aging and Long-Term Care

With an aging population, explore the unique challenges and opportunities in providing care for elderly individuals.

These research topics are not just about numbers; they’re about improving nursing practice and patient care, one study at a time. They offer a chance for nurses and nursing students to make a real impact in the healthcare world.

What are topics suitable for quantitative research?

Quantitative research is like a magnifying glass for understanding the world through numbers. Here are some simple and engaging topics that can be explored:

How Teaching Methods Affect Grades

Dive into how different teaching techniques impact students’ grades. Do interactive lessons lead to better results?

Measuring Patient Happiness

Ever wondered what makes patients happy? Quantify their satisfaction with healthcare services and discover what matters most.

Happy Workers, Productive Workers

Explore whether happy employees are more productive. Does job satisfaction lead to better job performance?

Lifestyle Choices and Health

Connect the dots between lifestyle habits like diet, exercise, and health outcomes. Does a healthy lifestyle reduce the risk of diseases?

Ads and Buying Habits

Find out how advertising influences what we buy. Do those catchy commercials really make a difference?

Tourism’s Impact on Communities

Measure how tourism affects local economies. Does it bring in money and jobs?

Fighting Crime with Community Policing

Quantify crime rates in an area and see if community policing strategies make neighborhoods safer.

Parental Help and School Success

Investigate how parents’ involvement in their child’s education influences their academic achievements.

Pollution and Health

Study the link between exposure to pollution and health problems. Can cleaner environments lead to healthier lives?

Social Media and Mental Health

Examine how our use of social media affects our mental well-being. Does scrolling through feeds impact our happiness?

Training and Skills

Measure the effectiveness of employee training programs. Do they really boost skills on the job?

Online Shopping Satisfaction

Gauge customer satisfaction with online shopping platforms. What makes for a great online shopping experience?

Politics and Public Opinion

Take the pulse of public opinion on political issues. How do people’s views affect their voting choices?

Employee Engagement and Job Retention

Quantify how engaged employees are in their work and see if it affects whether they stay or leave.

Vaccines and Disease Preventio

Investigate how effective vaccination campaigns are in preventing diseases.

These topics aren’t just about numbers; they’re about understanding the world in a clearer, more meaningful way. They’re like puzzles waiting to be solved, and they have the power to make our lives better and more informed.

Quantitative research topics for nursing students are more than just ideas; they’re pathways to understanding and improving healthcare.

These topics beckon students to embark on a journey of exploration, discovery, and impact. They offer the chance to seek answers, enhance patient care, and contribute to the evolution of nursing practice.

As nursing students delve into research, they become storytellers of data and advocates for evidence-based care. It’s a journey where questions lead to insights, where data transforms into knowledge, and where research isn’t a task but a mission.

From unraveling the mysteries of nurse staffing and its effects on patients to exploring innovative pain management techniques, each research topic opens doors to better practices and better outcomes. These topics are bridges between theory and real-world solutions.

In the world of quantitative research, nursing students are the architects of change, designing a future where healthcare is more effective, compassionate, and patient-centered.

Their work doesn’t end with research papers; it extends to the bedside, touching the lives of those they care for.

So, as nursing students embark on their research journeys, let them remember that their efforts matter. Every question they ask, every dataset they analyze, and every conclusion they draw has the potential to improve lives. They are the drivers of progress, making healthcare better, one research topic at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i change my research topic after i’ve started my study.

Yes, it’s possible to adjust your research topic if you find that your initial choice isn’t yielding the expected results or if you develop a stronger interest in another area. However, consult with your advisor or faculty for guidance on making this decision.

How can I narrow down a broad research topic?

To narrow down a broad research topic, consider focusing on a specific aspect or population within that topic. Conduct a literature review to identify gaps in existing research, which can help you refine your research question.

Are quantitative research topics more challenging than qualitative ones?

The difficulty of a research topic depends on your familiarity with the subject matter and research methods. Quantitative research often involves statistical analysis, which can be challenging for some students, but it can also provide clear and objective results.

Can I collaborate with other students on a research project?

Collaboration can be beneficial in research projects. Working with peers allows you to share ideas, distribute workload, and gain diverse perspectives. However, ensure that each member contributes substantially to the project.

How do I ensure the ethical conduct of my research?

Ethical considerations are vital in research. Seek guidance from your institution’s ethics committee, obtain informed consent from participants, and follow ethical guidelines in data collection, analysis, and reporting.

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School of Nursing

• What is EBP?

Background vs. Foreground

Pico examples, asking different types of questions, pico resources & worksheet.

• Evidence Appraisal
• Clinical Tools and Databases
• Other Resources

Evidence based practice requires that clinicians make use of the best research they can find to help them in decision-making. To find that research efficiently, the clinician must ask a well-designed clinical question with all the elements that will lead to finding relevant research literature.

The first step in doing this is to determine the type of question: background or foreground. The type of question helps to determine the resource to access to answer the question.

Background questions ask for general knowledge about a condition or thing.

• Broaden the scope - "The Forest"
• Provides basics for a a greater grasp of concepts
• Typically found in textbooks, guidelines, point-of-care monographs, encyclopedias, or topic reviews
• A question root (who, what, when, etc.) with a verb
• A disorder, test, treatment, or other aspect of healthcare

The background question is usually asked because of the need for basic information. It is not normally asked because of a need to make a clinical decision about a specific patient.

Foreground questions ask for specific knowledge to inform clinical decisions or actions.

• Focused in scope - "The Trees"
• Requires a grasp of basic concepts to fully comprehend
• Typically found in journals and conference proceedings
• Have 3 or 4 essential components (see PICO below)

PICO is a mnemonic used to describe the four elements of a good clinical foreground question:

P = Population/Patient/Problem - How would I describe the problem or a group of patients similar to mine?

I = Intervention - What main intervention, prognostic factor or exposure am I considering?

C = Comparison - Is there an alternative to compare with the intervention?

O = Outcome - What do I hope to accomplish, measure, improve or affect?

 Fill in the blanks with information from your clinical scenario: THERAPY In_______________, what is the effect of ________________on _______________ compared with _________________?

PREVENTION For ___________ does the use of _________________ reduce the future risk of ____________ compared with ______________? DIAGNOSIS OR DIAGNOSTIC TEST Are (Is) ________________ more accurate in diagnosing _______________ compared with ____________? PROGNOSIS Does ____________ influence ______________ in patients who have _____________? ETIOLOGY Are ______________ who have _______________ at ______________ risk for/of ____________ compared with _____________ with/without______________? MEANING How do _______________ diagnosed with _______________ perceive __________________? Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2011). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice . Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

• PubMed PICO Tool
• TRIP Database PICO Builder
• PICO Worksheet
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Nursing Research Nursing Test Bank and Practice Questions (60 Items)

Welcome to your nursing test bank and practice questions for nursing research.

Nursing Research Test Bank

Nursing research has a great significance on the contemporary and future professional nursing practice, thus rendering it an essential component of the educational process. Research is typically not among the traditional responsibilities of an entry-level  nurse . Many nurses are involved in either direct patient care or administrative aspects of health care. However, nursing research is a growing field in which individuals within the profession can contribute a variety of skills and experiences to the science of nursing care. Nursing research is critical to the nursing profession and is necessary for continuing advancements that promote optimal nursing care. Test your knowledge about nursing research in this 60-item nursing test bank.

Quiz Guidelines

Before you start, here are some examination guidelines and reminders you must read:

• Practice Exams : Engage with our Practice Exams to hone your skills in a supportive, low-pressure environment. These exams provide immediate feedback and explanations, helping you grasp core concepts, identify improvement areas, and build confidence in your knowledge and abilities.
• You’re given 2 minutes per item.
• For Challenge Exams, click on the “Start Quiz” button to start the quiz.
• Complete the quiz : Ensure that you answer the entire quiz. Only after you’ve answered every item will the score and rationales be shown.
• Learn from the rationales : After each quiz, click on the “View Questions” button to understand the explanation for each answer.
• Free access : Guess what? Our test banks are 100% FREE. Skip the hassle – no sign-ups or registrations here. A sincere promise from Nurseslabs: we have not and won’t ever request your credit card details or personal info for our practice questions. We’re dedicated to keeping this service accessible and cost-free, especially for our amazing students and nurses. So, take the leap and elevate your career hassle-free!
• Share your thoughts : We’d love your feedback, scores, and questions! Please share them in the comments below.

Quizzes included in this guide are:

Recommended Resources

Recommended books and resources for your NCLEX success:

Disclosure: Included below are affiliate links from Amazon at no additional cost from you. We may earn a small commission from your purchase. For more information, check out our privacy policy .

Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination is often referred to as the best nursing exam review book ever. More than 5,700 practice questions are available in the text. Detailed test-taking strategies are provided for each question, with hints for analyzing and uncovering the correct answer option.

Strategies for Student Success on the Next Generation NCLEX® (NGN) Test Items Next Generation NCLEX®-style practice questions of all types are illustrated through stand-alone case studies and unfolding case studies. NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (NCJMM) is included throughout with case scenarios that integrate the six clinical judgment cognitive skills.

Saunders Q & A Review for the NCLEX-RN® Examination This edition contains over 6,000 practice questions with each question containing a test-taking strategy and justifications for correct and incorrect answers to enhance review. Questions are organized according to the most recent NCLEX-RN test blueprint Client Needs and Integrated Processes. Questions are written at higher cognitive levels (applying, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating, and creating) than those on the test itself.

NCLEX-RN Prep Plus by Kaplan The NCLEX-RN Prep Plus from Kaplan employs expert critical thinking techniques and targeted sample questions. This edition identifies seven types of NGN questions and explains in detail how to approach and answer each type. In addition, it provides 10 critical thinking pathways for analyzing exam questions.

Illustrated Study Guide for the NCLEX-RN® Exam The 10th edition of the Illustrated Study Guide for the NCLEX-RN Exam, 10th Edition. This study guide gives you a robust, visual, less-intimidating way to remember key facts. 2,500 review questions are now included on the Evolve companion website. 25 additional illustrations and mnemonics make the book more appealing than ever.

NCLEX RN Examination Prep Flashcards (2023 Edition) NCLEX RN Exam Review FlashCards Study Guide with Practice Test Questions [Full-Color Cards] from Test Prep Books. These flashcards are ready for use, allowing you to begin studying immediately. Each flash card is color-coded for easy subject identification.

Recommended Links

If you need more information or practice quizzes, please do visit the following links:

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. Keep up the pace and continue learning with these practice quizzes:

• Nursing Test Bank: Free Practice Questions UPDATED ! Our most comprehenisve and updated nursing test bank that includes over 3,500 practice questions covering a wide range of nursing topics that are absolutely free!
• NCLEX Questions Nursing Test Bank and Review UPDATED! Over 1,000+ comprehensive NCLEX practice questions covering different nursing topics. We’ve made a significant effort to provide you with the most challenging questions along with insightful rationales for each question to reinforce learning.

3 thoughts on “Nursing Research Nursing Test Bank and Practice Questions (60 Items)”

Thanks for the well prepared questions and answers. It will be of a great help for those who look up your contributions.

Hi Zac, we’re having some performance issues with the quizzes so we’re forced to change their settings in the meantime. We are working on a solution and will revert the changes once we’re sure that the problem is resolved. Thanks for the understanding!

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• McMaster University Health Sciences Library
• Forming Questions

Nursing: Forming Questions

• Getting Started
• Background Info
• 6S/Foreground Info
• Further Research
• Clinical Practice
• Nursing Theory

A Good Question...

• Focuses your information needs
• Identifies key seach concepts
• Points you in the direction of potential resources

Background Questions

These questions are general in nature and provide foundational information on a single concept.  Background questions cover:

• Terminology
• General Pathology
• Patient Education Resources
• General Drug Information
• Examination/Assessment Procedures

What is the pathology of asthma ?

What drugs are used to treat hypertension ?

How do I perform a psychological assessment ?

What education resources exist for patients with gestational diabetes ?

How is hepatitis b diagnosed?

What does a normal heartbeat sound like?

These questions are best answered using the resources found in the Background Info page of this guide.

Foreground Questions

These questions bring together multiple concepts related to a specific clinical situation or research topic.  They may be divided into two  broad categories:

• Qualitative Questions  aim to discover meaning or gain an understanding of a phenomena or experience.  They ask about an individual's or population's experience of certain situations or circumstances
• Quantitative Questions  aim to discover cause and effect relationships, often through comparison. Comparison may occur between two or more individuals or groups based on outcomes associated with differences in exposures or interventions. Comparison may also be made to 'no intervention', standard care or standard practice, 'no exposure'.

These questions are best answered using the resources found in the 6S/Foreground Info page of this guide.

Forming Foreground Questions

Building an effective foreground question can be challenging.  The following models will help:

Qualitative Questions: The PS Model

P - Patient/Population

S - Situation

How do/does ___ [P] ____ experience _____ [S] _____?

What is the experience of ____ [P] ___ [S] ____?

Ex. How do  caregiver- spouses of Alzheimer patients  experience  placing their spouse in a nursing home ?

___________________________________________________________________________

Quantitative Questions: The PICO(T) Model

A quantitative approach can answer many different types of questions, but all can be formatted by following the  PICO(T) Model  outlined below:     

PICO(T) Templates

In ___ [ P ]___,  do/does ___[ I ]___ result in ___[ O ]____ when compared with ___[ C ]___ over ___[ T ]____?

E.g.) In nursing home residents with osteoporosis , do hip protectors result in fewer injuries from slips, trips, and falls when compared with standard osteoporosis drug therapy over the course of their stay ?

Are ___[ P ]___  with  ___[ I ]___  over ____[ T ]____ more likely to ___[ O ]____ when compared with ___[ C ]___ ?

E.g.) Are   female non-smokers   with  daily exposure to second-hand smoke  over  a period of ten years or greater  more likely to  develop breast cancer  when compared with  female non-smokers without daily exposure to second-hand smoke ?

Is/are ___[ I ]___ performed on ___[ P ]___   more effective than ___[ C ]___  over ___[ T ]____in ___[ O ]____?

E.g.) Are   self-reporting interviews and parent reports  performed on   children aged 5-10   more effective than  parent reports alone  over a  four-week consultation process  in  diagnosing depression ?

In ___[ P ]___,  do/does ___[ I ]___ result in ___[ O ]____ when compared with ___[ C ]___ over ___[ T ]____?

E.g.) In  emergency room visitors , do   hand sanitizing stations  result in   fewer in-hospital infections  when compared  with no hand sanitizing stations  over  a year-long pilot period ?

Do/does ___[ I ]___ performed on ___[ P ]___   lead to  ___[ O ]___  over ___[ T ]____compared with ___[ C ]____?

E.g.) Do  regular text message reminders  performed on  patients recently diagnosed with diabetes  lead to  a lower occurrence of forgotten insulin doses  over  the first six months of treatment  compared with  no reminders ?

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• UNC Libraries
• HSL Subject Research
• Forming Focused Questions with PICO
• PICO Examples

Forming Focused Questions with PICO: PICO Examples

Created by health science librarians.

• PICO's Limitations

Practice Your Skills

Cancer care and peer support, cultural awareness and nursing care, labor & delivery, infection control, nurse educator, nurse practitioner, public health, school nursing.

• Other Question Frameworks

Practice writing out PICO components and then forming a focused question about one of the case studies below. Choose one or several that interest you.

You have read that peer support interventions help individuals and families affected by cancer across the care continuum from prevention through survivorship and end-of-life care. You wonder about the characteristics of peer support programs and how peer support programs have been used to reduce disparities and barriers to care.

Open to check your PICO analysis of the scenario for cancer care.

Nurses in oncology units interact frequently with adults with cancer who do not speak English as their primary language. You are curious whether cultural awareness among nurses improves these patients’ care and participation in the decision-making process.

Open to check your PICO analysis of the scenario for nursing care.

You’re a new nurse on a labor and delivery unit. You’ve noticed that most women give birth in the lithotomy position at the encouragement of their doctors. However, you’re sure you heard in nursing school that other positions are less likely to lead to deliveries with forceps or a vacuum.. or did you? You want to find some literature to back up your claim.

Open to check your PICO analysis of the scenario for labor and delivery.

You work in the Big City Hospital ICU. Your mechanically ventilated patients sometimes contract nosocomial pneumonia, which leads to costly complications. You want to know if raising the head of the bed lowers the chance of the patient contracting pneumonia compared to letting the patient lie flat on their back.

Open to check your PICO analysis of the scenario for the ICU..

In the past few years, your hospital has installed antibacterial foam dispensers on all the nursing units. You’ve had nurses asking you if the foam is just as effective as washing their hands with water and soap.

Open to check your PICO analysis of the scenario for infection control.

Shift change on your busy med-surg unit can be frustrating for you and your coworkers. Report at the nursing station takes up to 30 minutes, by the end of which you’re anxious to see your patients. You read something in a recent ANA newsletter about other hospitals switching to a bedside shift report, and you want to find out if staff liked that style of shift change better.

Open to check your PICO analysis of the scenario in med-surg.

Open to check your pico analysis of the scenario in the nicu..

It’s the last semester of your BSN students’ time in school and they’re excited.. and anxious! They’ve been asking you if they should take the NCLEX right after they graduate or wait for a while after graduation so they can relax and study.

Open to check your PICO analysis of the scenario for nurse educators.

It’s winter at your family practice, and you have a lot of patients coming in with runny noses and general malaise. Brenda, a 35 year old working mother in for a checkup states, "I’m so busy between work and home that I definitely don’t have time to get sick! Can those vitamin C or zinc pills prevent colds?"

Open to check your PICO analysis of the scenario for nurse practitioners.

The main concern for most of your patients coming out of anesthesia in your PACU is pain. You want to explore nursing interventions you can use on top of medication administration to decrease pain. One coworker mentions trying to make the PACU feel less clinical by playing soft music to relax patients.

Open to check your PICO analysis of the scenario for PACU.

You work in a pediatrician’s office and give patients their routine vaccinations. The younger children are often fearful of needles, and some of the staff use toys to distract the patients. You want to know if this technique actually has an effect on the children's pain response.

Open to check your PICO analysis of the scenario for pediatrics.

You work on an inpatient psychiatric unit. One of your patients with chronic schizophrenia, Joe, normally mumbles to himself, but will occasionally speak to others when residents play games together. Noticing this, you say to a coworker that maybe social skills group training sessions would bring out Joe’s conversational skills. Your coworker shakes her head and says "I don’t think so. Joe is in and out of this hospital, he’s a lost cause."

Open to check your PICO analysis of the scenario for psychiatry.

You coordinate health education programs and have been holding seminars for teenagers about STI prevention. You’ve been found that they’re hesitant to open up to you during classes to ask you questions. You’re wondering if recruiting peer educators closer to their age will encourage them to actively participate and get more satisfaction out of the classes.

Open to check your PICO analysis of the scenario for public health.

On your pulmonary unit, many of your COPD patients receive injections of heparin to prevent pulmonary emboli, and patients find the bruises associated with heparin injections unsightly. You’ve had nursing students shadowing you lately, so you’ve been particularly concerned with injection technique. You want to find out if the duration of injection has any effect on the extent of bruising.

Open to check your PICO analysis of the scenario for pulmonary.

You’re a school nurse and one aspect of your job is counseling pregnant teens with the aim of enabling them to complete high school. You’ve even been conducting home visits on top of your normal in-school meetings as part of their preparation-for-motherhood counseling. You want sources to backup the effectiveness of these home visits.

Open to check your PICO analysis of the scenario for school nursing.

A diabetic patient from a nursing home has recently been admitted with a stage III pressure ulcers on his heels. The unit nurses have called you in for a wound consult. You have to choose between standard moist wound therapy and using a wound vac.

Open to check your PICO analysis of the scenario for wound care.

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• Next: Other Question Frameworks >>
• Last Updated: Feb 6, 2024 9:51 AM
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150 Qualitative and Quantitative Nursing Research Topics for Students

Do not be lazy to spend some time researching and brainstorming. You can either lookup for the popular nursing research topics on social media networks or news or ask a professional writer online to take care of your assignment. What you should not do for sure is refuse to complete any of your course projects. You need every single task to be done if you wish to earn the highest score by the end of a semester.

In this article, we will share 150 excellent nursing research topics with you. Choose one of them or come up with your own idea based on our tips, and you’ll succeed for sure!

Table of Contents

Selecting the Top Ideas for Your Essays in Healthcare & Medicine

Would you like to learn how to pick research paper topics for nursing students? We will share some tips before offering lists of ideas.

Start with the preliminary research. You can get inspired on various websites offering ideas for students as well as academic help. Gather with your classmates and brainstorm by putting down different themes that you can cover. You should take your interests into consideration, but still, remember that ideas must relate to your lessons recently covered in class. You have to highlight keywords and main phrases to use in your text.

Before deciding on one of the numerous nursing school research topics, you should consult your tutor. Make sure that he or she approves the idea. Start writing only after that.

50 Popular Nursing Research Topics

Are you here to find the most popular research topics? They change with each new year as the innovations and technologies move on. We have collected the top discussed themes in healthcare for you.

• Problems Encountered by the Spouses of the Patients with Dyslexia
• Ethics in Geriatrics
• Checklist for the Delivery Room Behavior
• Parkinson Disease: Causes and Development
• Exercises Used to Improve Mental Health
• Effective Tips for Antenatal Treatment
• Syndrome of the Restless Legs: How to Treat It
• Behavior Assessment in Pediatric Primary Care
• Why Can Mother’s Health Be under the Threat During the Child Birth?
• Recommendations for Creating Strong Nursing Communities
• Alzheimer’s Disease and Proper Treatment
• Pre-Term Labor Threats
• Music Therapy and Lactation
• Influence of Ageism on Mental Health
• Newborn Resuscitation Practices
• Effective Therapy for Bladder Cancer
• Approaches to Improving Emotional Health of Nurses
• Skin-to-skin Contact by mothers and Its Consequences
• Does a Nurse Have a Right to Prescribe Drugs?
• Research on Atrial Fibrillation
• Pros & Cons of Water Birth
• Prevention Measures for Those Who Have to Contact Infectious Diseases
• Stroke Disease and Ways to Cure It
• The Role of Governmental Policies on the Hiring of Healthcare Professionals
• Demands for the Critical Care
• Joint Issue Research in Elderly Population
• Why Should Nurses and Healthcare Workers Cooperate?
• The Role of Good Leadership Skills in Nursing Profession
• How to Minimize the Threat of Cardiovascular Problems
• What Should a Nurse Do When an Elderly Refuses to Eat?
• Main Reasons for the Depression to Occur
• Methods Used to Detect an Abused Elderly Patient
• Treatment and Prevention of Acne and Other Skin Problems
• Consequences of the So-Called “Cold Therapy”
• End-of-Life Care Interventions That Work
• Risk factors for Osteoporosis in Female Population
• Alcohol Addiction and How to Get Rid of It
• Emerging Ethical Problems in Pain Management
• Psychiatric Patient Ethics
• How to Teach Female Population about Menopause Management
• Reasons for Aged Patients to Use Alcohol in Nursing Homes
• Family Engagement in Primary Healthcare
• Do the Race and Gender of a Patient Play a Role in Pain Management?
• PTSD in the Veterans of the United States Army
• How to Prepare a Nurse for Primary Healthcare
• The Correlation between Teen Aggression and Video Games
• Outcomes of Abdominal Massage in Critically Sick Population
• Developing an Effective Weight Loss Program: Case Study
• Comparing and Contrasting Public Health Nursing Models in Various Regions
• Mirror Therapy for Stroke Patients Who Are Partially Paralyzed

50 Interesting Nursing Research Topics

Do you wish to impress the target audience? Are you looking for the most interesting nursing research topics? It is important to consider time and recently covered themes. People tend to consider a topic an interesting one only if it is relevant. We have prepared the list of curious ideas for your project.

• Reasons for Hypertensive Diseases
• Self-Care Management and Sickle Cell Grown-Up Patients
• Schizophrenia Symptoms, Treatment, and Diagnostics
• Acute Coronary Syndrome Care
• Getting Ready with Caesarean Section
• What Are Some of the Cold and Cough Medicines?
• Why Do Patients Suffer from Anxiety Disorders?
• Use of the Forbidden Substances in Medicine
• How to Make Wise and Safe Medical Decisions
• CV Imaging Procedure
• Complementary vs. Alternative Therapy
• Can Some Types of Grains Prevent Cardiovascular Diseases?
• Restrictions of Medical Contracts
• How to Cope with High Levels of Stress
• Legal Threats with Non-English Patients
• The Basics of Palliative Care
• Clinical Cardiology Innovations
• How to Reduce Body Temperature in Household Conditions
• What Causes Type II Diabetes?
• Ways to Control Blood Pressure at Home
• Dental/Oral Health in the US
• Is There a Gender Bias in Nursing Profession?
• Gyno Education for the Young Girls
• Bipolar Disorder and Its Main Symptoms
• Methods Used to Recover after Physical Traumas
• The Principles of Sports Medicine
• The Gap between Female and Male Healthcare Professionals
• Increasing the Efficiency of Asthma Management in Educational Establishments
• Different Roles of Clinical Nurses
• Case Study: Successful Treatment of Migraine
• In-depth Analysis of the Ovarian Disorder
• Distant Intensive Treatment Until Questions
• Proper Treatment of Sleep Disorders
• How to Overcome Stressful Situations during Night Shifts
• Effective Methods to Prevent Breast Cancer
• Future of Healthcare & Medicine (Based on Modern Innovations)
• Approaches to Treating Insomnia
• Reproductive Endocrinology
• Diversity in the Field of Medicine
• Issues Associated with Menopause
• Causes and Effects of the Vaginal Atrophy
• Is Child’s Health Insurance a Right or a Privilege?
• Best Practices for Nursing Practitioners
• What Does the Phenomenon of Phantom Pains Stand for?
• Ethical Aspects of Infertility
• Protocol for Headache Treatment
• Moral Aspects of Euthanasia
• Treatment of Homeless People
• Why Should Healthcare System Be Made Free Everywhere in the World?
• Pain Restrictions Evaluation

50 Good Nursing Research Topics

Here is one more list of the nursing topics for research paper. We hope that at least one of these ideas will inspire you or give a clue.

• Advantages of Pet Therapy in Kids with the Autism Disorder
• Contemporary Approaches to Vaccinating Teenagers
• eHealth: The Effectiveness of Telecare and eCare
• Burn-Out in the Nursing Profession: Effective Ways to Handle Stress
• Healing of Bone Injuries
• Providing Spiritual Care: Does It Make Sense?
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: Opioid Usage
• Symptoms in ER That Cannot Be Explained by Medicine
• Contemporary Neonatal Practices
• Disorders with the Sexual Heath of an Average Woman
• Typical Causes of Headache
• Top Measures Used to Prevent Pregnancy
• Strategies Used by Government to Finance Healthcare System
• The Possible Consequences of Abortion for Women
• Evaluation of Childbirth Efficacy
• Quality Evaluation Techniques in Healthcare & Medicine
• Maternal Practices in Urban Areas
• Childcare Services Integration in Primary Medicine
• Rules for Pregnant Women Who Suffer from Obesity
• Mental Causes of Anorexia Nervosa
• Self-Instruction Kits
• Post-Natal Period Recommendations
• Midwifery Continuous Treatment & Care
• Case Study: Analyzing Positive Birth Experience
• Issues Related to the Gestational Weight Gain
• The Importance of Healthy Nutrition and Hydration
• What Are the Obligations of Every Nurse in Any Situation?
• Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment of ADHD
• Management of Disease and Prevention Methods
• The Importance of Kid and Teen Vaccination
• Termination of Pregnancy: Risks for Female Health
• Obligations of Every Pharmacist
• How to Prevent Child Obesity
• How to Stick to the Safe Sex Culture
• What Are the Main Symptoms of Autism?
• Ethics of the Healthcare Sales Promotion Campaigns
• Pros and Cons of Telemedicine
• Ethics in Pediatric Care
• Therapies Used to Treat Speech Disorders
• Medical Uniform Code Principles
• Psychological Sides of Infant Treatment
• Reasons for Seizures to Happen in Young Adolescents
• Healthcare Home Service and Self-Medicine
• How to Deal with Various Types of Eating Disorders
• Treatment of Patients in Prison
• Patient Security and Human Factors
• Bad Habits and Illnesses Impacted by Social Media and Pop Culture
• Apology Legislation and Regulations
• Antibiotic Resistance in Small Kids
• Nursing Marijuana Management & Control

You should also know that there are qualitative and quantitative nursing research topics. If you decide to base your study on numbers and figures, you should think about the second category. In quantitative research papers, writers must provide statistical data and interpret it to defend a thesis statement or find a solution to the existing problem.

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290 Good Nursing Research Topics & Questions

Florence Nightingale is called “the mother of modern nursing.” She was the first one who started incorporating research into her practice. While providing patients with health care and support, nurses observe things that may need further investigation. This way, they become not only caretakers but also scientists.

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Research topics in nursing are a way to gain valuable evidence-based knowledge while providing patient care. Moreover, they offer an opportunity to help other nurses by contributing to global healthcare. Some of the most pressing nursing research questions concern medical surgery, midwifery, and geriatrics, as well as the issues of leadership and management.

Need some inspiring topics for nursing students? Look no further! This article by Custom-writing.org experts contains 290 hot nursing research topics, as well as useful additional information and writing tips.

• 🔝 Top 10 Topics
• ☑️ How to Choose a Topic?
• 🐥 Pediatric Topics
• 👴 Geriatric Topics
• 🍼 Midwifery Topics
• 💆 Mental Health Topics
• 🏊 Health Promotion Topics
• 💡 Topics for Discussion
• 🔝 10 Research Questions
• 🔢 Quantitative Research
• 🔬 Qualitative Research

👋 Conclusion

🔝 top 10 nursing research topics 2024.

• The social effect of the opioid crisis.
• Cancel culture and women’s health.
• Economic aspects of euthanasia.
• Nursing adaptation for a digital era.
• The gender pay gap in nursing.
• Health issues of immigrant women.
• Should futile medical care be provided?
• Ways to improve diversity in nursing.
• Ethics of artificial hydration and nutrition.
• Overcoming vaccine hesitancy during pregnancy.

☑️ Research Topics in Nursing: How to Choose?

BSc students and interns often find it challenging to come up with a nursing research paper topic. Healthcare covers a lot of very diverse topics. It’s easy to get confused while trying to choose the most interesting one.

First of all, t is very important to narrow your focus. If the problem you’ve chosen is too large, it can be impossible to examine it properly. Remember: you don’t have to solve world problems in order to contribute to medical science. Choose a current topic which already has plenty of literature studies , and add something new to it. There are interesting nursing research questions in any area, be it social work, psychology, obstetrics, or clinical nursing.

You can choose a topic based on your personal experience. It can be something you observe in your family or an issue that made you interested in the nursing profession in the first place. You can look at the situation in your hometown or city to help you come up with an idea for evidence-based practice nursing research topics.

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📜 Nursing Research Topics

Once you’ve chosen your area of interest, you are ready to formulate your thesis and write a research proposal. Below is a list of research questions examples for you to choose from.

🐥 Pediatric Nursing Research Topics

Ways of enhancing language development for children with developmental disabilities

• Evaluation of pragmatic language patterns in autistic children
• Taking care of children with congenital heart disease : psychological issues
• Childhood cancer treatment optimization: new ways
• Children with cancer and their families: psychological issues
• Cancer: health service delivery efficiency
• Childhood obesity: a population health issue
• Radiation therapy: the response of the hematopoietic system in oncology patients
• Leukemia cells and the immune system: mechanisms of interaction
• Childhood acute leukemia : the use of molecular markers in diagnosis
• Blindness in children receiving oxygen therapy : risk-reducing strategies

• Early life exposures that promote heart disease later in life
• Role of early-life exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in childhood obesity
• Obesity in children and adolescents : prevention strategies
• Childhood obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors: epidemiologic research
• Childhood obesity : identification, screening, prevention, and management
• Stem cells and their usage in the treatment of pediatric diseases
• Early-life exposure to air pollution : health effects
• Prenatal exposure to nicotine : health effects
• Effects of early life stress on metabolic and cognitive development of children
• Asthma in children: diagnosis and management
• Asthma in children : monitoring techniques
• Opportunistic fungal infections: pathogenesis and treatment
• HHV6: pathogenesis, immunology, and treatment
• Meningitis in children: prevention and vaccination
• Vaccination against influenza in children: reactions and complications
• Common measles complications in children
• Surfactant replacement therapy for premature infants: beneficial effects
• Animal models for respiratory diseases : the investigation of pathogenesis
• Cells and molecules in lung health and disease: understanding the function
• Neurotrophin and neurotransmitter receptors: a molecular study
• New therapeutic approaches to developmental diseases of the nervous system
• Movement disorders in children: understanding and treatment
• Tourette syndrome in children: causes and treatment
• Neuroblastoma in children: understanding racial differences
• Understanding Metabolic Syndrome : symptoms and causes
• Anorexia and related changes in brain function and behavior
• Eating disorders in children : effects on growth and health
• Infant nutrition: prevention of obesity and eating disorders
• ADHD medication for children: long-term effects
• ADHD in children: efficacy of dance and music therapy
• Efficacy of mind-body therapy in children with ADHD
• Autism in children : benefits of meditation techniques
• Ear infections in children: diagnosis and treatment
• Acute renal insufficiency: nursing care and treatment
• Childhood nephrotic syndrome : nursing care and management
• Kidney stones in children: preventive strategies
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy : development and symptoms
• Hypoplastic left heart syndrome: management strategies
• Type 1 diabetes in children: genetic and environmental factors
• Children with type 1 diabetes from ethnic minorities: risk factors

👴 Geriatric Nursing Research Topics

• Age-Related Changes in Health: cardiovascular system
• Age-Related Changes in Nervous System and Cognition abilities in older adults
• Physiologic changes in the musculoskeletal system in older adults
• The effects of aging on the immune system
• Vaccination for older adults: benefits and challenges
• Urinary tract infections in older adults: risk factors and diagnosis
• Malnutrition in older adults: consequences and effects on organ systems
• Gastrointestinal tract disorders in older age: nursing care strategies
• Nursing: long-term care facilities
• Sensory system changes and impairments in older adults: nursing care strategies
• Assessment of physical function in older adults: effects of regular physical activity
• Oral health conditions in older adults: effects and treatment
• Ways of improving oral care for older people
• Oral hydration in older adults: ways of maintaining
• Dehydration in older adults: prevention, recognition, and treatment
• Diet as a risk factor for dementia

• Personalized diets for older adults and their role in healthy aging
• The role of diet in reducing the risk of osteoporosis
• Family caregiving of older cancer patients: psychological issues
• Taking care for seniors with chronic illness : psychological issues
• Risk factors for functional decline in older patients: ways of optimization
• Physical environment as a risk factor for functional decline in older patients
• Later-life depression: cause and risk factors
• Ophthalmic care for older patients: nursing strategies
• Medication adherence in patients with dementia : development and implementation of interventions
• Use of machine learning in predicting dementia in older adults: effectiveness and accuracy assessment
• Alzheimer’s disease : biological mechanisms and preventive measures
• Cognitive therapy for older patients with Alzheimer’s disease : effectiveness and strategies
• Delirium in elderly patients: prevention strategies
• Massage Therapy vs. Simple Touch to Improve Pain and Mood in Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Randomized Trial
• Improving pain management in older patients: care strategies
• Falls and injury risk in older adults: prevention and management
• Adverse drug effects in elderly patients: interventions and care strategies
• Use of physical restraints : ethics of the issue
• Ethnicity as a risk factor for pressure ulcer development
• Excessive sleepiness as a risk factor of cognitive decline in elderly patients
• Alcohol use disorders in elderly patients: care strategies
• Substance use disorders in older adults: treatment and care options
• Management of sepsis in critically ill elderly patients
• Complications in critically ill patients due to prolonged hospital stay
• Heart failure in older adults: current therapeutic options
• Care of elderly surgical patients: ways of optimization
• The concept of geriatric dehydration
• Perioperative care of older adults: nursing strategies
• Medical emergencies associated with cancer treatment of elderly patients
• Cancer surgery in elderly patients: risk assessment
• Pancreatic cancer surgery in older adults: balancing risks and benefits
• Bladder cancer in older adults: risk factors and challenges
• Older patients with fragility hip fracture: care strategies
• Handling pressure ulcers in hip fracture patients
• Care of the older patients in the ED: nursing intervention
• Transitional care for elderly patients with chronic disease : care strategies
• Advanced care planning : nurse’s roles and strategies

🍼 Midwifery Nursing Research Topics

• Women with a disability: pregnancy and childbirth
• The effect of midwifery care in pregnancy, labor, birth, and the postnatal period
• Maternal and infant outcomes of caseload care
• Caseload midwifery care in ethnic minorities
• Ways of improving health outcomes for women and babies from ethnic minorities
• Depression and anxiety in new mothers : effects on the health of mothers and infants
• Postnatal depression: risk factors
• Complication of pregnancy: Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH)
• Effectiveness of peer support in preventing postnatal depression
• Telephone support as a means of reducing postnatal depression : a cost-effectiveness analysis
• Diabetes in pregnancy: risk factors and management
• Hypoglycemia in newborns: preventive measures
• Women’s experience of motherhood: attachment and mother-infant bonding
• Stress in midwives and nurses: causes and prevalence
• Group antenatal care: feasibility and acceptability
• The positive impact of early parenting education

• Midwifery continuity of care and its effectiveness.
• The role of community support in maintaining emotional health during pregnancy
• Birth plan and its effects on the birth experience
• Effects of prenatal yoga on women and infants
• Prolonged labor and its effect on birth experience in women
• Childbirth experience for autistic women
• Pain management in labor: relaxation techniques and therapies
• Cesarean section : risks and long-term effects
• Fear of childbirth: symptoms and treatments
• Parental experiences with premature and low birth weight infants
• Sleep disorders in new mothers: effects on mothers and infants
• Perinatal palliative care : the role of midwives in providing care and support to families
• Childbirth expectations and experience: effect on new mother’s mental health
• Advanced maternal age: risk factors
• Adverse pregnancy outcomes: causes and risk factors
• Periodontitis: effect on preterm birth and low birth weight in babies
• Spirituality in midwifery: effects on labor and delivery
• Obesity and pregnancy: labor intervention and outcomes
• Teamwork in midwifery: key concepts
• Power dynamics in midwifery care: initiating, building, and maintaining relationships
• Domestic violence against women: raising awareness among midwives
• Midwifery care for women of low socioeconomic status: benefits of understanding social context
• Psychological traumatic childbirth: contributing factors
• The role of midwives in the monitoring process of emergency care
• Fetal monitoring, screening, and other tests during pregnancy
• Weight management and physical activity in pregnancy
• Handling physical and emotional changes during pregnancy
• Facilitating and maintaining normal childbirth: strategies and practices
• Decision-making during birth: the role of midwives
• Midwifery care during the immediate postnatal period
• Engaging fathers in perinatal services: ways and strategies
• Skincare and hygiene for newborns and infants
• Immediate care of the newborns
• Infant feeding : methods and techniques
• Common feeding problems: identification and management

💆 Mental Health Research Topics in Nursing

• The connection between air pollution and Alzheimer’s disease
• Vitamin D Deficiency and long-term cognitive impairment among older patients
• Effects of meditation on patients with cognitive impairment
• The connection between social phobia and selective mutism
• Post-traumatic stress disorder : new prevention techniques
• Social media : effects on mental health among teenagers
• Stimulant treatments of ADHD
• Bipolar disorder : early detection and risk factors
• Bipolar disorder in families: genetic factors
• Effectiveness of deep brain stimulation in patients with depression

• Reconstruction of the sense of self in schizophrenia patients
• Understanding personal experience and phenomenology in patients with schizophrenia
• The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for panic attack treatment
• The connection between panic disorder and maladaptive behavior
• The connection between brain inflammation and OCD
• White matter abnormalities in patients with OCD
• The combined effects of TMS and therapy on patients with depression
• Changes in task performance under stress in patients with anxiety disorders
• Biological processes of generalized anxiety
• Depression in perimenopausal women
• Schizophrenia: genetic factors
• Schizophrenia: environmental factors
• Ways of diagnosing autism spectrum disorder in adults
• Ways of detecting early-stage dementia
• The connection between dopamine levels and autism spectrum disorders
• The connection between serotonin levels and autism spectrum disorders
• The connection between screen time and inattention problems in children with ADHD
• ADHD : prevention strategies
• The efficacy of mindfulness techniques in patients with social phobia
• The efficacy of paroxetine in treating patients with anxiety
• Etiology of anorexia nervosa
• The role of socio-cultural factors in the development of eating disorders
• Treatment of agoraphobia : new ways
• Phobias and the ways to deal with them
• Seasonal affective disorder: summer and winter patterns
• Brain differences in patients with insomnia
• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder: brain mechanisms and risk factors
• The physical response to a traumatic experience in patients with PTSD
• Borderline personality disorder : brain factors
• Effects of music therapy for adolescents with autism
• The connection between traumatic events during childhood and the development of borderline personality disorder
• Dialectical behavior therapy in the treatment of patients with a borderline personality disorder
• Ways of diagnosing of psychogenic movement disorders
• Conduct disorder in children : ways of increasing awareness
• Adverse childhood experiences : the long-term effects
• Body dysmorphic disorder : diagnosis and treatment
• The mechanisms of body dysmorphic disorder : the use of brain imaging studies
• Adjustment disorder : diagnosis and treatment
• Schizotypal personality disorder : neurobiology and symptoms
• The efficacy of exposure therapy in the treatment of PTSD
• Codependency : ways of raising awareness
• Mood disorders in children: treatment options

🏊 Health Promotion Research Topics in Nursing

• Preventative medicine practices for seniors
• New ways of maintaining a healthy lifestyle in older age
• Communication and sharing of preventative medicine techniques: new ways
• Community-based exercise programs for older adults
• Late-life depression management programs for the elderly
• Planning meaningful activities with older adults as a means of reducing depressive symptoms
• Smoking cessation : the study of obstacles
• Ideas for quitting smoking : new techniques
• Youth inactivity : ways of raising awareness
• Health promotion strategies for obesity
• Motivation to change inactive behavior in young people
• Involvement of children in various physical activities: promotion strategies
• New ways of educating young people about the importance of having a positive body image
• The relationship between a healthy lifestyle promotion and social media: new educational strategies
• Improving diabetes lifestyle
• New ways of increasing cancer screening rates
• New strategies in fostering cancer-preventive behaviors
• Workplace wellness programs as ways of supporting healthy behavior
• Occupational health and safety programs for people working in dangerous conditions
• Maintenance of healthy work environments : new ways
• Workplace programs for raising awareness of AIDS
• Workplace programs for raising awareness of heart disease
• Workplace health promotion among low-paid workers: new strategies
• New ways of increasing workers’ participation in shaping the working environment
• Non-occupational factors in the general environment: ways of raising awareness
• Award-system as means of promotion of participation in workplace initiatives
• New ways of reducing exposure to cancer risk factors
• The effects of second-hand smoking: ways of raising awareness
• Healthy eating habits as a means of preventing the development of diet-associated cancers
• The connection between obesity and cancer: ways of raising awareness
• Alcohol use as a risk factor for cancer: ways of raising awareness
• The importance of vaccines for the hepatitis B virus in cancer prevention
• Cancer-causing air pollution : ways of raising awareness
• The connection between air pollution and lung cancer
• UV radiation and skin cancer : ways of raising awareness
• Physical inactivity as a major cause of death in developed countries
• Physical activity promotion among people of low socioeconomic background: challenges and opportunities
• Physical activity promotion among people with disabilities: challenges and opportunities
• Eating habits and behaviors in children: ways of influencing
• The efficacy of school-based sex education programs
• Cyberbullying : ways of raising awareness and prevention
• Workplace policies: depression management promotion
• The efficacy of school health promotion
• The role of school-based interventions in preventing childhood mental health problems
• Brain health programs: creating new strategies on a small budget
• Brain exercise: understanding key principles
• Communication of useful health information to lay community: new ways
• Managing the global epidemic: ways of raising health awareness
• Disease outbreaks : the role of health promotion
• HIV prevention : new ways of health promotion
• Ways of raising awareness on the routes of transmitting infectious diseases
• Healthy childhood development : health education for children

💡 Nursing Topics for Discussion

• Concept comparison and analysis across nursing theories
• New technologies in nursing
• Undergraduate nursing program and resnick’s theory
• Contemporary nursing knowledge components
• Nurse-patient interactions and outcomes in clinical practice
• Continuing nursing education: a 3-5 year plan
• Evidence-based practice & applied nursing research
• Nursing communication process
• Certified nurse assistant preparatory school: business plan
• Nurse roles in practice
• Self-employed nurses as agents of change in Canada
• Joint Commission: national patient safety goals

🔝 Top 10 Nursing Research Questions

• What’s the connection between psychiatric ward design and aggressive behavior?
• How can computerized nursing records improve the outcomes for patients?
• Do changes that occur in the brain due to dementia cause pain?
• How can tweet reminders help teenagers with type 1 diabetes maintain lower blood sugars?
• What’s the efficacy of yoga as a treatment in reducing lymphedema in cancer patients?
• How can peer support intervention help to prevent suicides among female high school students?
• Is it possible to link veterans’ suicide rates to the timing and location of suicide prevention appointments?
• What can be done to improve the sustainability of operating rooms?
• What are the roles of nurse managers in turnover intervention among nursing staff?
• What are the ways of preventing cachexia in cancer patients receiving radiation and chemotherapy?

📑 Types of Nursing Research

When writing nursing research, you need to use a particular research design. Typically, the choice of design depends on your research question. There can be qualitative and quantitative nursing research topics.

🔢 Quantitative Research In Nursing

Quantitative research is aimed at gaining empirical evidence using deduction and generalization. This means gathering evidence to support or refute a particular theory and deciding to what extent the results can be generalized to a larger population.

Quantitative research can be non-experimental and experimental in design.

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Non-experimental designs imply a description of what happens naturally, without intervention. They are usually not used to detect causes and effects and are not effective for making predictions. Non-experimental designs are classified as follows:

• Descriptive. Descriptive studies are centered on under-researched subjects and phenomena. You describe it, see how often it occurs, and categorize the information you’ve gained.
• Correlational. Correlational studies are aimed at the examination of relationships between the variables. You must measure the variables, analyze the results, and present statistics.

Experimental designs imply strict control from the researcher. They can be used for establishing cause-and-effect relationships, as well as predictions. The experiments are usually blind, which helps to avoid bias. Experimental designs are classified in the following way:

• True-experimental designs , in which cause-and-effect relationships are examined in a controlled environment. It includes studying two groups of people who receive different treatments, assigned randomly.
• Quasi-experimental designs , which differ from true experiments by the absence of random assignments.

🔬 Qualitative Research In Nursing

Qualitative research studies are focused on one’s personal experience. It is conducted through observation and interaction with patients via interviews, notes, and diaries. Induction is often used, by which you gain evidence to support a theory without generalizing the results.

Qualitative research study designs include four types:

• Phenomenology. Phenomenological research is aimed at describing the phenomena as it is experienced by an individual. In this study, you need to select people who are familiar with the particular phenomenon. You gain information from each participant and make a conclusion.
• Grounded theory. This type of study includes the influence of social processes on individuals. You would need to interview the subjects themselves, as well as their relatives, spouses, etc. Then you synthesize the data into one theory.
• Ethnography. This type of research design is associated with the influence of a particular culture on individuals. It involves describing unique attributes of a culture from the insider’s perspective.
• Narrative inquiry. Narrative inquiry is a research study design that is based on an interpretation of personal accounts of the participants. You ask your subjects to talk about their experiences, and then you analyze their narratives. Contents, as well as the structure of the narratives, must be taken into account.

As you can see, there are great many research topics for nursing students to choose from! See what suits you best and formulate the idea for your own project. You can then publish your results in a nursing research journal article and start a discussion with other nurses around the world.

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If you’ve chosen an evidence-based practice nursing research topic, make sure that you find suitable human subjects for your experiment. You can ask your friends or make online questionnaires to help you conduct your research. Always take care of your subjects and protect their rights.

Once you’ve chosen your topic, study the available literature. See if there’s anything you can critique or question. This type of research is just as useful as applied research, as it helps to keep medical science relevant by constantly checking for obsolete information.

Find the topic, choose the design for your research, set yourself clear goals – and write your best nursing research paper or reflective essay ! Good luck!

🤔 Nursing Research FAQs

Nursing research is a type of study conducted by nurses during their practice. It helps them to gain evidence on the effectiveness of different treatments. Nursing research can be used to demonstrate the trustworthiness of new methods in medicine, as well as to predict outcomes for patients with illnesses or injuries.

The scientific activity of nurses is essential for the medical community. Nurses help to move medicine forward by challenging traditional practices with fresh ideas. Their research is usually aimed at enhancing professional practice and improving nursing activities. The topics include both physical and mental health.

The primary sources of nursing research are experience and scientific knowledge. Your personal experience as a nurse is especially important because it allows you to observe and gather first-hand information about various medical conditions. Scientific knowledge is then used for the evaluation and analysis of the collected data.

Sampling theory in medical science is a study of gathering information about a population by investigating only a part of it. To do that, you need to collect samples from a group of individuals who all share a common trait. A statistic is then estimated and applied to the whole population. Sampling is often conducted as part of nursing research because it allows making conclusions without testing it with all people.

Qualitative research in nursing is aimed at gathering information about patients’ subjective experiences. It is usually conducted in the form of interviews, notes, and diaries. It helps in understanding complex phenomena and is often used in psychology. Sometimes nurses themselves are interviewed about their working conditions. This type of research allows nurses to make their practice better by continually learning from experience.

Extraneous variables may affect the results of your research and even threaten its validity. They are hard to control, but their influence can be reduced in the following ways:

• Assign the subjects to treatment and control groups as randomly as possible.
• Match your samples by distributing people with different variables, such as age and gender, as evenly as possible.
• Maintain objectivity by avoiding bias.
• Adjust the results for the effects of extraneous variables through statistical analysis.

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• 110+ Micro- & Macroeconomics Research Topics
• 417 Business Research Topics for ABM Students
• 190+ Research Topics on Psychology & Communication
• 512 Research Topics on HumSS
• 281 Best Health & Medical Research Topics
• 501 Research Questions & Titles about Science
• A List of Research Topics for Students. Unique and Interesting
• Good Research Topics, Titles and Ideas for Your Paper

🔎 References

• Find a Topic Idea: Questia
• Nursing: Choosing a Research Topic (FGCU Library)
• Examples of Research Questions: Vanderbilt School of Nursing
• Current Issue: Nursing Research
• Nursing Research: Definitions and Directions (NCBI)
• Table of Contents (Nursing Research and Practice – Volume 2023)
• Nursing, research, and the evidence: Evidence-Based Nursing
• Psychiatry & Mental Health Topics: Medscape
• Geriatric Topics: ConsultGeri
• Major Research Areas: Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester
• An overview of research designs relevant to nursing: Part 1: Quantitative research designs: SciELO
• An overview of research designs relevant to nursing: part 2: qualitative research designs: SciELO
• Clinical Nursing Research: Academia
• Innovation and scientific discovery: School of Nursing, University of Washington
• Center for Nursing Research: Duke University
• Research: Penn Nursing
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Do you have to write a research proposal and can’t choose one from the professor’s list? This article may be exactly what you need. We will provide you with the most up-to-date undergraduate and postgraduate topic ideas. Moreover, we will share the secrets of the winning research proposal writing. Here,...

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Hello dear Thank you for your kind presentation like this hot topics . Am nursing master student and I need topic for my thesis.if you can help me

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List of nursing research questions examples

Once you’ve chosen your area of interest, you are ready to formulate your thesis and write a research proposal. Below is a list of research questions examples for you to choose from.

Pediatric Nursing Research Topics

• Evaluation of pragmatic language patterns in autistic children
• Taking care of children with congenital heart disease: psychological issues
• Childhood cancer treatment optimization: new ways
• Children with cancer and their families: psychological issues
• Cancer: health service delivery efficiency
• Childhood obesity: a population health issue
• Radiation therapy: the response of the hematopoietic system in oncology patients
• Leukemia cells and the immune system: mechanisms of interaction
• Childhood acute leukemia: the use of molecular markers in diagnosis
• Blindness in children receiving oxygen therapy: risk-reducing strategies
• Early life exposures that promote heart disease later in life
• Role of early-life exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in childhood obesity
• Obesity in children and adolescents: prevention strategies
• Childhood obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors: epidemiologic research
• Childhood obesity: identification, screening, prevention, and management
• Stem cells and their usage in the treatment of pediatric diseases
• Early-life exposure to air pollution: health effects
• Prenatal exposure to nicotine: health effects
• Effects of early life stress on metabolic and cognitive development of children
• Asthma in children: diagnosis and management
• Asthma in children: monitoring techniques List of nursing research questions examples
• Opportunistic fungal infections: pathogenesis and treatment
• HHV6: pathogenesis, immunology, and treatment
• Meningitis in children: prevention and vaccination
• Vaccination against influenza in children: reactions and complications
• Common measles complications in children
• Surfactant replacement therapy for premature infants: beneficial effects
• Animal models for respiratory diseases: the investigation of pathogenesis
• Cells and molecules in lung health and disease: understanding the function
• Neurotrophin and neurotransmitter receptors: a molecular study
• New therapeutic approaches to developmental diseases of the nervous system
• Movement disorders in children: understanding and treatment
• Tourette syndrome in children: causes and treatment
• Neuroblastoma in children: understanding racial differences
• Understanding Metabolic Syndrome: symptoms and causes
• Anorexia and related changes in brain function and behavior
• Eating disorders in children: effects on growth and health
• Infant nutrition: prevention of obesity and eating disorders
• ADHD medication for children: long-term effects
• ADHD in children: efficacy of dance and music therapy
• Efficacy of mind-body therapy List of nursing research questions examples in children with ADHD
• Autism in children: benefits of meditation techniques
• Ear infections in children: diagnosis and treatment
• Acute renal insufficiency: nursing care and treatment
• Childhood nephrotic syndrome: nursing care and management
• Kidney stones in children: preventive strategies
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: development and symptoms
• Hypoplastic left heart syndrome: management strategies
• Type 1 diabetes in children: genetic factors
• Children with type 1 diabetes from ethnic minorities: risk factors

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Geriatric Nursing Research Topics

• Age-Related Changes in Health: cardiovascular system
• Age-Related Changes in Nervous System and Cognition abilities in older adults
• Physiologic changes in the musculoskeletal system in older adults
• The effects of aging on the immune system
• Vaccination for older adults: benefits and challenges
• Urinary tract infections in older adults: risk factors and diagnosis
• Malnutrition in older adults: consequences and effects on organ systems
• Gastrointestinal tract disorders in older age: nursing care strategies
• Nursing: long-term care facilities
• Sensory system changes and impairments in older adults: nursing care strategies
• Assessment of physical function in older adults: effects of regular physical activity
• Oral health conditions in older adults: effects and treatment
• Ways of improving oral care for older people
• Oral hydration in older adults: ways of maintaining
• Dehydration in older adults: prevention, recognition, and treatment
• Diet as a risk factor for dementia
• Personalized diets for older adults and their role in healthy aging
• The role of diet in reducing the risk of osteoporosis
• Family caregiving of older cancer patients: psychological issues
• Taking care for seniors with chronic illness: psychological issues
• Risk factors for functional decline in older patients: ways of optimization
• Physical environment as a risk factor for functional decline in older patients
• Later-life depression: cause and risk factors
• Ophthalmic care for older patients: nursing strategies
• Medication adherence in patients with dementia: development and implementation of interventions
• Use of machine learning in predicting dementia in older adults: effectiveness and accuracy assessment
• Alzheimer’s disease: biological mechanisms and preventive measures
• Cognitive therapy for older patients with Alzheimer’s disease: effectiveness and strategies
• Delirium in elderly patients: prevention strategies
• Massage Therapy vs. Simple Touch to Improve Pain and Mood in Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Randomized Trial
• Improving pain management in older patients: care strategies
• Falls and List of nursing research questions examples injury risk in older adults: prevention and management
• Adverse drug effects in elderly patients: interventions and care strategies
• Use of physical restraints: ethics of the issue
• Ethnicity as a risk factor for pressure ulcer development
• Excessive sleepiness as a risk factor of cognitive decline in elderly patients
• Alcohol use disorders in elderly patients: care strategies
• Substance use disorders in older adults: treatment and care options
• Management of sepsis in critically ill elderly patients
• Complications in critically ill patients due to prolonged hospital stay
• Heart failure in older adults: current therapeutic options
• Care of elderly surgical patients: ways of optimization
• The concept of geriatric dehydration
• Perioperative care of older adults: nursing strategies
• Medical emergencies associated with cancer treatment of elderly patients
• Cancer surgery in elderly patients: risk assessment
• Pancreatic cancer surgery in older adults: balancing risks and benefits
• Bladder cancer in older adults: risk factors and challenges
• Older patients with fragility hip fracture: care strategies
• Handling pressure ulcers in hip fracture patients
• Care of the older patients in the ED: nursing intervention
• Transitional care for elderly patients with chronic disease: care strategies
• Advanced care planning: nurse’s roles and strategies

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Midwifery Nursing Research Topics

• Women with a disability: pregnancy and childbirth
• The effect of midwifery care in pregnancy, labor, birth, and the postnatal period
• Maternal and infant outcomes of caseload care
• Caseload midwifery care in ethnic minorities List of nursing research questions examples
• Ways of improving health outcomes for women and babies from ethnic minorities
• Depression and anxiety in new mothers: effects on the health of mothers and infants
• Postnatal depression: risk factors
• Complication of pregnancy: Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH)
• Effectiveness of peer support in preventing postnatal depression
• Telephone support as a means of reducing postnatal depression: a cost-effectiveness analysis
• Diabetes in pregnancy: risk factors and management
• Hypoglycemia in newborns: preventive measures
• Women’s experience of motherhood: attachment and mother-infant bonding
• Stress in midwives and nurses: causes and prevalence
• Group antenatal care: feasibility and acceptability
• The positive impact of early parenting education
• Midwifery continuity of care and its effectiveness.
• The role of community support in maintaining emotional health during pregnancy
• Birth plan and its effects on the birth experience
• Effects of prenatal yoga on women and infants
• Prolonged labor and its effect on birth experience in women
• Childbirth experience for autistic women
• Pain management in labor: relaxation techniques and therapies
• Cesarean section: risks and long-term effects
• Fear of childbirth: symptoms and treatments
• Parental experiences with premature and low birth weight infants
• Sleep disorders in new mothers: effects on mothers and infants
• Perinatal palliative care: the role of midwives in providing care and support to families
• Childbirth expectations and experience: effect on new mother’s mental health
• Advanced maternal age: risk factors
• Adverse pregnancy outcomes: causes and risk factors
• Periodontitis: effect on preterm birth and low birth weight in babies
• Spirituality in midwifery: effects on labor and delivery
• Obesity and pregnancy: labor intervention and outcomes
• Teamwork in midwifery: key concepts
• Power dynamics in midwifery care: initiating, building, and maintaining relationships
• Domestic violence against women: raising awareness among midwives
• Midwifery care for women of low socioeconomic status: benefits of understanding social context
• Psychological traumatic childbirth: contributing factors
• The role of midwives in the monitoring process of emergency care
• Fetal monitoring, screening, and other tests during pregnancy
• Weight management and physical activity during pregnancy
• Handling physical and emotional changes during pregnancy
• Facilitating and maintaining normal childbirth: strategies and practices
• Decision-making during birth: the role of midwives
• Midwifery care during the immediate postnatal period
• Engaging fathers in perinatal services: ways and strategies
• Skincare and List of nursing research questions examples hygiene for newborns and infants
• Immediate care of the newborns
• Infant feeding: methods and techniques
• Common feeding problems: identification and management

Mental Health Research Topics in Nursing

• The connection between air pollution and Alzheimer’s disease
• Vitamin D Deficiency and long-term cognitive impairment among older patients
• Effects of meditation on patients with cognitive impairment
• The connection between social phobia and selective mutism
• Post-traumatic stress disorder: new prevention techniques
• Social media: effects on mental health among teenagers
• Stimulant treatments of ADHD
• Bipolar disorder: early detection and risk factors
• Bipolar disorder in families: genetic factors
• Effectiveness of deep brain stimulation in patients with depression
• Reconstruction of the sense of self in schizophrenia patients
• Understanding personal experience and phenomenology in patients with schizophrenia
• The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for panic attack treatment
• The connection between panic disorder and maladaptive behavior
• The connection between brain inflammation and OCD
• White matter abnormalities in patients with OCD
• The combined effects of TMS and therapy on patients with depression
• Changes in task performance under stress in patients with anxiety disorders
• Biological processes of generalized anxiety
• Depression in perimenopausal women
• Schizophrenia: genetic factors
• Schizophrenia: environmental factors
• Ways of diagnosing autism spectrum disorder in adults
• Ways of detecting early-stage dementia
• The connection between dopamine levels and autism spectrum disorders
• The connection between serotonin levels and autism spectrum disorders
• The connection between screen time and inattention problems in children with ADHD
• ADHD: prevention strategies List of nursing research questions examples
• The efficacy of mindfulness techniques in patients with social phobia
• The efficacy of paroxetine in treating patients with anxiety
• Etiology of anorexia nervosa
• The role of socio-cultural factors in the development of eating disorders
• Treatment of agoraphobia: new ways
• Phobias and the ways to deal with them
• Seasonal affective disorder: summer and winter patterns
• Brain differences in patients with insomnia
• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder: brain mechanisms and risk factors
• The physical response to a traumatic experience in patients with PTS Borderline personality disorder: brain factors
• Effects of music therapy for adolescents with autism
• The connection between traumatic events during childhood and the development of borderline personality disorder
• Dialectical behavior therapy in the treatment of patients with a borderline personality disorder
• Ways of diagnosing of psychogenic movement disorders
• Conduct disorder in children: ways of increasing awareness
• Adverse childhood experiences: the long-term effects
• Body dysmorphic disorder: diagnosis and treatment
• The mechanisms of body dysmorphic disorder: the use of brain imaging studies
• Adjustment disorder: diagnosis and treatment
• Schizotypal personality disorder: neurobiology and symptoms
• The efficacy of exposure therapy in the treatment of PTSD
• Codependency:List of nursing research questions examples ways of raising awareness
• Mood disorders in children: treatment options

Health Promotion Research Topics in Nursing

• Preventative medicine practices for seniors
• New ways of maintaining a healthy lifestyle in older age
• Communication and sharing of preventative medicine techniques: new ways
• Community-based exercise programs for older adults
• Late-life depression management programs for the elderly
• Planning meaningful activities with older adults as a means of reducing depressive symptoms
• Smoking cessation: the study of obstacles
• Ideas for quitting smoking: new techniques
• Youth inactivity: ways of raising awareness
• Health promotion strategies for obesity
• Motivation to change inactive behavior in young people
• Involvement of children in various physical activities: promotion strategies
• New ways of educating young people about the importance of having a positive body image
• The relationship between a healthy lifestyle promotion and social media: new educational strategies
• Improving diabetes lifestyle
• New ways of increasing cancer screening rates
• New strategies in fostering cancer-preventive behaviors
• Workplace wellness programs as ways of supporting healthy behavior
• Occupational health and safety programs for people working in dangerous conditions
• Maintenance of healthy work environments: new ways
• Workplace programs for raising awareness of AIDS List of nursing research questions examples
• Workplace programs for raising awareness of heart disease
• Workplace health promotion among low-paid workers: new strategies
• New ways of increasing workers’ participation in shaping the working environment
• Non-occupational factors in the general environment: ways of raising awareness
• Award-system as means of promotion of participation in workplace initiatives
• New ways of reducing exposure to cancer risk factors
• The effects of second-hand smoking: ways of raising awareness
• Healthy eating habits as a means of preventing the development of diet-associated cancers
• The connection between obesity and cancer: ways of raising awareness
• Alcohol as a risk factor for cancer: ways of raising awareness
• The importance of vaccines for the hepatitis B virus in cancer prevention
• Cancer-causing air pollution: ways of raising awareness
• The connection between air pollution and lung cancer
• UV radiation and skin cancer: ways of raising awareness
• Physical inactivity as a major cause of death in developed countries
• Physical activity promotion among people of low socioeconomic background: challenges and opportunities
• Physical activity promotion among people with disabilities: challenges and opportunities
• Eating habits and behaviors in children: ways of influencing
• The efficacy of school-based sex education programs
• Cyberbullying: ways of raising awareness and prevention
• Workplace policies: depression management promotion
• The efficacy of school health promotion
• The role of school-based interventions in preventing childhood mental health problems
• Brain health programs: creating new strategies on a small budget
• Brain exercise: understanding key principles
• Communication of useful health information to lay community: new ways
• Managing the global epidemic: ways of raising health awareness
• Disease outbreaks: the role of health promotion
• HIV prevention: new ways of health promotion
• Ways of raising awareness on the routes of transmitting infectious diseases
• Healthy childhood List of nursing research questions examples development: health education for children

Other Nursing Research Topics

• Concept comparison and analysis across nursing theories
• New technologies in nursing
• Undergraduate nursing program and resnick’s theory
• Contemporary nursing knowledge components
• Continuing nursing education: a 3-5 year plan
• Evidence-based practice & applied nursing research
• Nursing communication process
• Certified nurse assistant preparatory school: business plan
• Nurse roles in practice
• Self-employed nurses as agents of change in Canada
• Joint Commission: national patient safety goals

Top 10 Nursing Research Questions

• What’s the connection between psychiatric ward design and aggressive behavior?
• How can computerized nursing records improve the outcomes for patients?
• Do changes that occur in the brain due to dementia cause pain?
• How can tweet reminders help teenagers with type 1 diabetes maintain lower blood sugars?
• What’s the efficacy of yoga as a treatment in reducing lymphedema in cancer patients?
• How can peer support intervention help to prevent suicides among female high school students?
• Is it possible to link veterans’ suicide rates to the timing and location of suicide prevention appointments?
• What can be done to improve the sustainability of operating rooms?
• What are the roles of nurse managers in turnover intervention among nursing staff?
• What are the ways of preventing cachexia in cancer patients receiving radiation and chemotherapy?

Health (Nursing, Medicine, Allied Health)

• Find Articles/Databases
• Reference Resources
• Evidence Summaries & Clinical Guidelines
• Drug Information
• Health Data & Statistics
• Patient/Consumer Facing Materials
• Images and Streaming Video
• Grey Literature
• Mobile Apps & "Point of Care" Tools
• Tests & Measures This link opens in a new window
• Citing Sources
• Selecting Databases
• Framing Research Questions
• Crafting a Search
• Narrowing / Filtering a Search
• Expanding a Search
• Cited Reference Searching
• Saving Searches
• Term Glossary
• Critical Appraisal Resources
• What are Literature Reviews?
• Conducting & Reporting Systematic Reviews
• Finding Systematic Reviews
• Tutorials & Tools for Literature Reviews
• Finding Full Text

Defining the Question: Foreground & Background Questions

In order to most appropriately choose an information resource and craft a search strategy, it is necessary to consider what  kind  of question you are asking: a specific, narrow "foreground" question, or a broader background question that will help give context to your research?

Foreground Questions

A "foreground" question in health research is one that is relatively specific, and is usually best addressed by locating primary research evidence. 

Using a structured question framework can help you clearly define the concepts or variables that make up the specific research question. 

 Across most frameworks, you’ll often be considering:

• a who (who was studied - a population or sample)
• a what (what was done or examined - an intervention, an exposure, a policy, a program, a phenomenon)
• a how ([how] did the [what] affect the [who] - an outcome, an effect). 

PICO is the most common framework for developing a clinical research question, but multiple question frameworks exist.

PICO (Problem/Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome)

Appropriate for : clinical questions, often addressing the effect of an intervention/therapy/treatment

Example : For adolescents with type II diabetes (P) does the use of telehealth consultations (I) compared to in-person consultations  (C) improve blood sugar control  (O)?

Framing Different Types of Clinical Questions with PICO

Different types of clinical questions are suited to different syntaxes and phrasings, but all will clearly define the PICO elements.  The definitions and frames below may be helpful for organizing your question:

Intervention/Therapy

Questions addressing how a clinical issue, illness, or disability is treated.

"In__________________(P), how does__________________(I) compared to_________________(C) affect______________(O)?"

Questions that address the causes or origin of disease, the factors which produce or predispose toward a certain disease or disorder.

"Are_________________(P), who have_________________(I) compared with those without_________________(C) at_________________risk for/of_________________(O) over_________________(T)?" 

Questions addressing the act or process of identifying or determining the nature and cause of a disease or injury through evaluation.

In_________________(P) are/is_________________(I) compared with_________________(C) more accurate in diagnosing_________________(O)?

Prognosis/Prediction:

Questions addressing the prediction of the course of a disease.

In_________________(P), how does_________________(I) compared to_________________ (C) influence_________________(O)?

Questions addressing how one experiences a phenomenon or why we need to approach practice differently.

"How do_________________(P) with_________________(I) perceive_________________(O)?" 

Adapted from: Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2011). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Beyond PICO: Other Types of Question Frameworks

PICO is a useful framework for clinical research questions, but may not be appropriate for all kinds of reviews.  Also consider:

PEO (Population, Exposure, Outcome)

Appropriate for : describing association between particular exposures/risk factors and outcomes

Example : How do  preparation programs (E) influence the development of teaching competence  (O) among novice nurse educators  (P)?

SPIDER (Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, Research Type)

Appropriate for : questions of experience or perspectives (questions that may be addressed by qualitative or mixed methods research)

Example : What are the experiences and perspectives (E) of  undergraduate nursing students  (S)  in clinical placements within prison healthcare settings (PI)?

SPICE (Setting, Perspective, Intervention/phenomenon of Interest, Comparison, Evaluation)

Appropriate for : evaluating the outcomes of a service, project, or intervention

Example : What are the impacts and best practices for workplace (S) transition support programs (I) for the retention (E) of newly-hired, new graduate nurses (P)?

PCC (Problem/population, Concept, Context)

Appropriate for : broader (scoping) questions

Example : How do nursing schools  (Context) teach, measure, and maintain nursing students ' (P)  technological literacy  (Concept))throughout their educational programs?

Background Questions

To craft a strong and reasonable foreground research question, it is important to have a firm understanding of the concepts of interest.  As such, it is often necessary to ask background questions, which ask for more general, foundational knowledge about a disorder, disease, patient population, policy issue, etc. 

For example, consider the PICO question outlined above:

"For adolescents with type II diabetes does the use of telehealth consultations compared to in-person consultations  improve blood sugar control ?

To best make sense of the literature that might address this PICO question, you would also need a deep understanding of background questions like:

• What are the unique barriers or challenges related to blood sugar management in adolescents with TII diabetes?
• What are the measures of effective blood sugar control?
• What kinds of interventions would fall under the umbrella of 'telehealth'?
• What are the qualitative differences in patient experience in telehealth versus in-person interactions with healthcare providers?
• << Previous: Selecting Databases
• Next: Crafting a Search >>
• Last Updated: Apr 18, 2024 3:22 PM
• URL: https://guides.nyu.edu/health

Ethical Dilemma in Nursing Case Study

This essay about ethical challenges in nursing focuses on a hypothetical case involving an elderly woman named Jane, who prefers palliative care over aggressive treatment for her terminal cancer, contrary to her family’s wishes for continued medical intervention. The narrative explores the role of nurses in balancing patient autonomy with the desires of the patient’s family, highlighting the complexities of ethical decision-making in healthcare settings. Nurses often act as mediators in these situations, advocating for the patient’s wishes while also addressing the family’s concerns through effective communication and ethical deliberation. The essay underscores the importance of respecting patient rights and maintaining compassionate, patient-centered care amidst emotionally charged family dynamics. This discussion serves to illuminate the broader implications for nursing ethics and the essential ongoing dialogue within the profession about handling such conflicts.

How it works

In the heart of every hospital, ethical questions weave through the corridors just as surely as the doctors and nurses who rush from room to room. One such question sits heavily on the shoulders of those in the nursing profession: How do they balance patient autonomy with family desires, especially in end-of-life care scenarios? To explore this, we look into a hypothetical yet all too common situation faced by those in the medical field.

Imagine a scenario involving an elderly woman, let’s call her Jane, who is battling terminal cancer.

Jane has clearly expressed her wish to forego aggressive treatments that would only prolong her suffering. Instead, she chooses palliative care, hoping to spend her remaining days in peace and dignity at home surrounded by loved ones. However, Jane’s family, grappling with impending grief, insists on pursuing every possible medical intervention, driven by a mix of hope, denial, and perhaps guilt.

This dichotomy presents a profound ethical challenge for the nurses involved. On one hand, there’s the ethical duty to honor the patient’s wishes, an aspect central to the nursing code which respects patient autonomy. On the other, there is a pressing need to empathize with Jane’s family, who are not ready to let go and might view the cessation of aggressive treatment as akin to giving up.

Nurses find themselves navigating these treacherous waters, often serving as mediators between what the patient wants and what her family thinks is best. The situation calls for nurses to use their professional judgment and interpersonal skills to handle the delicate balance of providing care that respects Jane’s wishes while compassionately communicating the realities and limitations of medical treatment to her family.

Such situations are fertile ground for ethical deliberation, often involving discussions with ethics committees, multiple team meetings, and sometimes legal advice. These processes are integral to ensuring that decisions are made in the best interests of the patient while considering the emotional and ethical standpoint of the family.

The case of Jane highlights the indispensable role of nurses as advocates for their patients’ wishes. It also underscores the importance of having clear and open communication channels within families and between families and medical professionals. These discussions are never easy, but they are necessary to navigate the complex interplay between medical possibilities, ethical responsibilities, and human emotions.

In conclusion, understanding and managing ethical dilemmas like this one is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the nursing profession and ensuring patient care remains compassionate and patient-centered. Each case, while unique, adds to the broader understanding and ongoing conversation about the best practices in nursing ethics, particularly in how to handle conflicts between patient rights and family wishes effectively.

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• Open access
• Published: 22 April 2024

Patient mistreatment, social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion among Chinese nurses: the combined moderating effect of organizational support and trait resilience

• Wei Yan 1 ,
• Xiu Chen 1 ,
• Di Xiao 2 ,
• Huan Wang 3 , 4 ,
• Chunjuan Xu 7 &
• Caiping Song 8  

BMC Nursing volume  23 , Article number:  260 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

120 Accesses

Metrics details

As a primary form of work-related violence in the healthcare sector, patient mistreatment negatively impacts nurses’ well-being. To date, there has yet reached a definitive conclusion on the mediating mechanism and boundary conditions behind the influence of patient mistreatment on nurses’ emotional exhaustion.

This study employed a convenience sampling method to recruit a sample of 1672 nurses from public hospitals in Western China. The data were collected through anonymous self-report questionnaires and analyzed using hierarchical regression and conditional processes to investigate a theoretical framework encompassing patient mistreatment, emotional exhaustion, social sharing of negative events, organizational support, and trait resilience.

Patient mistreatment led to emotional exhaustion among nurses (β = 0.625, p  <.001), and social sharing of negative events mediated this positive relationship (effect = 0.073, SE = 0.013). The combined effects of organizational support and resilience moderated the mediating effect of the social sharing of negative events between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion (β=-0.051, p  <.05). Specifically, nurses with a high level of resilience would benefit from organizational support to alleviate emotional exhaustion caused by patient mistreatment.

Conclusions

This study validated a significant positive association between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion, which aligns with previous research findings. Integrating conservation of resources theory and goal progress theory, we addressed previous contradictory findings on the impact of social sharing of negative events on emotional exhaustion. Social sharing of negative events served as a mediator between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion. Additionally, the moderating effect of organizational support on the relationship between social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion depended on individual trait of resilience.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

Workplace violence is a worldwide concern and a major risk in healthcare work. It was defined as incidents in which staff members are mistreated, threatened, or assaulted in circumstances related to their work [ 1 ]. Over the last decades, it has been well documented that healthcare professionals around the world are at significant risk of violence exposure [ 2 ]. Studies have shown that the most vulnerable healthcare workers victimized are nurses and paramedics [ 3 , 4 ], with the most common perpetrators being patients, their relatives, or visitors [ 5 ]. A recent survey of 4263 nurses in the healthcare sector showed that 54% of respondents had experienced verbal violence by patients [ 6 ], including negative emotional behaviors exhibited by patients or their families, such as anger, swearing, insults, yelling, and speaking rudely toward nurses [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. All these negative emotional behaviors are known as “patient mistreatment”. A considerable amount of research conducted in healthcare organizations has shown that exposure to patient mistreatment is a strong predictor of stress, emotional exhaustion, turnover intention and obstacles to career development among nurses [ 6 , 7 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Specifically, emotional exhaustion, characterized by intense fatigue, lack of interest, low mood, and less enthusiasm for jobs, is not only a key outcome resulting from patient mistreatment but also serves as a significant predictor of nurse turnover and a decline in nursing job performance. The conservation of resources (COR) theory provides a theoretical framework for understanding emotional exhaustion caused by patient mistreatment. The COR theory indicates that people strive to retain, protect, and build resources which are needed in fulfilling job responsibilities and are threatened by the potential or actual loss of those valued resources [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Despite increasing research interest, the existing literature has yet reached a definitive conclusion on the mechanism how patient mistreatment impacts nurses’ emotional exhaustion. Therefore, this study developed and examined a theoretical model regarding the influence of patient mistreatment on nurses’ emotional exhaustion and explored the mechanisms and boundary conditions behind this relationship.

Social sharing of negative events refers to talking to others about negative events and one’s emotional reactions to them and can occur hours to months after the event [ 17 , 18 ]. It is often seen as a response to emotional experiences to release negative emotions, alleviate work-related stress, and restore resources. However, there is no consensus on the impact of this behavior on emotional exhaustion [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Social sharing of negative events sometimes fails to bring new insights into emotional experiences, and disrupts nurses’ goal-related cognitive processes. Goal progress theory illustrates that goal failure (e.g. receiving customer mistreatment) [ 22 ] is associated with cognitive rumination [ 23 ], which may lead to the further loss of resources. Therefore, we examined the social sharing of negative events as a mediating mechanism in the relationship between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion in this study.

Furthermore, studies of organizational support have shown that it provides a supportive environment for individuals in coping with stress caused by customer mistreatment [ 24 ]. The COR theory also explicates that supportive environments and contexts create fertile ground for creation of individual resources [ 15 ]. However, some evidence has revealed that organizational support is not consistently beneficial, yielding inconclusive findings [ 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Besides, it is crucial to understand why some people are able to handle negative experiences at work more functionally than others. Consistent with COR theory, individual resources may be contained or embodied in traits and capabilities [ 14 ]. Resilience is a personal trait that can help individuals better cope with adversity and stress [ 28 ]. Therefore, this study introduces organizational support as a crucial moderating variable to explore its moderating effect on the mediating pathway of the social sharing of negative events between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion and examines whether trait resilience serves as a boundary condition to the effectiveness of organizational support.

In summary, drawing upon the conservation of resources theory and goal progress theory, this study attempts to answer the following questions: Is patient mistreatment related to emotional exhaustion through the social sharing of negative events? Is organizational support always beneficial or not? And who will benefit from it?

Patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion

Among all occupational groups, healthcare workers are ranked as one of the most likely to experience workplace aggression [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ]. Patient mistreatment refers to negative emotional behaviors such as expressed anger, swearing, insulting, yelling, and speaking rudely directed toward healthcare providers by patients or their families [ 9 , 33 , 34 ]. Existing studies have extensively explored the adverse consequences of patient mistreatment on healthcare staff and found that it can negatively impact their psychological and physical well-being, leading to increased anxiety, burnout, and negative emotions [ 35 , 36 , 37 ]. The psychological harm caused by patient mistreatment can also result in stress, which is defined as a reaction to an environment in which there is a threat or net loss of resources [ 34 ].

The conservation of resources (COR) theory constructs a framework for comprehending the origins and coping strategies of stress and is frequently used to interpret the process of emotional exhaustion. Individual resources are defined as any element that is valuable for an individual’s survival and development. Individuals strive to retain, protect, and build the resources they value [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], and suffer salient impacts when they lose resources. Moreover, the availability of resources determines the impact of workplace stressors (such as unfair treatment) on employees [ 38 , 39 ]. Healthcare professionals may experience emotional exhaustion, which refers to energy depletion or the draining of emotional resources [ 38 ], as a consequence of mistreatment by patients [ 35 ]. Therefore, we propose the following hypothesis:

Patient mistreatment is positively related to emotional exhaustion.

The mediating role of social sharing of negative events

Researchers have identified social sharing of negative events as talking to others about a negative event and one’s emotional reactions to it and can occur hours to months after the event [ 17 , 18 , 40 ]. Individuals voluntarily share their negative emotional experiences and feelings with others in social settings to release negative emotions, alleviate work-related stress, and restore psychological resources. Despite research on this topic, there is no consensus on the impact of social sharing on negative emotions. Delroisse et al. suggested that it can reduce job burnout by helping employees make sense of work situations and reinforcing relationships with others [ 19 ]. By contrast, Nolen-Hoeksema posited that sharing could potentially be detrimental if it involves ruminating on or immersing oneself in negative feelings, potentially exacerbating or prolonging feelings of sadness [ 20 ]. Drawing upon the conservation of resources theory and goal progress theory, we aimed to clarify the effect of social sharing of negative events between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion.

COR theory stated that individuals should proactively invest resources to protect themselves against potentially stressful situations, recover from losses, and accumulate additional resources to brace themselves for future challenges [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Social sharing of negative events has been conceptualized as a social and interpersonal process of repetitively seeking proactive social opportunities to verbalize experiences of stressful events [ 40 , 41 ]. Strongman et al. argued that social sharing of emotions activates the interconnectedness between individuals and their respective social networks or support systems [ 42 ]. Supportive actions by recipients, such as listening, understanding, and consolation, help sharers replenish depleted resources and foster their ability to cope with stressors in the sharing process [ 43 ], ultimately equipping them with the necessary resources to address adverse situations. For example, Zech highlighted that social sharing of negative events can provide informational support (e.g. advice) and facilitate reevaluation for individuals [ 17 ]. Laurens’s study revealed that nurses are inclined to engage in emotional social sharing with professionals, such as colleagues or counselors, when confronted with emotional issues involving their patients [ 44 ]. Therefore, drawing upon conservation resources theory, we anticipated that nurses who experience resource depletion due to patient mistreatment may seek to obtain the necessary resources through social sharing of negative events to manage stressful events.

Social sharing of negative events can facilitate cognitive-affective processing of shared events [ 45 ]. However, it carries “sharing risks” [ 46 ], particularly when negative emotions are involved. When it comes to repeated negative events, deliberate thoughts oriented towards the implications of a given event may alternate with unwanted, intrusive thoughts [ 40 ]. Martin and Tesser defined a class of conscious thoughts that revolve around a common instrumental theme as cognitive rumination [ 23 ], which is associated with goal progress theory [ 22 ] to illustrate the impact of goal failure (e.g., receiving customer mistreatment) [ 47 ]. Patient mistreatment serves as a pivotal emotional event and an original disruption. It fails to bring new insights into emotional experiences, disrupts nurses’ goal-related cognitive processes, and triggers rumination [ 40 , 47 ] when nurses share negative events with others [ 20 ]. The more nurses ruminate, the longer they experience intrusive thoughts linked to unachieved goals [ 22 ]. Moreover, loss of resources or the threat of such loss is a crucial factor in predicting psychological distress and leading to investing more resources, making those already lacking resources even more vulnerable to loss spirals [ 14 ]. Emotional exhaustion occurs when individuals are confronted with dual stressors of resource depletion and goal failure. Consequently, we propose the following hypothesis:

Social sharing of negative events mediates the relationship between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion.

The moderating role of organizational support

Hobfoll et al. further clarified those resources, which are central to survival and goal attainment, operate depending on the ecological context [ 48 , 49 ].They further theorized that resources do not exist individually but travel in packs, or caravans for both individuals and organizations [ 15 , 50 ]. Organizational support, which is the overall belief that the organization values contributions and cares about the well-being of its employees [ 51 ], is a vital aspect of work resources. Crossover acts as one of the mechanisms of resource exchange within resource caravans [ 15 ] and states that organizational support can be effectively transferred from organizational context to individuals. Studies have suggested that the crossover of resources is also very important for gaining spirals because it can increase a partner’s engagement, potentially triggering a chain of crossover of engagement processes [ 52 ]. Moreover, global research has also identified organizational support as a new buffer-type resource that can counter the resource-depleting effect of high workload and high emotional demands in a large sample of Dutch health professionals [ 53 ]. Therefore, these important work resources, including concern, recognition, and respect inherited in organizational support, would compensate for individuals’ resources, foster the accomplishment of personal work objectives [ 54 ], and enhance employees’ self-efficacy and sense of self-worth, consequently elevating their positive emotions [ 55 , 56 ]. Thus, we anticipated that organizational support would not only alleviate the adverse effects of mistreatment experienced by employees within the organization [ 57 , 58 , 59 ], but also effectively moderate the relationship between social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion.

The combined effect of organizational support and trait relicense

Conventionally, studies have demonstrated that organizational support constitutes a valuable work resource. However, COR theory posited that the transfer of resources across social entities (individuals and organizations) is slower. Mounting evidence suggested that organizational support may, at times, not be helpful or even worsen situations [ 60 , 61 , 62 ]. Perhaps the effects of crossover depend on certain traits of the individuals or groups. Evidence continued to mount regarding those with greater resources being less vulnerable to resource loss and more capable of gaining resources [ 15 , 63 ]. Luthans and Avolio [ 64 ] pointed out that both psychological capital and organizational support are necessary for employees to achieve high performance. Resilience, an individual’s ability to cope effectively with adversity and stress when facing difficulties and setbacks [ 65 , 66 ], can be a key personal resource for understanding how individuals break loss spirals [ 67 , 68 ]. Resilience enables individuals to adapt better to changing environments [ 69 , 70 ] and shapes their perception of stress [ 71 , 72 ].

This study found that trait resilience acts as a boundary condition for the moderating role of organizational support in the relationship between social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, the interactive effects among various resources, such as psychological and organizational resources [ 73 ], do not simply add up, but rather enhance the assets necessary for individuals to accomplish their objectives. Consequently, it facilitates individuals with higher levels of resilience by employing both personal psychological resources and organizational resources to develop effective strategies to handle challenges like patient mistreatment [ 74 ]. In conclusion, this study proposes the following hypotheses:

The moderating effect of organizational support on the relationship between social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion depends on trait resilience.

The interaction between organizational support and trait resilience moderates the indirect effect of patient mistreatment on emotional exhaustion via the social sharing of negative work events.

We summarize our theoretical model in Fig.  1 .

Hypothesized theoretical model

Participants and data collection procedures

Convenience sampling was employed in this study. We initiated a call for nursing mistreatment research based on the Hematology Specialty Alliance platform in Chongqing, a major city in Southwest China. Furthermore, we used one-on-one communication to invite the clinical department nurses to participate in the survey. The inclusion criteria for recruiting participants in our study were as follows: ① Certified nurses; ② Clinical nursing positions; ③ Informed consent and voluntary participation. The exclusion criteria were as follows: ① student nurses in rotation, ② student nurses on internships, ③ nursing residents in training programs, and ④ off-duty nurses (on leave, sick leave, or attending external training).

To minimize the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, this study employed a structured online questionnaire to facilitate ease of participation. To ensure the credibility and fairness of the collected data, all responses were submitted anonymously. The questionnaires were completed anonymously to ensure the acquisition of objective and unbiased data. The initial page of the questionnaire presented a clear statement of the study’s objectives and confidentiality of the responses. All questions were designed to be mandatory, and each unique IP address was allowed a single submission to uphold the integrity of the data and avoid duplicate entries. In preparation for the main study, a preliminary survey was conducted to validate the logic of the questions and the accuracy of their responses. The formal survey was conducted from October 9th, 2022 to November 1st, 2022. (Questionnaire link: https://wj.qq.com/mine.html ), ultimately yielding 1627 valid responses.)

We employed the translation and back-translation processes recommended by Brislin [ 75 ] in both surveys prior to the administration. This was done to ensure the validity and appropriateness of all the scales in the Chinese context.

• Patient mistreatment

We used the 18-item scale developed by Wang et al. [ 21 ] to measure patient mistreatment, replacing the word “customers” with “patients” in each item. The scale divides patient mistreatment into two dimensions: aggressive mistreatment and demand-oriented mistreatment. Participants rated the items on a five-point Likert scale from 1 = never to 5 = frequently. Example items were “Patients demanded special treatment,” “Patients spoke aggressively to you,” and “Patients asked you to do things even if they can do them themselves.” The Cronbach’s alpha of the scale was 0.953.

• Social sharing of negative events

Social sharing of negative events scale was adapted from Gable et al. [ 76 ]. In the past month, participants were asked how often they had talked to significant others, other family members, friends, and colleagues about unpleasant things that had happened at work, creating a four-item scale. Responses ranged from 1 = never to 5 = often. Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.862.

• Emotional exhaustion

Emotional exhaustion was measured using the Chinese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which was developed by Maslach and Jackson [ 77 ] and is the most widely used tool for evaluating job burnout. Emotional exhaustion included nine items, with sample items such as, “I feel emotionally drained from my work.” Responses ranged from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree. All the items scored positively, with higher scores indicating greater emotional exhaustion. Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.925.

• Organizational support

In this study, we employed the Organizational Support Perception Scale originally developed and validated by Shen and Benson in 2016 [ 78 ] to assess the perceptions of organizational support. This scale consists of eight items (e.g. “My organization values my contributions to the organization”) and used a 7-point Likert scale. Among these items, four were positively worded and four were reverse-scored. Respondents indicated their agreement on a scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree, with higher scores indicating a stronger perception of organizational support. Cronbach’s alpha for the scale was 0.907.

We used the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) developed by Smith et al. [ 79 ], which consists of six items. Sample items included statements such as “I tend to bounce back quickly after difficulties.” Responses ranged from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree. Three items scored positively and three scored negatively. It is specifically used to measure an individual’s ability to recover their health or well-being in response to stress. Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.826.

Control variables

Sex, age, education, marital status, years of work, and sports were included as control variables to control for confounding effects on emotional exhaustion.

Data analysis

SPSS23.0 and Mplus7 were used for the statistical analysis. We adopted confirmatory factor analysis to test validity and common method variance. Additionally, we conducted a descriptive statistical analysis of the variables and analyzed each variable using the Pearson’s correlation test to comprehend the characteristics and correlations between the variables. We performed hierarchical regression analysis and conditional process analysis to examine the mediating and moderating effects. Moderating variables were mean-centered to construct the interaction term, mitigating potential multi-collinearity problems. In this study, patient mistreatment served as a predictor variable, social sharing of negative events as a mediator variable, organizational support and resilience as two moderators, and emotional exhaustion as the outcome variable.

Participants

A total of 1627 valid responses were included after a strict review of the collected survey data. The majority of the participants were female (94.7%), while males accounted for only 5.3% of the sample, which is similar to the composition of nurses in other public hospitals in China. Most nurses (87.7%) were between 20 and 39 years old, with two under 20 years old, and 6.9% were over 40 years old. The participants’ years of work experience ranged from less than one year to 36 years, with an average of 9.26 years (SD = 6.40). The majority of nurses (62.6%) were married, and only 36.5% of the total participants reported exercise habits.

Common method variance

Data collected from a single source require querying for possible interference caused by common method variance (CMV). Harman’s single-factor method was used to detect the common method variance. The results of the exploratory factor analysis of the 45 items showed that there were seven factors with eigenvalues greater than 1, and the variance explanation rate of the first factor was 31.579% (< 50%). Therefore, the results suggested that CMV is not a significant problem in this study [ 80 , 81 ].

Confirmatory factor analysis

We conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess the discriminant validity of the scale. As shown in Table  1 , the five-factor model, consisting of patient mistreatment, social sharing of negative events, organizational support, resilience, and emotional exhaustion, demonstrated satisfactory discriminant validity and good fit (χ²/df = 11.276, RMSEA = 0.079, CFI = 0.819, TL = 0.809, SRMR = 0.057). Each variable had a factor loading greater than 0.600 and the internal consistency was good, indicating satisfactory reliability and validity of the scale.

Descriptive statistics

Table  2 presents the means, standard deviations, and correlation coefficients for the variables used in this study. The correlation coefficients were consistent with our expectations, showing that patient mistreatment was significantly positively correlated with emotional exhaustion ( r  =.361, p  <.01) and with the social sharing of negative events ( r  =.198, p  <.01). Additionally, the social sharing of negative events was positively correlated with emotional exhaustion ( r  =.253, p  <.01). Some of the hypotheses of this study were tentatively supported.

Hierarchical regression was used to test the relevant hypotheses and the results are presented in Table  3 . Model 4 indicated a positive correlation between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion (β = 0.625, p  <.001), which supported Hypothesis 1. The test for the mediating effect followed the recommended stepwise approach [ 82 ]. First, Model 2 revealed a significant positive correlation between patient mistreatment and the social sharing of negative events (β = 0.275, p  <.001). Second, Model 5 showed that social sharing of negative events was positively correlated with emotional exhaustion (β = 0.264, p  <.001). Finally, while the effect of patient mistreatment on the dependent variable, emotional exhaustion, remained significant (β = 0.552, p  <.001), it was somewhat weaker (0.552 < 0.625) after introducing the mediating variable, suggesting a partial mediating effect.

Following Preacher and Hayes [ 83 ], this study further tested the mediating effect of the social sharing of negative events on the relationship between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion. We employed the bias-corrected method with a sample size of 5000 and a 95% confidence interval to perform multiple mediating effect analysis using Process3.2, a software for conditional process analysis. The test results are presented in Table  4 . The results showed that the indirect effect was 0.073, with a 95% confidence interval of [0.049, 0.100], demonstrating that the social sharing of negative events played a mediating role in the relationship between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion. Therefore, H2 was supported.

The combined moderating effect of organizational support and trait resilience

Table  5 presents the results of moderation analysis. In Model 2, both organizational support and resilience were found to be significantly negatively correlated with emotional exhaustion (βos=-0.348, p  <.001; βre = − 0.569, p  <.001). However, in Model 3, neither organizational support nor resilience showed any interaction with social sharing of negative events in predicting emotional exhaustion. Nevertheless, the three-way interaction between social sharing of negative events, organizational support, and resilience was significant in predicting emotional exhaustion and negatively correlated with emotional exhaustion (β=-0.051, p  <.05), thus supporting H3. Figure  2 shows the results of the three-way interaction, in which it is evident that higher levels of organizational support and resilience weaken the positive impact of the social sharing of negative events on emotional exhaustion.

Simple slope test

We also conducted a moderated mediation model in Process 3.2, using 95% bias-corrected bootstrap confidence interval analyses with 5,000 bootstrap samples to examine the moderating effect of the interaction term of organizational support and resilience on the mediating role of social sharing of negative events between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion. As shown in Table  6 , the index of moderated moderated mediation was − 0.0152, which was statistically significant, with a 95% bias-corrected confidence interval of [-0.0286, − 0.0031]. Therefore, H4 was supported.

Specifically, the 95% confidence interval for the indices of conditional moderated mediation was [-0.0120, 0.0240] for individuals with high resilience and [-0.0291, -0.0012] for those with low resilience. Therefore, H3 was supported, indicating that individual resilience served as a boundary condition for the moderating effect of organizational support on the relationship between the social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion.

This study combined conservation of resources theory with goal progress theory to investigate the mediating role of the social sharing of negative events in the association between patient mistreatment and nurses’ emotional exhaustion. We also explored whether the moderating effect of organizational support on the relationship between the social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion depended on individual resilience. First, this study confirmed a significant positive correlation between nurses’ experiences of patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion, which is consistent with previous studies [ 6 , 7 , 84 , 85 , 86 ]. The findings once again underscore the detrimental impact of patient mistreatment on nurses’ emotional and psychological well-being. Given that the rates of different forms and sources of aggression vary considerably between nations [ 3 , 87 ], it is crucial to direct our attention towards the patient mistreatment experiences of nurses in China, especially in the post-epidemic era.

Second, this study revealed that the social sharing behavior of negative events mediates the relationship between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion. Previous studies have produced mixed findings regarding the impact of the social sharing of negative events on emotional exhaustion among employees or nurses [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. However, limited research has examined the role of social sharing of negative emotions as a mediating mechanism between patient mistreatment and nurses’ emotional exhaustion. This study integrated the conservation of resources theory and goal progress theory to establish a theoretical foundation for the mediating model. It indicated that sharing negative work events was a strategy for nurses to cope with resource loss resulting from patient mistreatment. Meanwhile, rumination about negative events was closely associated with goal failure, thereby triggering emotional exhaustion among nurses.

Third, the interaction between resilience and organizational support served as a moderator in the relationship between the social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion. Studies have identified organizational support as a crucial resource for mitigating the negative effects of stressors [ 24 ]. However, our findings demonstrated that there was no significant two-way interaction between social sharing of negative events and organizational support in predicting emotional exhaustion. This finding is in line with some research on organizational support [ 25 , 28 ], which suggested that organizational support may fail to alleviate the adverse effects of work stressors. Furthermore, this study responded to the call for conservation resources theory [ 28 ] to explore whether trait resilience serves as a boundary to the effectiveness of organizational support. The significant three-way interaction between the social sharing of negative events, organizational support, and trait resilience revealed that individuals with high levels of resilience will benefit from organizational support. Specifically, individuals with high resilience and organizational support showed lower levels of emotional exhaustion than those with low resilience and high organizational support. The implication for managers, therefore, was that organizational support alone cannot solve all problems. Instead, individualized organizational support should be considered in the light of nurses’ resilience.

Practical implications

The findings of this study have significant practical implications for medical management. First, the findings of this study once again validated the significant influence of patient mistreatment on nurses’ emotional exhaustion. Consequently, it is imperative for healthcare administrators to prioritize the establishment of a secure working environment for nurses while providing comprehensive training programs that could enhance their ability to react more effectively to navigate complex nurse-patient relationships. Second, the study further showed that the social sharing of negative events predicted emotional exhaustion among nurses. Therefore, finding ways to eliminate negative rumination originating from patient mistreatment is essential for reducing emotional exhaustion among nurses. Mindfulness thinking, meditation or psychological detachment from work are potential means that nurses could adopt to take a different perspective on negative events. Although the current study indicates that organizational support may not always be beneficial, we suggest that management consider developing workplace interventions that facilitate supportive relationships between organizations and nurses. Third, it is noted that the effect of organizational support depended on resilience. Resilience-related training programs may help nurses acquire psychological resources, enabling them to effectively navigate through mistreatment and adverse experiences. For instance, professional provider resilience training (PPRT) conducted by the medical department of the US military provides knowledge and skills to assist in stress management [ 88 ], such as developing positive cognition, emotional regulation, and mind-body techniques, which enhances the psychological resilience of medical professionals and alleviates fatigue and burnout.

Limitations and further study

This study has some limitations worth addressing. First, the study design was cross-sectional, which may have limited its ability to capture unexamined longitudinal associations. Thus, experience-sampling method should be employed to study the fluctuations of the relationship examined in this study on daily or week basis. Second, all variables investigated were self-reported, which may raise concerns regarding common method variance (CMV) [ 89 ]. Therefore, future studies should employ objective measures or measures reported by others to reduce same-source bias. Third, we found that the social sharing of negative events only partially mediated the relationship between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion. Further investigations should be conducted to explore other pathways linking patient mistreatment with nurses’ emotional exhaustion, as well as the moderating variables influencing these mediating mechanisms.

This study, involving 1672 healthcare nurses from public hospitals in Western China, revealed a notable prevalence of patient mistreatment, which led to emotional exhaustion among all participants. The findings of this study suggest that the sharing of negative events plays a mediating role in the relationship of patient mistreatment and the subsequent emotional drain experienced by nurses. These results serve as a critical alert to medical managers about the profound impact of negative emotional sharing within healthcare settings. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of valuing and fostering certain personal traits of nurses, such as resilience, which can buffer the effects of patient mistreatment on emotional exhaustion, particularly when coupled with high levels of organizational support. Consequently, it is suggested to combine a supportive organizational culture in healthcare sector with training programs that aims to enhance nurses’ resilience.

Data availability

Data supporting the findings of this study are available upon request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank all participants who showed great patience in answering the questionnaire.

This study was supported by the National Social Science Foundation of China (Grant number: 19BJY052, 22BGL141), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant number: 72110107002, 71974021), Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing (Grant number: cstc2021jcyj-msxmX0689), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant number: 2022CDJSKJC14), and Chongqing Social Science Planning Project (Grant number: 2018PY76).

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All authors contributed to the conception and design of the study. Study design, questionnaire collection, data acquisition were performed by WY, HW and CJX. Data analysis and the first draft of the manuscript was written by WY and XC. DX, XD, LL and CPS commented on the manuscript and revised it critically for important intellectual content.

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Yan, W., Chen, X., Xiao, D. et al. Patient mistreatment, social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion among Chinese nurses: the combined moderating effect of organizational support and trait resilience. BMC Nurs 23 , 260 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01924-x

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Writing Survey Questions

Perhaps the most important part of the survey process is the creation of questions that accurately measure the opinions, experiences and behaviors of the public. Accurate random sampling will be wasted if the information gathered is built on a shaky foundation of ambiguous or biased questions. Creating good measures involves both writing good questions and organizing them to form the questionnaire.

Questionnaire design is a multistage process that requires attention to many details at once. Designing the questionnaire is complicated because surveys can ask about topics in varying degrees of detail, questions can be asked in different ways, and questions asked earlier in a survey may influence how people respond to later questions. Researchers are also often interested in measuring change over time and therefore must be attentive to how opinions or behaviors have been measured in prior surveys.

Surveyors may conduct pilot tests or focus groups in the early stages of questionnaire development in order to better understand how people think about an issue or comprehend a question. Pretesting a survey is an essential step in the questionnaire design process to evaluate how people respond to the overall questionnaire and specific questions, especially when questions are being introduced for the first time.

For many years, surveyors approached questionnaire design as an art, but substantial research over the past forty years has demonstrated that there is a lot of science involved in crafting a good survey questionnaire. Here, we discuss the pitfalls and best practices of designing questionnaires.

Question development

There are several steps involved in developing a survey questionnaire. The first is identifying what topics will be covered in the survey. For Pew Research Center surveys, this involves thinking about what is happening in our nation and the world and what will be relevant to the public, policymakers and the media. We also track opinion on a variety of issues over time so we often ensure that we update these trends on a regular basis to better understand whether people’s opinions are changing.

At Pew Research Center, questionnaire development is a collaborative and iterative process where staff meet to discuss drafts of the questionnaire several times over the course of its development. We frequently test new survey questions ahead of time through qualitative research methods such as  focus groups , cognitive interviews, pretesting (often using an  online, opt-in sample ), or a combination of these approaches. Researchers use insights from this testing to refine questions before they are asked in a production survey, such as on the ATP.

Measuring change over time

Many surveyors want to track changes over time in people’s attitudes, opinions and behaviors. To measure change, questions are asked at two or more points in time. A cross-sectional design surveys different people in the same population at multiple points in time. A panel, such as the ATP, surveys the same people over time. However, it is common for the set of people in survey panels to change over time as new panelists are added and some prior panelists drop out. Many of the questions in Pew Research Center surveys have been asked in prior polls. Asking the same questions at different points in time allows us to report on changes in the overall views of the general public (or a subset of the public, such as registered voters, men or Black Americans), or what we call “trending the data”.

When measuring change over time, it is important to use the same question wording and to be sensitive to where the question is asked in the questionnaire to maintain a similar context as when the question was asked previously (see  question wording  and  question order  for further information). All of our survey reports include a topline questionnaire that provides the exact question wording and sequencing, along with results from the current survey and previous surveys in which we asked the question.

The Center’s transition from conducting U.S. surveys by live telephone interviewing to an online panel (around 2014 to 2020) complicated some opinion trends, but not others. Opinion trends that ask about sensitive topics (e.g., personal finances or attending religious services ) or that elicited volunteered answers (e.g., “neither” or “don’t know”) over the phone tended to show larger differences than other trends when shifting from phone polls to the online ATP. The Center adopted several strategies for coping with changes to data trends that may be related to this change in methodology. If there is evidence suggesting that a change in a trend stems from switching from phone to online measurement, Center reports flag that possibility for readers to try to head off confusion or erroneous conclusions.

Open- and closed-ended questions

One of the most significant decisions that can affect how people answer questions is whether the question is posed as an open-ended question, where respondents provide a response in their own words, or a closed-ended question, where they are asked to choose from a list of answer choices.

For example, in a poll conducted after the 2008 presidential election, people responded very differently to two versions of the question: “What one issue mattered most to you in deciding how you voted for president?” One was closed-ended and the other open-ended. In the closed-ended version, respondents were provided five options and could volunteer an option not on the list.

When explicitly offered the economy as a response, more than half of respondents (58%) chose this answer; only 35% of those who responded to the open-ended version volunteered the economy. Moreover, among those asked the closed-ended version, fewer than one-in-ten (8%) provided a response other than the five they were read. By contrast, fully 43% of those asked the open-ended version provided a response not listed in the closed-ended version of the question. All of the other issues were chosen at least slightly more often when explicitly offered in the closed-ended version than in the open-ended version. (Also see  “High Marks for the Campaign, a High Bar for Obama”  for more information.)

Researchers will sometimes conduct a pilot study using open-ended questions to discover which answers are most common. They will then develop closed-ended questions based off that pilot study that include the most common responses as answer choices. In this way, the questions may better reflect what the public is thinking, how they view a particular issue, or bring certain issues to light that the researchers may not have been aware of.

When asking closed-ended questions, the choice of options provided, how each option is described, the number of response options offered, and the order in which options are read can all influence how people respond. One example of the impact of how categories are defined can be found in a Pew Research Center poll conducted in January 2002. When half of the sample was asked whether it was “more important for President Bush to focus on domestic policy or foreign policy,” 52% chose domestic policy while only 34% said foreign policy. When the category “foreign policy” was narrowed to a specific aspect – “the war on terrorism” – far more people chose it; only 33% chose domestic policy while 52% chose the war on terrorism.

In most circumstances, the number of answer choices should be kept to a relatively small number – just four or perhaps five at most – especially in telephone surveys. Psychological research indicates that people have a hard time keeping more than this number of choices in mind at one time. When the question is asking about an objective fact and/or demographics, such as the religious affiliation of the respondent, more categories can be used. In fact, they are encouraged to ensure inclusivity. For example, Pew Research Center’s standard religion questions include more than 12 different categories, beginning with the most common affiliations (Protestant and Catholic). Most respondents have no trouble with this question because they can expect to see their religious group within that list in a self-administered survey.

In addition to the number and choice of response options offered, the order of answer categories can influence how people respond to closed-ended questions. Research suggests that in telephone surveys respondents more frequently choose items heard later in a list (a “recency effect”), and in self-administered surveys, they tend to choose items at the top of the list (a “primacy” effect).

Because of concerns about the effects of category order on responses to closed-ended questions, many sets of response options in Pew Research Center’s surveys are programmed to be randomized to ensure that the options are not asked in the same order for each respondent. Rotating or randomizing means that questions or items in a list are not asked in the same order to each respondent. Answers to questions are sometimes affected by questions that precede them. By presenting questions in a different order to each respondent, we ensure that each question gets asked in the same context as every other question the same number of times (e.g., first, last or any position in between). This does not eliminate the potential impact of previous questions on the current question, but it does ensure that this bias is spread randomly across all of the questions or items in the list. For instance, in the example discussed above about what issue mattered most in people’s vote, the order of the five issues in the closed-ended version of the question was randomized so that no one issue appeared early or late in the list for all respondents. Randomization of response items does not eliminate order effects, but it does ensure that this type of bias is spread randomly.

Questions with ordinal response categories – those with an underlying order (e.g., excellent, good, only fair, poor OR very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, very unfavorable) – are generally not randomized because the order of the categories conveys important information to help respondents answer the question. Generally, these types of scales should be presented in order so respondents can easily place their responses along the continuum, but the order can be reversed for some respondents. For example, in one of Pew Research Center’s questions about abortion, half of the sample is asked whether abortion should be “legal in all cases, legal in most cases, illegal in most cases, illegal in all cases,” while the other half of the sample is asked the same question with the response categories read in reverse order, starting with “illegal in all cases.” Again, reversing the order does not eliminate the recency effect but distributes it randomly across the population.

Question wording

The choice of words and phrases in a question is critical in expressing the meaning and intent of the question to the respondent and ensuring that all respondents interpret the question the same way. Even small wording differences can substantially affect the answers people provide.

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An example of a wording difference that had a significant impact on responses comes from a January 2003 Pew Research Center survey. When people were asked whether they would “favor or oppose taking military action in Iraq to end Saddam Hussein’s rule,” 68% said they favored military action while 25% said they opposed military action. However, when asked whether they would “favor or oppose taking military action in Iraq to end Saddam Hussein’s rule  even if it meant that U.S. forces might suffer thousands of casualties, ” responses were dramatically different; only 43% said they favored military action, while 48% said they opposed it. The introduction of U.S. casualties altered the context of the question and influenced whether people favored or opposed military action in Iraq.

There has been a substantial amount of research to gauge the impact of different ways of asking questions and how to minimize differences in the way respondents interpret what is being asked. The issues related to question wording are more numerous than can be treated adequately in this short space, but below are a few of the important things to consider:

First, it is important to ask questions that are clear and specific and that each respondent will be able to answer. If a question is open-ended, it should be evident to respondents that they can answer in their own words and what type of response they should provide (an issue or problem, a month, number of days, etc.). Closed-ended questions should include all reasonable responses (i.e., the list of options is exhaustive) and the response categories should not overlap (i.e., response options should be mutually exclusive). Further, it is important to discern when it is best to use forced-choice close-ended questions (often denoted with a radio button in online surveys) versus “select-all-that-apply” lists (or check-all boxes). A 2019 Center study found that forced-choice questions tend to yield more accurate responses, especially for sensitive questions.  Based on that research, the Center generally avoids using select-all-that-apply questions.

It is also important to ask only one question at a time. Questions that ask respondents to evaluate more than one concept (known as double-barreled questions) – such as “How much confidence do you have in President Obama to handle domestic and foreign policy?” – are difficult for respondents to answer and often lead to responses that are difficult to interpret. In this example, it would be more effective to ask two separate questions, one about domestic policy and another about foreign policy.

In general, questions that use simple and concrete language are more easily understood by respondents. It is especially important to consider the education level of the survey population when thinking about how easy it will be for respondents to interpret and answer a question. Double negatives (e.g., do you favor or oppose  not  allowing gays and lesbians to legally marry) or unfamiliar abbreviations or jargon (e.g., ANWR instead of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) can result in respondent confusion and should be avoided.

Similarly, it is important to consider whether certain words may be viewed as biased or potentially offensive to some respondents, as well as the emotional reaction that some words may provoke. For example, in a 2005 Pew Research Center survey, 51% of respondents said they favored “making it legal for doctors to give terminally ill patients the means to end their lives,” but only 44% said they favored “making it legal for doctors to assist terminally ill patients in committing suicide.” Although both versions of the question are asking about the same thing, the reaction of respondents was different. In another example, respondents have reacted differently to questions using the word “welfare” as opposed to the more generic “assistance to the poor.” Several experiments have shown that there is much greater public support for expanding “assistance to the poor” than for expanding “welfare.”

We often write two versions of a question and ask half of the survey sample one version of the question and the other half the second version. Thus, we say we have two  forms  of the questionnaire. Respondents are assigned randomly to receive either form, so we can assume that the two groups of respondents are essentially identical. On questions where two versions are used, significant differences in the answers between the two forms tell us that the difference is a result of the way we worded the two versions.

One of the most common formats used in survey questions is the “agree-disagree” format. In this type of question, respondents are asked whether they agree or disagree with a particular statement. Research has shown that, compared with the better educated and better informed, less educated and less informed respondents have a greater tendency to agree with such statements. This is sometimes called an “acquiescence bias” (since some kinds of respondents are more likely to acquiesce to the assertion than are others). This behavior is even more pronounced when there’s an interviewer present, rather than when the survey is self-administered. A better practice is to offer respondents a choice between alternative statements. A Pew Research Center experiment with one of its routinely asked values questions illustrates the difference that question format can make. Not only does the forced choice format yield a very different result overall from the agree-disagree format, but the pattern of answers between respondents with more or less formal education also tends to be very different.

One other challenge in developing questionnaires is what is called “social desirability bias.” People have a natural tendency to want to be accepted and liked, and this may lead people to provide inaccurate answers to questions that deal with sensitive subjects. Research has shown that respondents understate alcohol and drug use, tax evasion and racial bias. They also may overstate church attendance, charitable contributions and the likelihood that they will vote in an election. Researchers attempt to account for this potential bias in crafting questions about these topics. For instance, when Pew Research Center surveys ask about past voting behavior, it is important to note that circumstances may have prevented the respondent from voting: “In the 2012 presidential election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, did things come up that kept you from voting, or did you happen to vote?” The choice of response options can also make it easier for people to be honest. For example, a question about church attendance might include three of six response options that indicate infrequent attendance. Research has also shown that social desirability bias can be greater when an interviewer is present (e.g., telephone and face-to-face surveys) than when respondents complete the survey themselves (e.g., paper and web surveys).

Lastly, because slight modifications in question wording can affect responses, identical question wording should be used when the intention is to compare results to those from earlier surveys. Similarly, because question wording and responses can vary based on the mode used to survey respondents, researchers should carefully evaluate the likely effects on trend measurements if a different survey mode will be used to assess change in opinion over time.

Question order

Once the survey questions are developed, particular attention should be paid to how they are ordered in the questionnaire. Surveyors must be attentive to how questions early in a questionnaire may have unintended effects on how respondents answer subsequent questions. Researchers have demonstrated that the order in which questions are asked can influence how people respond; earlier questions can unintentionally provide context for the questions that follow (these effects are called “order effects”).

One kind of order effect can be seen in responses to open-ended questions. Pew Research Center surveys generally ask open-ended questions about national problems, opinions about leaders and similar topics near the beginning of the questionnaire. If closed-ended questions that relate to the topic are placed before the open-ended question, respondents are much more likely to mention concepts or considerations raised in those earlier questions when responding to the open-ended question.

For closed-ended opinion questions, there are two main types of order effects: contrast effects ( where the order results in greater differences in responses), and assimilation effects (where responses are more similar as a result of their order).

An example of a contrast effect can be seen in a Pew Research Center poll conducted in October 2003, a dozen years before same-sex marriage was legalized in the U.S. That poll found that people were more likely to favor allowing gays and lesbians to enter into legal agreements that give them the same rights as married couples when this question was asked after one about whether they favored or opposed allowing gays and lesbians to marry (45% favored legal agreements when asked after the marriage question, but 37% favored legal agreements without the immediate preceding context of a question about same-sex marriage). Responses to the question about same-sex marriage, meanwhile, were not significantly affected by its placement before or after the legal agreements question.

Another experiment embedded in a December 2008 Pew Research Center poll also resulted in a contrast effect. When people were asked “All in all, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way things are going in this country today?” immediately after having been asked “Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?”; 88% said they were dissatisfied, compared with only 78% without the context of the prior question.

Responses to presidential approval remained relatively unchanged whether national satisfaction was asked before or after it. A similar finding occurred in December 2004 when both satisfaction and presidential approval were much higher (57% were dissatisfied when Bush approval was asked first vs. 51% when general satisfaction was asked first).

Several studies also have shown that asking a more specific question before a more general question (e.g., asking about happiness with one’s marriage before asking about one’s overall happiness) can result in a contrast effect. Although some exceptions have been found, people tend to avoid redundancy by excluding the more specific question from the general rating.

Assimilation effects occur when responses to two questions are more consistent or closer together because of their placement in the questionnaire. We found an example of an assimilation effect in a Pew Research Center poll conducted in November 2008 when we asked whether Republican leaders should work with Obama or stand up to him on important issues and whether Democratic leaders should work with Republican leaders or stand up to them on important issues. People were more likely to say that Republican leaders should work with Obama when the question was preceded by the one asking what Democratic leaders should do in working with Republican leaders (81% vs. 66%). However, when people were first asked about Republican leaders working with Obama, fewer said that Democratic leaders should work with Republican leaders (71% vs. 82%).

The order questions are asked is of particular importance when tracking trends over time. As a result, care should be taken to ensure that the context is similar each time a question is asked. Modifying the context of the question could call into question any observed changes over time (see  measuring change over time  for more information).

A questionnaire, like a conversation, should be grouped by topic and unfold in a logical order. It is often helpful to begin the survey with simple questions that respondents will find interesting and engaging. Throughout the survey, an effort should be made to keep the survey interesting and not overburden respondents with several difficult questions right after one another. Demographic questions such as income, education or age should not be asked near the beginning of a survey unless they are needed to determine eligibility for the survey or for routing respondents through particular sections of the questionnaire. Even then, it is best to precede such items with more interesting and engaging questions. One virtue of survey panels like the ATP is that demographic questions usually only need to be asked once a year, not in each survey.

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