research topics for med surg nursing

100+ Medical Surgical Nursing Project Topics [Updated]

Medical surgical nursing is a crucial aspect of healthcare that focuses on providing care to patients before, during, and after surgical procedures. Medical surgical nursing includes many tasks, like checking patients before surgery and taking care of them afterward. Research is really important in making medical surgical nursing better by finding new information and helping patients get better. In this blog, we’ll delve into various medical surgical nursing project topics that can inspire both students and professionals alike.

What Is The Basic Concept Of Medical Surgical Nursing?

Table of Contents

The basic concept of medical surgical nursing revolves around providing comprehensive care to patients undergoing surgical procedures or experiencing medical conditions requiring surgical intervention.

This includes preoperative preparation, intraoperative support, and postoperative recovery, as well as the management of medical conditions that may necessitate surgery.

Medical surgical nurses focus on promoting patient well-being, preventing complications, and facilitating optimal outcomes throughout the surgical process.

100+ Medical Surgical Nursing Project Topics: Category Wise

Clinical practice topics.

• Nursing Care for Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Management of Patients with Diabetes Mellitus undergoing Surgery
• Postoperative Pain Management Strategies
• Nursing Interventions for Patients with Gastrointestinal Bleeding
• Care of Patients with Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) in the Surgical Setting
• Assessment and Management of Perioperative Hypertension
• Preparing Patients for Orthopedic Surgery: Education and Rehabilitation
• Surgical Site Infection Prevention Measures
• Nursing Care for Patients with Sepsis following Surgery
• Role of the Nurse in Preoperative Assessment and Optimization

Surgical Intervention Topics

• Care of Patients undergoing Total Joint Replacement Surgery
• Nursing Management of Patients with Traumatic Injuries
• Postoperative Complications in Abdominal Surgery: Recognition and Management
• Nursing Care for Patients undergoing Bariatric Surgery
• Perioperative Care of Patients undergoing Organ Transplantation
• Management of Patients with Pressure Ulcers following Surgery
• Nursing Interventions for Patients undergoing Cosmetic Surgery
• Surgical Wound Dehiscence and Evisceration: Nursing Management
• Role of the Nurse in Intraoperative Patient Safety
• Care of Patients with Surgical Drains: Assessment and Management

Cardiovascular Nursing Topics

• Nursing Care for Patients undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Surgery
• Management of Patients with Heart Failure undergoing Surgery
• Postoperative Arrhythmia Management
• Role of the Nurse in Cardiovascular Assessment during Surgery
• Nursing Interventions for Patients with Peripheral Vascular Disease undergoing Surgery
• Hypothermia Prevention Strategies during Cardiac Surgery
• Care of Patients undergoing Cardiac Catheterization
• Nursing Management of Patients with Aortic Aneurysm
• Postoperative Care of Patients with Myocardial Infarction
• Nursing Interventions for Patients with Cardiogenic Shock

Neurological Nursing Topics

• Care of Patients undergoing Craniotomy Surgery
• Management of Patients with Spinal Cord Injuries undergoing Surgery
• Postoperative Care of Patients with Brain Tumors
• Nursing Interventions for Patients with Stroke undergoing Surgery
• Role of the Nurse in Intraoperative Neurological Monitoring
• Perioperative Care of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
• Nursing Management of Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury
• Postoperative Delirium: Assessment and Management
• Care of Patients undergoing Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery
• Nursing Interventions for Patients with Epilepsy undergoing Surgery

Gastrointestinal Nursing Topics

• Nursing Care for Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer undergoing Surgery
• Management of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease undergoing Surgery
• Postoperative Nutrition Support Strategies
• Nursing Interventions for Patients with Hepatic Encephalopathy following Surgery
• Role of the Nurse in Intraoperative Bowel Management
• Perioperative Care of Patients with Peptic Ulcer Disease
• Nursing Management of Patients with Pancreatitis undergoing Surgery
• Postoperative Care of Patients with Intestinal Obstruction
• Care of Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease undergoing Surgery
• Nursing Interventions for Patients with Appendicitis undergoing Surgery

Respiratory Nursing Topics

• Nursing Care for Patients with Lung Cancer undergoing Surgery
• Management of Patients with Pneumonia undergoing Surgery
• Postoperative Respiratory Assessment and Monitoring
• Nursing Interventions for Patients with Chronic Respiratory Failure undergoing Surgery
• Role of the Nurse in Intraoperative Airway Management
• Taking care of patients with COPD before, during, and after surgery
• Helping patients with ARDS after surgery breathe better and managing their care
• Postoperative Care of Patients with Pulmonary Embolism
• Care of Patients with Sleep Apnea undergoing Surgery
• Nursing Interventions for Patients with Asthma undergoing Surgery

Renal Nursing Topics

• Nursing Care for Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma undergoing Surgery
• Management of Patients with Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) undergoing Surgery
• Postoperative Fluid and Electrolyte Management
• Nursing Interventions for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease undergoing Surgery
• Role of the Nurse in Intraoperative Renal Function Monitoring
• Perioperative Care of Patients with Renal Calculi
• Nursing Management of Patients with Hydronephrosis following Surgery
• Postoperative Care of Patients with Renal Transplantation
• Care of Patients with Polycystic Kidney Disease undergoing Surgery
• Nursing Interventions for Patients with Renal Artery Stenosis undergoing Surgery

Endocrine Nursing Topics

• Nursing Care for Patients with Thyroid Disorders undergoing Surgery
• Management of Patients with Diabetes Mellitus undergoing Endocrine Surgery
• Postoperative Hormonal Assessment and Monitoring
• Nursing Interventions for Patients with Adrenal Disorders undergoing Surgery
• Role of the Nurse in Intraoperative Endocrine Function Monitoring
• Perioperative Care of Patients with Pituitary Disorders
• Nursing Management of Patients with Parathyroid Disorders following Surgery
• Postoperative Care of Patients with Gonadal Disorders
• Care of Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors undergoing Surgery
• Nursing Interventions for Patients with Pancreatic Disorders undergoing Surgery

Oncology Nursing Topics

• Nursing Care for Patients with Breast Cancer undergoing Surgery
• Management of Patients with Colorectal Cancer undergoing Surgery
• Postoperative Symptom Management in Cancer Patients
• Nursing Interventions for Patients with Prostate Cancer undergoing Surgery
• Role of the Nurse in Intraoperative Oncological Safety Measures
• Perioperative Care of Patients with Ovarian Cancer
• Nursing Management of Patients with Lung Cancer following Surgery
• Postoperative Care of Patients with Melanoma
• Care of Patients with Head and Neck Cancer undergoing Surgery
• Nursing Interventions for Patients with Gynecological Cancers undergoing Surgery

Pediatric Nursing Topics

• Nursing Care for Pediatric Patients undergoing Surgery
• Management of Pediatric Patients with Congenital Anomalies undergoing Surgery
• Postoperative Pain Management in Children
• Nursing Interventions for Pediatric Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate undergoing Surgery
• Role of the Nurse in Intraoperative Pediatric Safety Measures
• Perioperative Care of Pediatric Patients with Hydrocephalus
• Nursing Management of Pediatric Patients with Spina Bifida following Surgery
• Postoperative Care of Pediatric Patients with Appendicitis
• Care of Pediatric Patients with Hirschsprung Disease undergoing Surgery
• Nursing Interventions for Pediatric Patients with Congenital Heart Disease undergoing Surgery

Gerontological Nursing Topics

• Nursing Care for Geriatric Patients undergoing Surgery
• Management of Geriatric Patients with Fractures undergoing Surgery
• Postoperative Delirium Prevention Strategies in Older Adults
• Nursing Interventions for Geriatric Patients with Dementia undergoing Surgery
• Role of the Nurse in Intraoperative Geriatric Safety Measures

How Do You Write A Nursing Project?

Writing a nursing project involves several key steps to ensure clarity, thoroughness, and relevance to the chosen topic. Here’s a general guide on how to write a nursing project:

• Select a Topic: Choose a topic that aligns with your interests, expertise, and the requirements of your assignment or research objectives. Consider the significance of the topic in the field of nursing and its potential impact on patient care or nursing practice.
• Research: Find books, articles, and other info about your topic. Look at what’s already been studied to see what’s missing or needs more info.
• Outline: Plan out your project with sections like intro, background, methods, results, and conclusion. Make it fit what you need.
• Introduction: Start your project with a bit about your topic, why it’s important, and what you’re trying to learn.
• Review: Look at all the info you found and figure out what’s important. See where there are questions or disagreements.
• Methods: Explain how you did your project, like who you studied, what you measured, and how you did it.
• Results: Show what you found in a clear way, like with tables or graphs. Talk about what it means.
• Implications: Think about what your findings mean for nursing. How can it help patients or other nurses? What else should be looked at?
• Conclusion: Sum up what you learned and why it’s important. Say what you think should happen next.
• Cite Sources: Give credit to the info you used in your project. Make sure to do it right.
• Proofread: Check your project for mistakes and fix them. Make sure it all makes sense and looks good.
• Seek Feedback: Before finalizing your project, seek feedback from peers, mentors, or instructors to gain valuable insights and suggestions for improvement. Consider incorporating constructive feedback to strengthen your project before submission or publication.

Future Directions and Recommendations

• Areas for Further Research in Medical Surgical Nursing: Identify emerging areas of interest and potential research gaps in medical surgical nursing, such as the impact of healthcare disparities on surgical outcomes , patient-reported outcomes following surgery, and the integration of complementary and alternative therapies into perioperative care.
• Strategies for Improving Surgical Nursing Practice: Propose recommendations for enhancing surgical nursing practice, including interdisciplinary collaboration, continuing education and professional development opportunities, and the implementation of evidence-based guidelines and protocols.

In conclusion, medical surgical nursing offers a vast array of fascinating project topics that can enrich our understanding of patient care, contribute to evidence-based practice, and drive innovation in healthcare delivery.

Whether you’re a student embarking on a research project or a seasoned nurse seeking to explore new avenues in your practice, these Medical surgical nursing project topics provide an excellent starting point for exploration and discovery in the dynamic field of medical surgical nursing.

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Medical-Surgical Nursing Research Paper Topics

Medical-surgical nursing research paper topics are crucial for the development of the nursing profession and healthcare system. This field encompasses a wide range of topics and is essential for the care of adult patients undergoing surgical procedures and managing various medical conditions. It is pivotal for nursing students to explore different research topics in this area to enhance their knowledge, improve patient care, and contribute to the advancement of the nursing profession. This page will provide a comprehensive list of research paper topics divided into categories, a detailed article on the significance of medical-surgical nursing, and the range of research topics it offers. Additionally, it will present the writing services offered by iResearchNet, enabling students to order a custom research paper on any topic in medical-surgical nursing.

100 Medical-Surgical Nursing Research Paper Topics

Medical-surgical nursing is a specialized area of nursing that focuses on the care of patients undergoing surgical procedures and those with acute or chronic medical conditions. This field is critical as it involves the application of evidence-based practices to optimize patient outcomes in various settings, from the operating room to the patient’s home. The diversity of medical-surgical nursing research paper topics reflects the vast scope of this field, covering areas such as patient safety, chronic disease management, surgical procedures, and more. It is essential for nursing students and professionals to engage in research in this area to contribute to the advancement of knowledge and the improvement of patient care.

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Patient Safety

• Strategies to prevent falls in hospitalized patients.
• The role of bedside handover in enhancing patient safety.
• The impact of electronic health records on patient safety.
• Strategies to prevent medication errors in hospitalized patients.
• The role of simulation training in enhancing patient safety in medical-surgical nursing.
• Strategies to prevent pressure ulcers in bed-bound patients.
• The impact of nurse-patient ratios on patient safety in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to prevent hospital-acquired infections in medical-surgical units.
• The role of patient education in enhancing patient safety in medical-surgical nursing.
• The impact of teamwork and communication on patient safety in medical-surgical units.

Chronic Disease Management

• The role of self-management education in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Strategies to improve medication adherence in patients with diabetes.
• The impact of nurse-led clinics on the management of patients with hypertension.
• Strategies to improve the quality of life of patients with heart failure.
• The role of telehealth in the management of patients with chronic kidney disease.
• Strategies to prevent complications in patients with osteoporosis.
• The impact of lifestyle interventions on the management of patients with type 2 diabetes.
• Strategies to improve the mental health of patients with chronic diseases.
• The role of patient education in the management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
• The impact of nurse-led interventions on the management of patients with chronic pain.

Surgical Procedures

• The impact of preoperative education on patient outcomes after surgery.
• Strategies to prevent postoperative complications in patients undergoing major surgery.
• The role of perioperative nursing in enhancing patient outcomes after surgery.
• Strategies to manage pain in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.
• The impact of minimally invasive surgery on patient outcomes.
• Strategies to prevent surgical site infections in patients undergoing surgery.
• The role of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in improving patient outcomes.
• Strategies to manage postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing surgery.
• The impact of preoperative fasting on patient outcomes after surgery.
• The role of intraoperative nursing in enhancing patient outcomes during surgery.

Pain Management

• The effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions in managing postoperative pain.
• The role of patient education in managing chronic pain in adults.
• The impact of opioid management protocols on patient outcomes in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to manage pain in patients with cancer.
• The effectiveness of alternative therapies in managing pain in patients with chronic diseases.
• The impact of nurse-led pain management protocols on patient satisfaction and outcomes.
• Strategies to manage pain in patients with acute injuries.
• The role of multimodal pain management in postoperative care.
• The impact of pain assessment tools on pain management in medical-surgical units.
• The role of nurses in managing pain in patients with palliative care needs.
• The effectiveness of pressure ulcer prevention strategies in hospitalized patients.
• The role of wound dressings in the management of surgical wounds.
• The impact of wound assessment tools on wound healing in patients with chronic wounds.
• Strategies to prevent wound infections in patients with surgical wounds.
• The role of nutritional support in wound healing.
• The impact of wound care protocols on patient outcomes in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to manage complex wounds in patients with comorbidities.
• The role of negative pressure wound therapy in the management of acute and chronic wounds.
• The impact of moisture management on wound healing.
• The role of nurses in the management of patients with wounds in home care settings.

Postoperative Care

• The impact of early mobilization on patient outcomes after major surgery.
• The role of nursing interventions in preventing postoperative complications.
• The impact of discharge planning on readmission rates in patients after surgery.
• Strategies to manage postoperative delirium in elderly patients.
• The role of patient education in enhancing self-care behaviors after surgery.
• The impact of nurse-led follow-up care on patient outcomes after surgery.
• Strategies to prevent postoperative venous thromboembolism.
• The role of physical therapy in enhancing functional outcomes after surgery.
• The impact of postoperative glycemic control on patient outcomes.
• The role of nurses in managing postoperative pain in patients discharged to home care.

Medication Management

• The impact of medication reconciliation on preventing medication errors in hospitalized patients.
• The role of nurse-led medication education on medication adherence in patients with chronic diseases.
• The impact of electronic medication administration records on medication errors in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to prevent adverse drug events in elderly patients.
• The role of pharmacogenomics in personalized medicine in medical-surgical nursing.
• The impact of medication management protocols on patient outcomes in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to manage polypharmacy in patients with multiple comorbidities.
• The role of nurses in medication administration in pediatric medical-surgical units.
• The impact of medication management apps on medication adherence in patients with chronic diseases.
• The role of nurses in managing side effects of medications in cancer patients.

Ethical Issues in Medical-Surgical Nursing

• The role of nurses in decision-making in end-of-life care.
• The impact of advanced care planning on patient and family satisfaction in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to manage ethical dilemmas in the care of patients with terminal illnesses.
• The role of nurses in obtaining informed consent for surgical procedures.
• The impact of ethical guidelines on the care of patients with mental health issues in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to manage conflicts between patients’ wishes and best practices in medical-surgical nursing.
• The role of ethics committees in resolving ethical dilemmas in medical-surgical units.
• The impact of cultural competence on ethical decision-making in medical-surgical nursing.
• Strategies to manage ethical issues in the use of restraints in medical-surgical units.
• The role of nurses in advocating for patients’ rights in medical-surgical units.

Technological Innovations in Medical-Surgical Nursing

• The impact of telehealth on the management of patients with chronic diseases.
• The role of electronic health records in enhancing patient care in medical-surgical units.
• The impact of mobile health applications on patient outcomes in medical-surgical nursing.
• Strategies to enhance the use of technology in medication management in medical-surgical units.
• The role of simulation training in enhancing clinical skills in medical-surgical nursing.
• The impact of robotic surgery on patient outcomes in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to enhance the use of technology in patient education in medical-surgical nursing.
• The role of technology in enhancing communication among multidisciplinary teams in medical-surgical units.
• The impact of technology on the management of patients with complex care needs in medical-surgical nursing.
• The role of technology in enhancing the quality of care in rural medical-surgical units.

Role of Nurses in Multidisciplinary Teams

• The impact of interdisciplinary collaboration on patient outcomes in medical-surgical units.
• The role of nurses in coordinating care among multidisciplinary teams in medical-surgical units.
• Strategies to enhance communication among multidisciplinary teams in medical-surgical units.
• The role of nurses in leading quality improvement initiatives in medical-surgical units.
• The impact of nurse-led interventions on the management of patients with multiple comorbidities.
• Strategies to enhance the role of nurses in decision-making in multidisciplinary teams.
• The role of nurses in managing conflicts among multidisciplinary teams in medical-surgical units.
• The impact of interdisciplinary collaboration on the prevention of hospital-acquired infections.
• Strategies to enhance the role of nurses in patient advocacy in multidisciplinary teams.
• The role of nurses in coordinating discharge planning among multidisciplinary teams.

Research in medical-surgical nursing is essential for the continuous improvement of patient care and the advancement of the nursing profession. The comprehensive list of medical-surgical nursing research paper topics provided above covers a wide range of issues that are of critical importance in this field. These topics provide a foundation for nursing students and professionals to explore various aspects of medical-surgical nursing, from patient safety to the role of nurses in multidisciplinary teams. Engaging in research in these areas will not only contribute to the body of knowledge but will also have a direct impact on the quality of care provided to patients. Therefore, it is encouraged to explore these topics and contribute to the ongoing efforts to improve patient outcomes in medical-surgical nursing.

The Range of Medical-Surgical Nursing Research Paper Topics

Medical-Surgical Nursing is a specialized area of nursing that is fundamental to the healthcare system. It is focused on the care of adult patients who have a broad range of acute and chronic medical conditions or are recovering from surgery. This specialization encompasses a wide variety of settings, from hospitals and long-term care facilities to home care. Medical-Surgical nurses, or Med-Surg nurses as they are commonly referred to, play a critical role in the patient’s recovery process. They are responsible for managing the care of patients, monitoring their conditions, administering medications, educating patients and their families, and working collaboratively with other healthcare professionals to ensure the best possible outcomes.

The significance of medical-surgical nursing cannot be understated. It is often considered the backbone of hospital care as it addresses the holistic needs of the patient. This field of nursing is essential for several reasons. First, the med-surg nurses are often the first line of defense in detecting and addressing changes in a patient’s condition. Their expertise in assessing and monitoring patients can lead to early intervention and prevention of complications. Second, medical-surgical nursing research paper topics play a crucial role in the development of best practices in the care of patients with various medical conditions and post-surgical needs. Lastly, medical-surgical nursing is a vast field that encompasses many different aspects of patient care, thus providing a wide range of research paper topics.

One of the crucial aspects of medical-surgical nursing is patient safety. Ensuring the safety of patients is paramount in all healthcare settings. Medical-surgical nurses are responsible for implementing safety measures, such as fall prevention, medication safety, and infection prevention. Fall prevention involves assessing the patient’s risk for falls and implementing interventions to prevent falls, such as using assistive devices, proper positioning, and educating the patient and family. Medication safety includes ensuring the correct medication is administered to the right patient, at the right dose, and at the right time. Infection prevention involves implementing measures to prevent the spread of infections, such as proper hand hygiene, using personal protective equipment, and isolating patients with contagious diseases. Research in this area can lead to the development of new strategies and interventions to enhance patient safety.

Chronic disease management is another vital aspect of medical-surgical nursing. Patients with chronic diseases often have complex needs that require comprehensive and coordinated care. Medical-surgical nurses play a key role in managing the care of patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure. They are responsible for monitoring the patient’s condition, administering medications, educating the patient and family about the disease and its management, and coordinating care with other healthcare professionals. Research in this area can lead to the development of new strategies and interventions to improve the management of chronic diseases and enhance the quality of life for these patients.

Surgical procedures are a common aspect of medical-surgical nursing. Med-Surg nurses are involved in the care of patients before, during, and after surgery. Preoperative care involves preparing the patient for surgery, both physically and emotionally. This includes ensuring the patient is informed about the surgery, assessing the patient’s physical condition, and coordinating any necessary preoperative tests or procedures. Intraoperative care involves monitoring the patient’s condition during surgery and assisting the surgical team as needed. Postoperative care involves monitoring the patient’s recovery, managing pain, preventing complications, and educating the patient and family about postoperative care. Research in this area can lead to the development of new strategies and interventions to enhance the care of patients undergoing surgical procedures.

The range of medical-surgical nursing research paper topics is vast and diverse, reflecting the broad spectrum of responsibilities and roles that med-surg nurses play in the healthcare system. Topics can include, but are not limited to, strategies to enhance patient safety, interventions to improve chronic disease management, and best practices in preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care. Research in these areas can lead to the development of new strategies and interventions that can enhance the care provided to patients and improve patient outcomes.

In conclusion, medical-surgical nursing is a crucial aspect of the healthcare system. Med-Surg nurses play a vital role in ensuring the safety of patients, managing the care of patients with chronic diseases, and providing care to patients undergoing surgical procedures. The wide range of responsibilities and roles that med-surg nurses play provides a vast array of medical-surgical nursing research paper topics. Research in this area is essential for the development of new strategies and interventions to enhance patient care and improve patient outcomes.

iResearchNet’s Custom Writing Services

iResearchNet is proud to offer a comprehensive suite of writing services specially designed to meet the needs of students working on medical-surgical nursing research papers. Our services are crafted to address the common challenges encountered during the research and writing process, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, academically sound papers.

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Take Control of Your Academic Success!

When it comes to your academic career, don’t leave anything to chance. Medical-surgical nursing is a critical field that requires a deep understanding of various concepts and the ability to critically analyze and synthesize information. Writing a research paper in this field is not only a requirement for your academic success but also an opportunity to contribute to this essential field of study. At iResearchNet, we understand the significance of your research paper and are committed to helping you produce a piece of work that you can be proud of. Our comprehensive suite of services is designed to support you every step of the way, from selecting a topic to finalizing your paper.

iResearchNet is here to support you in your academic journey. Our team of expert degree-holding writers is ready to assist you with your medical-surgical nursing research paper, ensuring that it is well-researched, properly structured, and impeccably written. With our flexible pricing, timely delivery, 24/7 support, and money-back guarantee, you can be confident in your decision to choose iResearchNet. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to elevate your academic performance and contribute to the field of medical-surgical nursing. Order your custom medical-surgical nursing research paper today and take control of your academic success!

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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.

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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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Research Topics & Ideas: Nursing

50+ Nursing Research Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

Finding and choosing a strong research topic is the critical first step when it comes to crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project. If you’ve landed on this post, chances are you’re looking for a nursing-related research topic , but aren’t sure where to start. Here, we’ll explore a variety of nursing-related research ideas and topic thought-starters, including general nursing, medical-surgical nursing, pediatric nursing, obstetrics and gynaecological nursing, ICU and mental health nursing.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps . In this post, we’ll kickstart the process by sharing some research topic ideas within the nursing domain. This is the starting point, but to develop a well-defined research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , along with a well-justified plan of action to fill that gap.

If you’re new to the oftentimes perplexing world of research, or if this is your first time undertaking a formal academic research project, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course. In it, we cover the process of writing a dissertation or thesis from start to end. Be sure to also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to find a high-quality research topic. 

Overview: Nursing Research Topics

• General nursing-related topics
• Medical-surgical nursing
• Pediatric nursing
• Obstetrics and gynaecological nursing
• ICU nursing
• Mental health nursing

General Nursing Research Topics & Ideas

• The impact of cultural competence on patient care in the UK
• The importance of evidence-based practice in nursing for patients with HIV/AIDS
• The effects of workplace stress on nurse well-being and performance
• The role of nurse-patient communication for patients transitioning from adolescent to adult care
• The impact of technology on nursing practice and patient outcomes
• The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in healthcare for the rehabilitation of patients post-surgery
• The effects of fatigue on nurse performance in the emergency room
• The impact of nurse staffing levels on patient outcomes in rural areas
• The effectiveness of nurse-led interventions in managing chronic conditions: a case study of diabetes
• The impact of patient-centred care on health outcomes for the elderly
• The importance of patient safety in nursing: bedside nurse vigilance
• The effects of empathy and compassion in critical care nursing
• The role of nursing in disaster preparedness and response: a case study of the Haiti earthquake of 2021
• The impact of the level of nursing education on patient outcomes
• The importance of ethical considerations in frail care nursing practice

Topics & Ideas: Medical-Surgical Nursing

• The impact of bedside care on patient outcomes in medical-surgical units
• The role of the nurse in managing post-operative patient pain
• The effects of nurse-patient ratios on patient outcomes in medical-surgical units
• A systematic review of different approaches to patient education in medical-surgical units
• The relationship between nurse-patient communication and patient satisfaction in medical-surgical units: perspectives and recommendations to improving patient satisfaction

Topics & Ideas: Pediatrics Nursing

• The impact of family-centered care on pediatric patient outcomes with sickle cell anemia
• The role of nursing interventions in promoting developmental and behavioral health in pediatric patients
• The effects of play therapy on anxiety and pain in pediatric patients during hospitilisation
• A systematic review of different approaches to pain management in pediatric cancer patients
• The relationship between parent involvement and post-operative patient outcomes in pediatric units

Ideas: Obstetrics and Gynecological Nursing

• The impact of nurse-led prenatal care on maternal and fetal outcomes in African American communities
• The role of the nurse in promoting sexual and reproductive health for women in the UK
• The effects of midwifery care on maternal satisfaction of primiparous women and birth outcomes
• A comparative study of different approaches to childbirth education for expectant mothers and partners: perceptions of control
• The relationship between lactation support and breastfeeding success of primiparous women

Topics & Ideas: ICU Nursing

• The impact of nursing interventions on patient outcomes in intensive care units in a developing country
• The role of the nurse in managing palliative and end-of-life care in the ICU
• The effects of family presence on patient outcomes and satisfaction in the ICU: A systematic review of the literature
• A comparative study of different approaches to pain management for trauma patients in the ICU
• The relationship between nurse-patient communication and geriatric patient outcomes in ICU

Topics & Ideas: Mental Health Nursing

• The impact of nurse-led therapy on adolescent patient outcomes in mental health settings
• The role of the nurse in promoting recovery and resiliency in mental health patients through group interventions
• The effects of mindfulness-based interventions on stress and anxiety in mental health patients: A systematic literature review
• A comparative study of the role of nurses in applying different approaches to patient education in mental health settings
• The association between nurse-patient therapeutic alliance and patient outcomes in mental health settings

Nursing Dissertation & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a nursing-related research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various nursing-related degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• Nursing Workload and Interventions of Licensed Nurses in Nursing Homes: An Observational Time and Motion Study (Kang, 2021)
• Missed Nursing Care: Accounting for Education, Experience, and Job Satisfaction in Registered Nurses (Bechard, 2021)
• Examining Predictors of Attitudes and Knowledge of Registered Nurses and Nursing Students in Tennessee toward Pregnant and Perinatal Women with a Substance Use Disorder (Patrylo, 2021)
• A Program Evaluation of the Organizational Readiness for Pathway to Excellence at Two Community Hospitals  (Behling, 2021)
• The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic Policy Decisions on the Wellbeing of Nursing Home Residents in Missouri (White, 2022)
• Battling A Parallel Pandemic: An Evaluation of Sustainable System-Level Nursing Support in Response To COVID-19 (Gifford, 2022)
• Holistic Nursing Process Maps: a Tool for Student Nurses to Operationalize the Nursing Process to Increase Clinical Reasoning (Reyes, 2022)
• Satisfaction and Work-Life Balance in Undergraduate Nursing Faculty: A Mixed-Methods Study (Crawford, 2021)
• The Effect of Mindfulness Meditation on the Stress, Anxiety, Mindfulness, and Self-Compassion Levels of Nursing Students (Heinrich, 2022)
• Effectiveness of Simulation-Based Case Studies in Undergraduate Nursing Students (Becnel, 2022)
• A Telehealth Simulation Experiment: Exploring Prebriefing (Owen, 2022)
• Perceptions of Lateral Violence Among Vocational Nursing Students, Associate Degree Nursing Students, and Bachelor’s Degree Nursing Students (Martha, 2022)
• Nurse Educators’ Description of Ethics from a Disciplinary Perspective: A Qualitative Descriptive Research Study (Cuchetti, 2022)
• A Literature Review of the Relationship Between Oral Health and Pneumonia Risk in the Geriatric Nursing Home Population (Swift, 2021)

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are quite specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. This is an important thing to keep in mind as you develop your own research topic. That is to say, to create a top-notch research topic, you must be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

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• Research topics related to

100+ Research topics related to Medical Surgical Nursing

• January 5, 2023
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Looking for research topics related to Medical-Surgical Nursing? this page might help you come up with ideas. Research topics are subjects or issues researchers are interested in when conducting research. A well-defined research topic is the starting point of every successful research project. Choosing a topic is an ongoing process by which researchers explore, define, and refine their ideas.

There are many research topics related to Medical-Surgical Nursing, depending on your specialization and interests. The topics below are only for guides. We do not encourage writing on any of them because thousands of people visit this page also to get an idea of what project topics to write on.

Medical-Surgical Nursing is a specialty nursing practice that focuses on the care of adult patients who are acutely ill, with different medical conditions or diseases, and those who are recovering from surgery (perioperative care). The primary purposes of research topics related to Medical-Surgical Nursing are to inform action, gather evidence for theories, and solutions to problems, and contribute to developing knowledge.

Research topics related to Medical Surgical Nursing

• A Cultural Historical Study Of A Moravian Mission Station At The Southern Extreme Of Africa
• A Lifestyle Intervention Of Weight-Gain Restriction: Diet And Exercise In Obese Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
• A Nursing Care Study Of A Patient With Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus
• Academic Factors Affecting Learning At A Nursing College
• Aids Awareness In Nursing Staff And Students
• Alcohol Consumption By Nursing Students In Honduras
• Alcohol Use And Spirituality Among Nursing Students
• An Analysis Of Hiv Risk Practices Amongst Women Of Child-Bearing Age
• An Analysis Of Students’ Perspectives About Nursing Education
• An Analysis Of The Increase In Mortality Rate As A Result Of Abortion Among Young Women
• An Analysis Of United Nations Conventions On Prevention And Control Of Narcotic Drugs And Psychotropic Substances
• Anaemia In Pregnancy_A Case Study Of Attendees At Ante-Natal Clinic
• Applying Psychosocial Theories For Nursing Students
• Assessing The Reduction Of Back And Posterior Pelvic Pain In Pregnancy
• Assessment Of Access And Use Of Protective Methods Among Patients Availing Hiv/Aids Health Care Services
• Assessment Of Eclampsia Management Among Nurses And Midwives In Secondary Health Care Facilities
• Assessment Of Knowledge And Approaches Of Nurses Towards Cancer Pain Management
• Assessment Of Relapse Prevention Among Psychiatric Patients
• Assessment Of The Causes Of Premarital Sex Among Undergraduate Students
• Assessment Of The Perception, Attitude, And Experience Of Nosocomial Infections
• Attitude Of Nurses Towards Relapse Prevention Among Psychiatric Patients
• Attitudes Of Jordanian Nursing Students Towards Nursing Research
• Beginning Regular Exercise In Early Pregnancy: Effect On Fetoplacental Growth
• Body Proportions And Early Neonatal Morbidity In Small Forgestational-Age Infants Of Successive Births Exercise
• Bridging Sectors: Partnerships Between Nonprofits And Private Developers
• Challenges And Dilemmas Facing Community Development Corporations In The United States.
• Challenges Of Exclusive Breast Feeding Among Working Class Women
• Challenges Of Nursing Process Utilization And How To Promote Nursing Process Knowledge Among Nurses
• Conceptions Of Social Enterprise And Social Entrepreneurship In Europe And The United States
• Contraceptive Use Among Female Students
• Counter Transference Among Nursing Students
• Demographic Determinants Of Exclusive And Non- Exclusive Breastfeeding Among Nursing Mothers
• Determinants Of Child Bearing Women’S Choice Of Health Care
• Determining The Serum Protein Levels And Cic Level In Cerebral Malaria Patients
• Developing A Marketing Strategy For Nonprofit Organizations: An Exploratory Study
• Doctoral Nursing Students’ Viewpoints About The Nursing Ph.D. Curriculum
• Drain Following Abilities Of Nursing Students
• Education And Health Factors Influencing Growth Of Rural Haitian Children
• Effect Of Antenatal Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise On Mode Of Delivery
• Effect Of Exercise On The Intensity Of Low Back Pain In Pregnant Women
• Effect Of Maternal Literacy On The Nutrition Status Of Child 0 – 5 Years
• Effect Of Traditional Processing Methods On The Micro-Elements Of Plantain
• Effectiveness Of Exclusive Breastfeeding In The Development Of Under 5 Children.
• Effects Of Acupuncture And Stabilising Exercises As Adjunct To Standard Treatment
• Effects Of Maternal Attributes On Malnutrition In Children
• Effects Of Maternal Surgical Weight Loss In Mothers On Intergenerational Transmission Of Obesity
• Emotional Intelligence And Nursing Performance Among Nursing Students
• Entry Criteria And Nursing Students’ Success
• Evaluating Web-Based Pelvic Floor Muscle Education For Pregnant Women
• Exercise Training In Pregnancy Reduces Offspring Size Without Changes In Maternal Insulin Sensitivity
• Exploring Nursing Students’ Understanding Of Being Regulated
• Factors Affecting Satisfaction Of Nursing Students Of Nursing Major
• Federal Policy And The Rise Of Nonprofit Housing Providers
• Finnish Nurses’ And Nursing Students’ Mathematical Skills
• Government Financing Of Nonprofit Activity
• Health Education; An Important Tool In Health Promotion
• Home Environment And Its Effect On Academic Performance Among Secondary School Students
• How Nursing Students Can Empower Professionals
• Hybrid Organizations And The Third Sector: Challenges For Practice, Theory, And Policy
• Hybridity As A Permanent And Inevitable Characteristic Of The Third Sector
• Improper Management Of An Abattoir Its Effect And The Way Out
• Influence Of Feeding Pattern On The Nutritional Status Of School Children (5-10 Years) In Mgbirichi
• Intimate Partner Violence Amongst Undergraduate Nursing Students
• Knowledge And Attitude Of Nurses Towards Research
• Knowledge And Attitude Of Nursing Mother On Exclusive Breastfeeding
• Knowledge And Perception Of Hypertension And It’S Management Among Clients/Patients
• Knowledge And Use Of Psychoactive Substances Among Undergraduate Students Of Ahmadu Bello University
• Knowledge Awareness And Benefits Of National Health Insurance Scheme Among Civil Servant In Uyo Lga
• Knowledge Of Nursing Students On Psychotropic Drugs
• Knowledge Of Sex Education Among Adolescents In Secondary Schools
• Knowledge, Attitude And Practice Of Standard Precautions Among Health Care Workers
• Knowledge, Perception And Standard Precaution Among Health Workers In Nigeria
• Levels Of Empathy In Undergraduate Nursing Students
• Listening And Communication Styles In Nursing Students
• Maternal Comprehension Of Home-Based Growth Charts And Its Effect On Growth
• Maternal Education As A Factor In Child Mortality
• Measures Utilized For Prevention Of Nosocomial Infection In The Labour Ward
• Medication Administration And Final Year Nursing Students
• Meta-Cognitive Strategies And Nursing Students’ Achievement
• Metacognitive Strategies Adopted By Nursing Students
• Moral Reasoning Among Graduate Students In Nursing
• Native American Graduate Nursing Students’ Learning Experiences
• Nigeria Nursing Students’ Practical Experience Of Computer Applications In Nursing
• Nonprofits And Government: Collaboration And Conflict.
• Nonprofits For Hire: The Welfare State In The Age Of Contracting
• Numeracy Skills Of Nursing Students
• Nursing Care Study Of A Patient With Myocardial Infection
• Nursing Students Practice Primary Fire Prevention
• Nursing Students With Disabilities: One Faculty’S Journey
• Nursing Students’ Awareness Of Nursing And Future Career
• Nursing Students’ Perceptions Of Patient Dignity
• Nursing Students’ Perceptions Of The Psychiatric Nursing Experience
• Nursing Students’ Personal Experiences Involving Alcohol Problems
• Nursing Students’ Personal Qualities: A Descriptive Study
• Nursing Students’ Pharmacological Knowledge And Calculation Skills
• Nursing Students’ Willingness To Blow The Whistle
• Of Family Income And Parents’ Education On The Nutritional Status Of Preschool Children
• Parental Awareness Of Adolescent Substance Use
• Patient Care Service Delivery System Using Timed Coloured Petri Nets
• Patient Perception And Satisfaction With Healthcare Professionals At Primary Care Facilities
• Patient Safety: Knowledge Of Undergraduate Nursing Students
• Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Preventing Urinary And Anal Incontinence During Pregnancy
• Perceived Benefits Of Exercise Among Pregnant Mothers In Ikwo Local Government Area Ebonyi State
• Perceptions Of Nursing: A Study Involving Nurses, Nursing Students, Patients, And Non-Nursing Students
• Physical Exercise During Pregnancy
• Posttraumatic Stress Among Undergraduate Emergency Nursing Students
• Pregnancy Complications And Outcomes Among Overweight And Obese Nulliparous Women
• Prepregnancy Weight And The Risk Of Adverse Pregnancy Outcome
• Presenting Structural Innovation In An Institutional Environment: Hospitals’ Use Of Impression Management
• Prevalence Of Hepatitis Virus Infection Among Pregnant Women
• Prevalence Of Hiv/Aids In Nigeria: Strategies For Enhancing Prevention
• Prevalence Of Malnutrition Among Children Under Five
• Preventing Excessive Weight Gain During Pregnancy Through Dietary And Lifestyle Counseling
• Primary Health Care In Developing Countries: Overcoming Operational, Technical, And Social Barriers
• Problem Of Pregnancy And Abortion On Girl-Child Education In Nigeria
• Professional Nursing Values Among Baccalaureate Nursing Students In Hong Kong
• Psychoactive Substance Use Among Young People
• Psychosocial Characteristics Of Aids Patients With Unsuppressed Viral Load After Six Months Of Antiretroviral Therapy
• Public–Private Partnerships: From Contested Concept To Prevalent Practice
• Randomized Controlled Trial To Prevent Excessive Weight Gain In Pregnant Women
• Retention Of Pregnancy-Related Weight In The Early Postpartum Period: Implications For Women’s Health Services
• Role Of Maternal Literacy And Nutrition Knowledge In Determining Children’s Nutritional Status
• Self-Assessed Level Of Graduating Nursing Students’ Nursing Skills
• Sexual Harassment Of Nurses And Nursing Students
• Shelter And Society: Theory, Research, And Policy For Nonprofit Housing
• Socio-Cultural Factors Influencing Women’s Participation In Sport
• Socio-Economic Determinants Of Child Nutritional Status: Boys Versus Girls
• Socioeconomic Differentials In Child Nutrition And Morbidity
• Strategic Management In Hybrid Organizations
• Stress And Stressors Among Nursing Students
• Stress Coping Styles Among Nursing Students
• Study Skills For Nursing And Healthcare Students
• Survey Of Divorce Among Women And It’s Effects On Children’s Academic Achievement
• Temporary Crises And Policy Change: The Case Of State Substance Abuse Systems.
• The Appointed State: Quasi-Government Organisations And Democracy
• The Associations Of Gestational Weight Gain With Offspring Body Mass Index And Blood Pressure At 21 Years Of Age: Evidence From A Birth Cohort Study
• The Causes And Effects Of Pneumonia In Under Five Years Old Children
• The Cdc Model Of Urban Redevelopment: A Critique And An Alternative
• The Determinants Of Induced Abortion Among Undergraduates Students
• The Effect Of Maternal Education On Child Nutritional Status
• The Effects Of Dietary Counseling On Gestational Weight Gain And Glucose Metabolism In Obese Pregnant Women
• The Exercise During Pregnancy And The Postpartum Period
• The Gestational Weight Gain And Child Adiposity At Age 3 Years
• The Ideational System Of Social Movement Agencies: An Examination Of Feminist Health Centers
• The Impact Of Aids Awareness Among Nursing Students
• The Impact Of Drug Abuse On The Marketing Of Pharmaceutical Products In Nigeria
• The Impact Of Enterprise Community Partners
• The Impact Of Exercise Training In Pregnancy For Obese Women
• The Impact Of HIV/AIDS Programme On Sexual Health In Youths
• The Impact Of Nursing Assistance Systematization: Nursing Students’ Opinion
• The Impact Of Nursing Students’ Experiences Of Care
• The Impact Of Obesity And Pregnancy
• The Impact Of Public Development Authorities.
• The Importance Of Social Workers In An Hospital
• The Influence Of Excessive Intake Of Alcohol Among University Of Uyo Students
• The Knowledge And Practice Of Contraception Among Male Adolescent Students Of College Of Education
• The New Political Economy: The Public Use Of The Private Sectorpublic–Private Partnerships And Hybridity.
• The Nutritional Management Of People Living With Peptic Ulcer
• The Nutritional Quality Of Cassava Based Product Enriched With Mungbean Flour
• The Performance Challenge In Nonprofit Organizations.
• The Politics Of Quasi-Government: Hybrid Organizations And The Dynamics Of Bureaucratic Control
• The Power Of Social Innovation: How Civic Entrepreneurs Ignite Community Networks For Good
• The Predictors Of Pregnancy-Associated Change In Physical Activity In A Rural White Population
• The Presence Of Hepatitis B Envelope Antibody In Patients Who Have Been Previously Screened For The Surface Antigen
• The Public–Private Distinction In Organizational Theory
• The Rationalization Of Charity: The Influences Of Professionalism In The Nonprofit Sector.
• The Relationship Between Childhood Malnutrition And Maternal Knowledge And Beliefs Regarding Nutrition
• The Relationship Between Drug Abuse And Tone Of Discipline In Secondary Schools
• The Responsible Behaviour For Nursing Students
• The Role Of Nurses In the Management Of Typhoid In West Africa
• The Role Of Social Capital In The Creation Of Sustainable Livelihoods
• The Role Of The Family In the Prevention Of Hiv/Aids Among Youths In The Society
• The Role Of The Social Worker In The Reunification Of Foster Children With Their Biological Parents
• The Stress Sources Of Nursing Students
• The  Endurance Exercise And Pregnancy Outcome
• Treatment And Prevention Of Sexually Transmitted Disease
• Utilization Of Mobile Technology For Knowledge Update Among Nurses In Primary And Secondary Healthcare Settings
• Yoga Improves Psychophysical Health Of Nursing Students

Source : Projectchampionz

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Predicting medical-surgical nurses' work satisfaction and intent to stay

Steele-Moses, Susan K. DNS, RN

Susan K. Steele-Moses is the retired dean of the school of health professions and a professor at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in Baton Rouge, La., an associate professor at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La., and a doctoral faculty member at Grand Canyon University-Online and the University of Phoenix-Online.

This research study was funded by an unrestricted grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents, Nursing Supply and Demand Commission. HCWF-OLOLC-RECRUITMENT-16. The author and planners have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.

For 135 additional nursing continuing professional development articles related to management topics, go to NursingCenter.com/CE .

Factors that promote work satisfaction include adequate staffing and manageable workloads, a supportive manager, and peers who employees like to work with. This study looks at predictors of workplace satisfaction and intent to stay among medical-surgical nurses.

High turnover rates and poor nurse retention are ongoing issues for healthcare organizations. In 2019, the RN turnover in acute care hospitals was reported to be 17.5%, with an average cost of $52,100 to replace each nurse. 1 This resulted in an average loss to hospitals of $5.2 million. 1 Work satisfaction is one predictor of nurse retention. 2 Factors that promote work satisfaction include adequate staffing and manageable workloads, a supportive manager, and peers who employees like to work with. 2-9 Although pay and sign-on bonuses can be motivational, their impact diminishes over time. 10 The purpose of this study was to determine which factors promote work satisfaction and intent to stay among medical-surgical nurses.

Literature review

The literature is replete with predictors of workplace satisfaction and factors that promote nurse retention. Researchers have identified key predictors of nurse satisfaction, including age, nurse-patient ratios, manager/leadership influence, practice environment, professional attributes, and rewards and recognition.

The age of the nurse influences job satisfaction and retention. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 150 nurses employed in a teaching hospital, with results supporting that age was a significant predictor of job satisfaction and nurse retention. The findings suggest that younger, less experienced nurses were more likely to be dissatisfied and leave the organization within 2 years of employment. 11 These results could be related to the number of millennials in the sample, as well as their need to work where they have instant gratification and recognition, work-life balance, collaboration, and an opportunity to advance. 4,10 In a study conducted with 208 RNs, it was further supported that older, more embedded nurses were more likely to remain in their current position than their younger 20- to 29-year-old counterparts. 12

Nurse-patient ratios

Nurse-patient ratios are often attributed to decreased work satisfaction. 1,3,4,13-15 In a cross-sectional study of 1,209 hospital nurses, staffing resource adequacy was the greatest predictor of workplace satisfaction. 15 Although the number of patient assignments is important, this number is relative based on the acuity of the assignment. 16-18 In acute care hospitals today, the patients managed on an inpatient unit have a higher acuity than in years past. Thus, staffing models should be based on patient acuity rather than patient ratios. 16,18

Manager/leadership influence

Manager behaviors influence nursing satisfaction and retention. Nurses expect their managers to be effective at the unit level and communicate information that affects their work. 7,10,19,20 In a descriptive qualitative study, what nurses expected from their manager differed. Nurses early in their careers had high expectations of leadership and expressed disappointment and felt stranded when their concerns weren't valued. Mid- and late-career nurses were disappointed that their manager didn't acknowledge their expertise or involved them in decision-making. Overall, when managers weren't engaged and visible on the unit, manager-staff relations suffered. 13,19

Practice environment

The practice environment is inherently important to a nurse's intent to stay on a medical-surgical unit. 21 When nurses are involved in unit decisions, enjoy working with their peers, and have a variety of patient assignments, satisfaction increases. 7,13,14,19-21 In one qualitative study, aspects of the practice environment that were important to nurses included working with nurses who respected them, having a voice in decision-making, and having room to grow. 19 Further, when nurses felt they were respected members of the healthcare team and believed that their talents were appreciated and their contributions acknowledged, they were more likely to remain. 21

Professional attributes

Professional satisfaction is a key driver of job satisfaction. In a descriptive cross-sectional study, autonomy, professional status, and the quality of work interactions were the professional attributes leading to nursing job satisfaction. 22 When nurses are employed by a Magnet ® facility, they perceive that professionalism is valued. 4,7,14,20 In a secondary data analysis comparison of Magnet and non-Magnet hospitals, Magnet hospitals had significantly better work environments and more highly educated nurses. 20

Rewards and recognition

Although intrinsic rewards are important, monetary reimbursement alone isn't adequate to promote job satisfaction and retention. In one descriptive survey, the Index of Workforce Satisfaction (IWS) was used to explore characteristics of professional work environments that affect satisfaction and turnover. Satisfaction with pay was the single most important factor related to nurse retention. 23 Although many may believe that pay is the most important factor to retain nurses, the reward is short-lived and a weak predictor of sustained nurse retention. 24

Theoretical framework

Herzberg's Motivational Theory contains two factors: motivation and hygiene. 25 Motivational factors are defined as intrinsically rewarding, inspire employees toward superior performance, and are the most predictive of workplace satisfaction. 25 Conversely, hygiene factors are defined as those job factors that are essential but don't predict positive long-term workplace satisfaction. As depicted in Figure 1 , when hygiene factors are in place, they usually result in general satisfaction and prevent dissatisfaction. 25 However, the motivational factors result in high employee motivation, satisfaction, and strong commitment. 25

This study was approved by the nursing research council and the clinical research department of a Magnet-recognized hospital in southeastern Louisiana. The hospital's Institutional Review Board affiliate reviewed the study and deemed it minimal risk and exempt.

The sample consisted of all full- and part-time medical-surgical RNs whose primary assignment was on a medical-surgical unit. The facility has 10 medical-surgical units with approximately 285 RNs. These include oncology, neurology, telemetry, orthopedic/neurology surgery, general surgery, and general medicine. Three hundred and fifteen nurses attempted the survey; however, eight (2.54%) weren't RNs, 107 (33.97%) weren't primarily assigned to a medical-surgical unit, and 49 (15.56%) began the survey but missed questions and had to be eliminated. The final sample consisted of 151 (47.93%) RNs from a Magnet hospital in southeastern Louisiana.

Instrumentation

The adapted IWS questionnaire, which aligns with constructs of Herzberg's Motivational Theory, measured the nurses' work satisfaction. The instrument contained 60 items, measured over nine subscales, and was internally consistent. Each subscale contained five to eight items; was measured on a 5-point Likert scale (strongly agree to strongly disagree); and evaluated known components of nurse work satisfaction: role function, autonomy, professional development, professional status, work interaction, supportive nurse manager, decision-making, working conditions, and pay. Nurses also rated their intent to stay in their current position for the next 12 months on the same 5-point Likert scale.

Data collection

The instrument was entered into an online survey tool for data collection. The director of nursing research emailed a cover letter containing the survey link to the nursing staff. A reminder email was sent every third day for 2 weeks. At the end of the 2 weeks, the survey was closed.

Data analysis

After the data were collected, the nurse's responses were downloaded from the online survey tool and uploaded into statistical software. First, the demographic variables and IWS subscales were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Next, the IWS total score and subscale scores were analyzed by demographic variable using an analysis of variance or an independent t -test. Finally, those variables that showed a statistically significant difference were entered into a regression model to predict workforce satisfaction and its subcomponents.

Overall, the nurses in the sample were predominately female and held a baccalaureate degree in nursing. The mean score for the nurses' overall job satisfaction indicated that they had a moderate level of satisfaction. Autonomy and work interaction had the highest satisfaction scores, with working conditions and pay falling below 3.0. (See Table 1 .)

As noted in Table 2 , only the nurses' age and work experience made a significant difference in their job satisfaction. There was a significant difference in job satisfaction when age was considered. When years of experience were considered, nurses with 2 to 5 years of experience had a lower work satisfaction score than the other two groups. There was no difference in job satisfaction based on gender or degree type.

The subscales were further analyzed based on Herzberg's Motivational Theory, which contends that hygiene factors are essential but don't lead to sustainable work satisfaction. Conversely, motivation factors are intrinsically rewarding, foster superior performance, and hold the greatest prediction of work satisfaction. 11 As noted in Table 3 , both age and work experience had a significant effect on hygiene factors. The greatest difference was among nurses ages 20 to 29 when compared with the other three groups, whereas nurses with 2 to 5 years of experience were significantly less satisfied when compared with their counterparts. Only age had a significant effect on motivation factors, with nurses ages 40 to 49 scoring significantly higher than the other age groups. Neither gender nor degree type influenced motivational or hygiene factors.

When nurses were asked about their intent to stay in their current position, 56% of them (n = 84) planned to remain on their current unit for the next year. When nurses didn't intend to stay on their unit over the next year, 37 of the 56 (66%) planned to leave the hospital altogether. As depicted in Table 4 , all the variables correlated with the nurse's intention to remain on their current unit at 0.3 or higher except for time as an RN, educational preparation, and length of time on the unit.

Age and the nine subscales of role function, autonomy, professional development, professional status, work interaction, supportive nurse manager, decision-making, working conditions, and pay were entered into a regression model to determine intent to stay. Fifty-six percent of the variance of whether a nurse intended to stay on their current unit was predicted by four variables: age, role function, supportive management, and pay, with a good model fit. Thus, when nurses were older, were satisfied with their role functions, had a supportive manager, and were paid fairly, they were 22.4% more likely to remain on their unit than leave it.

Research supports that work satisfaction increases when a nurse's role is challenging and diverse. 11,22 In this study, nurses were 3.76 times more likely to remain on their nursing unit if they were satisfied with their role function. When nurses could effectively use their skills, were satisfied with their work activities, had enough time to provide quality patient care, and paperwork was kept at a minimum, nurses were more satisfied. Therefore, these findings support Herzberg's theory that when employees feel their work is challenging, interesting, and enriching, their work satisfaction increases.

Previous research findings support that compensation is a strong antecedent to work satisfaction. 22,23 In this study, pay and benefits were the second strongest predictor of a nurse's intent to stay. To retain nurses, this hospitals' human resources department completes an annual market analysis and adjusts compensation accordingly. In addition, nurses employed before 2006 are enrolled in a lucrative pension plan, which is rare in the current healthcare landscape.

Management and leadership behaviors influence nurse satisfaction. 13,19,21 In this study, when nurses perceived that their manager and nurse administrators were supportive, they were 1.78 times more likely to remain on their medical-surgical unit. When nurse managers and nurse administrators were available to guide their work, provided praise and recognition, listened, and responded to their concerns, the nurses were happier and more likely to stay.

Finally, research supports that age is a significant predictor of nurse satisfaction. 4,10,21,26,27 In this study, when nurses were younger, they were more dissatisfied in their current nursing position and more likely to leave. Younger nurses want to work in an environment with instant gratification, recognition, work-life balance, collaboration, and an opportunity to advance. 4,6,14,26 Conversely, older nurses may be more embedded and likely to remain in their current position than their younger counterparts. 2,12,21

Recommendations for nurse managers

Recommendations to improve nursing satisfaction and retention include challenging nurses' potential, offering recognition beyond monetary rewards, engaging in leadership behaviors that promote retention, and understanding generational differences.

Challenge their potential

In this study, nurses wanted to feel that their skills were being used to their maximum potential. This may require the development of a professional practice model. 24 When the nurse manager implements systems that allow nurses to practice to their full potential, making autonomous decisions within their scope of practice and controlling care delivery standards for their patients, they're more satisfied. 13 To develop and sustain a nurse-directed unit, the nurse manager must affirm the decisions they make, problem solve with them, and include them in decisions that affect nursing.

One way to challenge nurses' potential and build competent teams is to ask nurses to lead a change project to impact patient outcomes. 19 Leading a clinical project provides an opportunity for nurses to identify a problem on the unit, search the literature for best practices, compare the unit's activities to their findings, and implement change as required. Once the unit activities are implemented, patient outcomes are measured and compared. 19 When nurses have input into evidence-based improvement interventions that affect them and their patients, they feel valued. 4,18

Money isn't the only reward

Although monetary rewards motivate for short periods, recognition programs that demonstrate appreciation, value, and caring about the work well done contribute to longer gratification. 2 First, recognition must be sincere and genuine. Staff members will quickly realize if the manager's actions are ingenuine or have an ulterior motive. Rewards must be individualized and meaningful. 12 Purchasing golf tees for an avid golfer or yarn for an employee who knits is effective because it demonstrates that the manager listens and knows the nurse's interests and priorities.

A “caught-ya” board is another way to recognize staff for a job well done. Provide colorful sticky notes on the unit and encourage staff members to write things about each other when they catch their peer going above and beyond. Then at the end of the month, tally the kudos given and announce the winner during the monthly staff meeting. Have gender-neutral rewards placed in a basket and allow the winner to pull one. Rewards as simple as a free lunch, a coffee gift card, or gel pens affirm to staff members that they're valued and making a difference.

Leadership behaviors that promote retention

Leadership development plays a vital role in nurse manager success. Nurses are often promoted to leadership positions based on their clinical skills rather than their leadership capabilities. Although clinical nurses are assigned a preceptor to shepherd them into their role, nurse managers are often left to fend for themselves. To promote a successful transition from clinical nurse to nurse manager, a mentor from a peer nursing unit should be assigned. It's helpful if the manager selects a mentor from their peer group to assist in the transition. Through this mentorship relationship, new managers can learn vital skills to promote their success.

Manager development is essential because the nurse manager has a significant effect on staff morale. 13 Most nurse managers want to spend more time with their staff, but other priorities often take precedence. Nurses are then left wondering whether the manager cares about them. Research supports that when nurses are asked why they stay at their job, a common response is “my manager.” 2,10,19,27 Staff members are happy when they feel that their manager makes time for them and respects their contributions to the unit. They feel cared for when the manager helps if the unit is exceptionally busy, is present at shift change, brings snacks to the night shift, or takes time to ask about how staff members' children are doing. These simple interventions—if they're consistent and genuine—will go a long way to promote nurse retention.

Understanding generational differences

Currently, there are four generations in the workforce. Although this adds to diversity, it comes with challenges. Baby boomers are well established in their careers, work extremely hard, are committed to their profession, and proud of their work ethic. 10,28,29 Generation X prefers to manage their own time, set their limits, and complete their work without supervision. 10,28-30 Millennials can become easily bored and impatient, are motivated by ambition, and need instant gratification and praise. 28,29 Although Generation Z grew up texting, they prefer face-to-face communication so they can ask for clarification, they like to work individually, they're motivated by stability, and they're naturally competitive. 28,29 The nurse manager must be aware of the generalized motivators for each generation and apply them effectively. (See Table 5 .)

Recommendations for future research

Based on the findings of this study, future research should focus on the specific attributes of the nursing unit and the nurse manager. The challenge in nursing today is to determine what younger nurses want so we can retain them. Although older nurses may choose to remain on a unit, their motivation to remain may be significantly different from that of their younger counterparts. A qualitative study exploring the specific preferences of nurses is needed.

Joy at work

For managers to retain staff, they must focus on the factors that promote nurse satisfaction. When role functions maximize employees' skills and competencies and when managers provide a supportive work environment, employees are more likely to remain on their units. Although pay needs to be fair and equitable, it will only sustain satisfaction for a short period. That's why ensuring nurses enjoy what they do and are rewarded in other ways will sustain work satisfaction for an extended period.

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A study on improving nursing clinical competencies in a surgical department: A participatory action research

Mohammad afshar.

1 Trauma Nursing Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan Iran

Hamidreza Sadeghi‑Gandomani

2 Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan Iran

Negin Masoudi Alavi

Associated data.

The purpose of the present study was to improve clinical competencies in nursing staff in a selected surgical department in Kashan/Iran during 2016–2018.

This was a participatory action research.

This action research was implemented in four steps of problem identification, planning, action and reflection. Interviews, focus groups and observation were used for the qualitative part. Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire‐II, job satisfaction and patients' satisfaction questionnaires were completed before and after the study. Qualitative content analysis, paired and independent t test were used for data analysis.

Three main problems could affect the clinical competencies including professional insufficiency, basic shortages and external influences. Three changes were implemented in the surgical department including improving education, involving nursing students in patients' education and increasing the motivations by peer evaluation and selecting the nurse of the week. The changes significantly increased patients' satisfaction, nurses' job satisfaction and work effectiveness.

Impact Statement

• Educational programmes that are presented by the nursing staff are useful in increasing their competencies and satisfaction.
• Pedagogical strategies such as selecting the nurse of the week can increase the motivations and job satisfaction in nurses.
• Nursing students in educational hospitals that have nursing shortage can help nursing staff in patients' education.

1. INTRODUCTION

Nurses are the largest group of health professionals, and their competencies have a crucial role in the quality of health services (Fukada, 2018 ). Competency is a complex and multi‐dimensional concept that has different definitions. Understanding discipline knowledge, mastery of discipline‐specific skills, ability to use sound professional judgement, adherence to professional standards and application of skills and knowledge have been defined as competency in nursing (Church, 2016 ).

Clinical competency has been a challenging issue in nursing profession (Abbasi, Bahreini, Yazdankhah Fard, & Mirzaei, 2017 ). The feeling of low competency could decrease job satisfaction and increase occupational withdrawal; it also influences the quality of care (Wade et al., 2008 ). On the contrary, feeling competent could decrease burnout and increase self‐confidence (Greco, Laschinger, & Wong, 2006 ).

Nursing care in surgical departments needs considerable clinical competencies. Surgery is a traumatic procedure, and patients need special care. (Fero, Witsberger, Wesmiller, Zullo, & Hoffman, 2009 ; Majid et al., 2011 ). Many patients confront complex situations, and nurses should be competent in making urgent and correct clinical decisions in surgical wards (Jangland, Nyberg, & Yngman‐Uhlin, 2017 ). Besides, infection is an important issue in surgical departments and surgical nurses must be competent in implementing infection control strategies (Troughton et al., 2019 ).

2. BACKGROUND

Studies in Iran show that nurses estimate their clinical competency to be at a moderate or good level (Adib Hajbaghery & Eshraghi Arani, 2018 ; Elhami, Ban, Mousaviasl, & Zahedi, 2018 ; Karami, Farokhzadian, & Foroughameri, 2017 ). In a study conducted in Iran, job satisfaction and clinical competency were good and these two variables had a statistically significant and direct relation (Abbasi et al., 2017 ). However, in prevention of hospital infections, their competencies were at a novice level (Teymourzadeh, Bahadori, Fattahi, Khodadost, & Shokri, 2019 ). Another study showed that most of the nurses had undesirable competency in spiritual care (Adib‐Hajbaghery, Zehtabchi, & Fini, 2017 ). These studies show that there are controversies in clinical competencies of the nurses in Iran.

There are few studies about the improvement of professional competencies in nursing. A study in Korea showed that critical reflection programme can improve critical thinking and communication abilities among novice nurses (Kim, Min, Kim, & Shin, 2018 ). Empowering nurses and supervisors with workshop and educational materials could improve the overall patient safety culture in Iran (Amiri, Khademian, & Nikandish, 2018 ). Another study showed an externship programme and a corporate‐academic cooperation programme can enhance junior college students' nursing competence and retention rates (Tseng, Hsieh, Chen, & Lou, 2013 ). Most of these researches are quasi‐experimental studies that use external interventions to create temporary outcomes. Mixed methods within a Participatory Action Research (PAR) provide a greater understanding of the situation and ensure realistic interventions to influence behavioural change in specific settings (Sendall, McCosker, Brodie, Hill, & Crane, 2018 ).

Participatory action research is a systematic approach that assists participants in articulating their research needs and developing strategies to address them. Participants are equal partners and often named as co‐researcher. Empowering and change in practice are the aims of PAR (Cusack, Cohen, Mignone, Chartier, & Lutfiyya, 2018 ). This research method is proper for making changes and quality improvement. This PAR was designed to improve the clinical competency of nurses and its application in nurses working in a selected surgical department.

2.1. Design of the study

The design of the present study was PAR. The idea of the study was derived from the nursing practice and observing that nurses were not using their clinical competencies in their usual work. Four phases of problem identification, planning, action and reflecting were used in this study (Figure  1 ) (Nhamo, 2012 ). This manuscript has been prepared according to the Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE 2.0)—See Appendix S1 .

The steps of participatory action research

3.1. Study settings and participants

The setting of the PAR was a surgical department in a general hospital in Kashan/Iran. This ward provides services to male patients with orthopaedic and urology surgeries. In average, length of stay in this ward is 3 days. The first cycle of this PAR was started in September 2016 and ended in May 2018.

A head nurse and all the staff nurses, a matron, supervisors and two nursing faculty members and a PhD student of Kashan University of Medical Sciences participated in this study. The head of the department was a surgeon invited in the first meeting to get familiar to the project and to facilitate the communication between PAR and surgery team. An orthopaedic surgeon also took part in a meeting related to the interventions and provided his suggestions.

3.2. Data collection

The qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analysed simultaneously.

Qualitative data: Interviews, focus groups and observation were used for data collection. The head nurse and staff nurses were interviewed in the beginning and in the end of the study. The interviews were semi‐structured and were held in a room in the surgical department. In the beginning of the study, the interview started with statements such as: Please explain one day of your work; how do you feel about your clinical competencies? What are your experiences in providing good quality nursing care? How do you think you can reach to the maximum of your clinical competencies? In the end of the study, the interviews were focused on the participants' experiences of PAR and its outcomes. The patients were also interviewed about their experiences in receiving nursing care and how they feel about the competencies of the nurses.

There were 16 focus groups and five meetings during the study period. The first focus groups were about the analysis of the interviews and problem identification. Later, focus groups were held to decide about the possible interventions, to discuss the effects of the interventions and to solve the practical problems. The head nurse scheduled focus groups in a way that all the nurses from all the shifts could attend at least one of the meetings. All the interviews and meetings were audio‐taped and transcribed.

The coordinator of the study (PhD student) was present in the surgical department at different shifts. He observed the behaviours of the nurses when they were providing care to the patients. The field notes were about the clinical behaviours of the nurses in the surgical ward and their use of competencies.

Quantitative date: Three questionnaires were completed at the beginning of the study in September 2016 and at the end of the study in May 2018. Two questionnaires were completed by all the staff nurses to measure their work effectiveness and job satisfaction. The third questionnaire was completed by the patients to measure their satisfaction with nursing care. It was assumed that if the nurses' competencies would improve during PAR, they will provide better care, and this will be reflected on patients' satisfaction through its increase.

• The Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire‐II (CWEQ‐II): This is a 19‐item questionnaire that measures respondent's perceived access to opportunity, information, support and resources and perceived formal and informal power in their work environment. This questionnaire has been developed by Laschinger, Finegan, Shamian, and Wilk ( 2001 ). The items have a 5‐point Likert scale, with higher scores representing higher levels of empowerment; possible scores range from 6–30. The reliability coefficient of this questionnaire was reported to be 0.89 (Armstrong, Laschinger, & Wong, 2009 ). This questionnaire has been translated to Farsi. Its content validity index (CVI) and Cronbach's α coefficient have been reported to be .94 and .84, respectively (Sadeghi‐Gandomani, Alavi, & Afshar, 2019 ). Cronbach's α coefficient of this questionnaire in current study was .78.
• The Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS): This questionnaire, developed by Spector in 1985, has 36 items that is ranked on a 6‐point Likert scale ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” The subscales are as follows: pay, promotion, supervision, fringe benefits, contingent rewards, operating procedures, co‐workers, nature of work and communication. Scores on the total job satisfaction can range from 36–216. Cronbach's α coefficient of this questionnaire has been reported to be .8 (Spector, 1985 ). The Farsi translation of this questionnaire has been validated by Gholami et al. This questionnaire has good construct validity, and its Cronbach's α has been reported to be .865 (Gholami, Talebiyan, Aghamiri, & Mohammadian, 2012 ). Its Cronbach's α coefficient in this study was .82.
• The patient satisfaction questionnaire: This questionnaire has been developed by Ghods et al in Farsi language in 2011. It has 45 items and evaluates patient's satisfaction in four dimensions of empathy in caring, proficiency, negligence and cleanliness. The items have a five‐point Likert scale from completely disagree to completely agree. The possible range of scores is 45–225, with higher scores indicating higher patient satisfaction. The questionnaire has a good construct validity, and its internal consistency has been reported to be 0.7 (Ghods, Mohammadi, Vanaki, & Kazemnejad, 2011 ). Its Cronbach's α coefficient in this study was .74. Based on the ability to detect 15 differences in the score of patients' satisfaction (effect size), SD of 48.01 (Sadeghi Gandomani, Masoudi Alavi, & Afshar, 2018 ), power of .80 and α of .05, the minimum sample size was determined to be 205. A total of 250 patients completed the questionnaire before and after the study. The patients who were hospitalized for at least 48 hr and agreed to complete the questionnaires were enrolled in the study sequentially.

3.3. Data analysis

The qualitative content analysis suggested by Graneheim and Lundman ( 2004 ) was used for qualitative data analysis. The MAXQD software version 10 was used to manage the data. The content of the interviews was completely transcribed. To get a general idea, the transcripts were read by all three authors several times. Then, the text about the participants' experiences of competencies, problem identification and suggested interventions were extracted, and sub‐categories and categories were discussed by all three authors until consensus was reached.

The variables about the nurses' work effectiveness and satisfaction and patients' satisfaction were presented descriptively by frequency, mean and SD and the differences of the variables from the beginning and the end of the study were analysed using statistical tests including paired t test and independent t test. The data were analysed using SPSS version 16. A p ‐value < .05 was accepted as statistically significant.

There were 14 nurses in the ward: nine were female and five were male. All of them had bachelor's degree in nursing. The average age and work experience of the participants were 36.7 ( SD 6) and 12.7 ( SD 3) years, respectively.

4.1. Problem identification

The qualitative data: There were 20 interviews with staff nurses, head nurse, supervisors, matron and surgeons. Four patients were also interviewed. The interviews were between 32–85 min with mean duration of 56 ± 12 min. Four focus groups were held. Six field notes were also recorded. After analysing the qualitative data, three main problems were identified (Table  1 ):

• Professional insufficiency: Lack of professionalism in nurses, ineffective management and insufficient education were the sub‐categories of this problem. A nurse said: “Our priority must be education. When I don't know the things, how am I supposed to give care to the patients or feel competent? The classes and workshops that are held for us don't have good quality. Most of the time nurses just fill the presence list and leave the class. It is just like a routine work to say we had 10 workshops, and nobody cares about the quality of the programs.”
• A patient said: “The nurses change regularly I don't know their names. They don't introduce themselves. They are always in hurry and don't talk to me. They injected antibiotic to my vein so fast that I felt vertigo; I know it should be injected slowly. They do things fast and leave like they are in a race.”
• External influences: Physician‐centred services, low education of the patients and wrong policies in the ministry of health were the problems that were mentioned by the nurses. A nurse said: “In the ministry of health they just care about the benefits of the doctors, they don't pay attention to the nurses. The income of the nurses and the surgeons has no such difference in any other parts of the world. The difference is unbelievable. All the nurses had lost their motivations and interests. Why should I kill myself for patients when surgeons take all the benefits?”

Categories and sub‐categories derived from qualitative data analysis

The quantitative data: All the nurses completed the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire‐II and job satisfaction questionnaires. The score of work effectiveness was 16.25 ± 3.22 that shows a medium effectiveness. The score of job satisfaction was 111.5 ± 22.78 that showed low satisfaction. The mean score of the patient satisfaction was 136.05 ± 48.1 that showed moderate satisfaction (Table  2 ).

Patients satisfaction, nurses' job satisfaction and work effectiveness before and after first cycle of the participatory action research

4.2. Planning and action

In four focus groups, the problems and possible changes were discussed with nurses. The suggestions were analysed, and the feasibility of the plans was reviewed. Three change plans that were more applicable were selected by consensus in action research team. The action plan was designed for each change, and it was performed in 7 months (Table  3 ). The progress and possible modifications were evaluated in three focus groups:

• Educational changes: All the nurses accepted that there was a need to increase the clinical competencies by education. The nurses chose self‐learning, journal club and in‐ward short educational rounds as the methods for education. The educational subjects that were suggested by the nurses were divided between the AR team. All the members including the staff nurses presented the educational sessions inside the ward with the time frame that had been planned by the head nurse. The timetable of the educational programmes including journal clubs and educational rounds could be seen in the nursing station. Programmes were registered to the continuous medical education programme (CME) so that nurses could benefit from the hours. The mediator of the AR designed a telegram channel that all the educational programmes and films could be shared between the members. The ward did not have a library, so a small library with current references in nursing was prepared for the nurses.
• Involving the nursing students: The AR team noticed that the interaction between the nurses and the patients was inadequate, and patients were not receiving the necessary information. This was largely due to nursing shortage. The team decided to involve nursing students in patient education. With the support of the nursing faculty, the nursing students were obliged to have an active role in patients' education from admission to discharge. The head nurse and the mediator prepared the students and held several educational classes for the students.
• Increasing motivations of the nurses: The research team noticed that nurses were frustrated and thought that their services were not respected by others. The research team started a programme to increase their motivations. A peer group evaluation was designed in the ward. The nurses completed a small questionnaire with five items. They were asked to write the name of one of their colleagues that was doing the best nursing care, was the most cooperative, was the most disciplined, had more empathy with the patients and was the most knowledgeable and skilful during the past week. Every week, a nurse was selected according to the peer evaluation and small present along with acknowledgement were given to the nurse by the head nurse.

Action plan to improve clinical competencies in the nursing staff

4.3. Reflection

During action research and in the end of the programme, the reflections were gathered through focus groups and interviews. Some changes were made in the planning according to the reflections. Some educational subjects were added to the programmes such as communicational skills and new products in wound care. Overall, most of the reflections were positive and nurses stated that the changes had improved their feeling of clinical competency. A nurse said: “Educations were very helpful. The best thing was that we should not leave the ward and our colleagues knew our educational needs better. For example, the neurovascular assessment and capillary refill are very important in orthopaedic patients. We didn't use to pay attention to that but now we assess the patients. Now we know more about the wound care and our self‐confidence has improved.”

Another nurse said: “Our communication with the head nurse and supervisor has improved. We think we are more respected by the patients and the surgeons. Our teamwork is better now. I have been selected as the nurse of the week two times by my colleagues (with laugh), I think they know I am a good nurse.”

In the end of the AR, all the nurses completed the questionnaires once again. A total of 250 patients also completed the patient satisfaction questionnaire. The score of work effectiveness was increased to 25.31 ( SD 4.13) from 16.25 ( SD 3.22) that showed a statistically significant improvement ( p  = .0001). The score of job satisfaction was also increased to 163.34 ( SD 26.41) that showed a statistically significant difference ( p  = .0001). The patient satisfaction was 136.05 ( SD 48.1) that was increased to 159.4 ( SD 18.81) ( p  = .0001) (Table  2 ).

5. DISCUSSION

Nurses must provide comprehensive care to address complex and diverse needs of the patients. It is important for nurses to improve their competency and use it in their daily practice (Fukada, 2018 ). This PAR showed that simple interventions that involved nurses could improve clinical competencies. Action research is a practical way for implementing changes and reforms. This method has been used successfully in different settings. In Vietnam, AR has been used for educational reform and changing the nursing education into competency‐based nursing curriculum (Chapman, Lewis, Osborne, & Gray, 2011 ). Another PAR in Iran was relatively successful in creating a collaborative partnership between educators and practitioners to identify and enhance educational practices for the first clinical experience of the nursing students (Asadizaker, Abedsaeedi, Abedi, & Saki, 2016 ). Most of the action researches in the nursing have been focused on nursing education. Nurses in hospital departments have many problems and confront many challenges that PAR might be helpful in finding practical solutions for them. Using PAR in hospital departments could be helpful in improving the quality of care and work conditions.

This action research tried to bring the supervisors, head nurse, staff nurses and faculty members closer to each other, to achieve a common sense and consensus on how the clinical competencies can improve. Peer networks are one of the informal means for access to information support and resources. Sharing power, enhancing communication and participatory decision‐making are the prerequisite of successful change and this can improve competencies (Macphee, Skelton‐Green, Bouthillette, & Suryaprakash, 2012 ). This dynamic collaboration between nursing staff and faculty members can improve professional dignity and decrease the gap between theory and practice in nursing.

Delivery of safe and high‐quality care demands reliable teamwork and collaboration of the clinicians and the administrative staff (Rosen et al., 2018 ). In this study, the patients were also more satisfied with the nursing care after the action research. A study showed that verbal communication of the nurses with the patients had a statistically significant correlation with patient satisfaction (Sadeghi Gandomani et al., 2018 ). Involving nursing students that helped the staff nurses in patients' education and workshops on effective communication might have influenced the patient satisfaction in this PAR. Improving the quality of care that has been reflected in increasing patients' satisfaction is one of the desired outcomes in nursing profession in this study.

Improving work environment that was perceived by the nurses can result in greater professionalism, improved job satisfaction and job engagement (Fan, Zheng, Liu, & Li, 2016 ). Work environments that support professional nursing practice result in more positive outcomes for both the nurses and the patients (Spence Laschinger, Wilk, Cho, & Greco, 2009 ). PAR, regardless of its objectives and results, could improve the work environment. This could be an outcome that needs further attention and investigation.

A qualitative research showed that being valued as a learner, a team member and a person was a prominent factor in feeling empowered and competent (Bradbury‐Jones, Sambrook, & Irvine, 2011 ). In this study, interventions such as selecting the nurse of the week by co‐workers and active participation in educational programmes might make nurses to feel more valued and increase their professional dignity; this might explain the increase in job satisfaction.

Job satisfaction is an important variable and predictor of wellness in the work environment. It has a profound impact on the productivity and the effectiveness of the services (Tsounis & Sarafis, 2018 ). A study showed that empowerment, physician–nurse relationship and organizational support/trust were the most important predictors of job satisfaction (Kretzschmer et al., 2017 ). Current PAR successfully increased job satisfaction in the nurses. This might be due to the increase in the sense of effectiveness.

Nurses need to be informed about the current best practices, knowledge and skills to be able to provide safe and effective patient care. Learning opportunities that use online environment are common in continuing the education for nurses and other health professionals (Green & Huntington, 2017 ). The educational interventions were the cornerstone of this PAR. The telegram network also helped us to send educational films and texts to the nurses.

Nurses mentioned some basic shortages such as nursing shortage and substandard devices as obstacles in clinical competencies. Nursing shortages have been a serious problem in health services. In the United States, it has been predicted that 260,000 positions for RNs will remain unfilled by the year 2025 (Kretzschmer et al., 2017 ). Nursing shortages cause heavier workloads, poor working conditions and increased stress on nurses. Overcoming these basic shortages was beyond the abilities of the research team. But with collaboration of the nursing faculty, nursing students were involved in patient care especially in patient education.

6. CONCLUSION

The target of the present study was to improve clinical competencies and researchers decided to measure the outcomes of this improvement including job satisfaction, patients' satisfaction and nurses' work effectiveness. This PAR successfully improved the outcome variables. There were some other outcomes that could be further studied such as inter and intra‐professional relationships and nurses' burnout that might be considered in future studies. The patients who completed the satisfaction questionnaire were different in the beginning and end of the study, so the change that has been noticed must be interpreted cautiously. The research environment was a single surgical department with limited nursing staff; the interventions were planned according to their feasibility and applicability. We recommend more PAR with same objectives in other hospital departments.

7. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

This PAR had statistically significant outcomes such as increasing patients' satisfaction, nurses' job satisfaction and work effectiveness. The simple steps that involve nurses can have profound outcomes in clinical settings and improve the quality of care and professional dignity. The cooperation between the faculty of nursing and the hospital departments can have a crucial role in solving the nursing problems in hospital departments and decrease the gap between research and practice. In our experience, the PAR can be used successfully in clinical settings.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

There is no conflict of interest in this study.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS

All the authors meet all of the authorship criteria for this paper. We three conceived and designed the study, implemented and led data collection, conducted all data analyses, interpreted results and wrote the entirety of the manuscript. We are all appropriately listed on the by‐line as authors, and we have agreed to the contents of the manuscript.

ETHICAL APPROVAL

This study has been approved by the research ethics committee of Kashan University of Medical Sciences with the ethical code: IR.KAUMS.MEDNT.REC.1396.92. All the necessary permissions were obtained from the Kashan University of Medical Sciences and Shahid Beheshti hospital before starting the study. Written informed consent was obtained from all the patients who completed the questionnaires and nurses who participated in the PAR team, including consent form for audio taping and transcribing the interviews and focus groups. Helsinki declaration in ethical codes was respected in all the stages of the study.

Supporting information

Appendix S1

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors express their gratitude to the nurses in Shahid Beheshti hospital, especially Mr. Rahimi the head nurse of the surgical ward that participated in this study and had an active role in this action research. This study has been approved by the Research ethics committee in Kashan University of medical sciences by ethical code of: IR.KAUMS.MEDNT. REC.1396.92. We want to thank deputy of research in Kashan University of Medical Science for supporting this study. We also are thankful of patients and hospital managements that helped us in this study.

Afshar M, Sadeghi‑Gandomani H, Masoudi Alavi N. A study on improving nursing clinical competencies in a surgical department: A participatory action research . Nursing Open . 2020; 7 :1052–1059. 10.1002/nop2.485 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]

This study has been funded by deputy of research in Kashan University of Medical Sciences as a PhD thesis in Nursing with the grant number Reg. Code: 96187.

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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/

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

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Research in Medical-Surgical Nursing

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• 1 1 Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Podiatry, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
• PMID: 28198197
• DOI: 10.1177/1099800416684586

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• Research in plastic surgical nursing. Nowicki CR. Nowicki CR. Plast Surg Nurs. 1998 Winter;18(4):239-43. Plast Surg Nurs. 1998. PMID: 10076456 Review.
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AMSN Supports Research to Improve Patient Care and Medical-Surgical Nursing Practice

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We only distribute study participation requests that we believe will benefit our members and medical-surgical nursing. If you see an invitation to participate in a research study via an email, on our website, or posted on our social media pages, be assured that this study has been vetted and approved by our Research Team. 

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• Nurse Career

The Guide to Medical-Surgical Nursing

Whether you’re a new nurse wondering where to start or an experienced nurse looking to specialize, med-surg nursing could be a rewarding part of your healthcare journey. With invaluable insights into the opportunities it provides, you’ll learn if this area of nursing could be the right avenue for you.

What Is Med-Surg Nursing?

Med-surg nursing, short for medical-surgical nursing, is an acute care specialty encompassing nursing principles, patient care, clinical practice, and medical management of diverse patient populations. Med-surg nurses are registered nurses with dynamic skill sets, sharp organizational abilities, and strong collaboration skills; they support the entire healthcare team. 

They’re responsible for management and care related to pre- and post-operative patients and supportive nursing care for the ill and injured. This specialty is a good starting point for new nurses, as it provides a solid foundation for any future part of your nursing career.

The Med-Surg Nurse’s Role

Med-surg nurses care for multiple patients with varied complexities. This role is generally seen in hospital units, inpatient specialty clinics, outpatient care centers, urgent care centers, correctional facilities, home health, skilled nursing facilities, and governmental agencies. 

Med-surg nursing won’t box you into one specialty, which makes it a great jumping-off point for exploring other specialties once you’ve gained some experience. If doing a little bit of everything is something you enjoy, this role could be the perfect fit.

These nurses see a range of injury, illness, and disease processes. Some of the most typical patient conditions include the following:

• Dehydration
• Fall-related injuries
• Orthopedic procedures
• Kidney failure
• Bowel obstructions
• Urinary tract infections
• Altered mental status
• Congestive heart failure
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

What Do You Need to Get There?

Med-surg nursing is widely open to new grads and nurses without recent bedside experience, making it a great specialty to start or continue your career. However, you’ll still need specific credentialing to begin.

Nurses entering the medical-surgical field must be licensed RNs , have graduated from either an associate’s or bachelor’s program, and have passed the NCLEX-RN exam .

• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) : An ADN takes two years to complete and is generally offered by community colleges and/or trade schools. It’s a great option to start your nursing career quickly.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) : A BSN takes four years to complete and is offered by traditional colleges and universities. It’s a great option if you’re looking for advanced education, giving you the ability to apply for higher-level RN roles.

Certifications

While earning certifications is not a requirement, it’s a wonderful way to expand your knowledge, improve patient outcomes, and increase your earning potential.

• Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse ( CMSRN ) : This credential acknowledges a nurse’s advanced expertise in patient care across various medical and surgical specialties. It covers multiple topics, including nursing principles, clinical practice, and patient care.
• Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification ( MEDSURG-BC ) : Similar in its content to the CMSRN, this certification requires nurses to pass an assessment on entry-level clinical knowledge. Nurses are eligible to sit for the exam once meeting the credentialing criteria.

Earning certifications requires RN licensure and completing a set number of clinical hours.

While the CMSRN and MEDSURG-BC are the most widely recognized certifications in the medical-surgical field, other certifications include:

• Orthopedic Nursing Certification ( ONC ): This certification focuses on musculoskeletal disorders and orthopedic nursing principles for nurses specializing in orthopedic care.
• Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Certification ( WOCN ): Nurses skilled at managing complex wound and ostomy needs may pursue the WOCN certification, enhancing their wound care and patient education skills.
• Certified Post-Anesthesia Nurse ( CPAN ): CPAN is a certification geared toward nurses working in post-anesthesia units who provide patient care in the medical-surgical arena.

While a solid education will serve you well throughout your nursing career, certifications can help you advance and create a lasting impact. Acquiring certifications enables you to improve patient outcomes, benefiting patient populations and healthcare organizations.

Career Experience to Strengthen Your Foundation

Med-surg nursing provides such an abundance of experience and opportunity that it serves to help create and expand the foundation of your nursing career. While the benefits are too numerous to list, some of the skills you’ll learn and sharpen in this specialty include the following:

• Strong collaboration and teamwork
• Improved communication styles
• Cultural sensitivity
• Lab interpretation 
• Time management
• Critical thinking
• Attention to detail
• Medication administration

The traits and skills you gain from nursing experience become part of your toolbox, making you a stronger, more qualified nurse. These could springboard your career into other areas, like education, public health, critical care, orthopedics, infection control, oncology, case management, or obtaining an advanced degree. The possibilities are endless .

Who Does Well in This Specialty?

Med-surg nurses enjoy working as a team while staying busy, undertaking fast-paced learning, and providing multifaceted care. They can perform various essential tasks and have many responsibilities, including the following: 

• Patient Assessment: Conducting thorough assessments, monitoring vital signs, pain levels, and overall patient condition
• Collaboration: Communicating with physicians, therapists, surgeons, and other healthcare professionals to implement patient care plans
• Medication Administration: Taking and implementing orders, administering medications, including IV drugs, and closely monitoring effects
• Labs and Testing: Gathering necessary supplies for medical testing and reviewing lab results with the team
• Wound Care: Managing and caring for surgical wounds, pressure ulcers, and other types of wounds, including preventative wound care
• Patient Education: Educating patients and their families/designated people about treatment plans, medical conditions, self-care, and wellness
• Emergency Response: Being prepared to respond to all types of medical emergencies and provide life-saving interventions when necessary

Career Opportunities for Med-Surg Nurses

This specialty offers enormous flexibility and opportunity for growth. Below are some of the different settings and capacities in which med-surg nurses practice:

• Skilled Nursing Facilities : Nursing in this long-term care setting focuses on assessing patients’ health status, administering medications, managing wounds, coordinating with the healthcare team, and advocating for patients’ well-being.
• Insurance Companies : Nurses often work in utilization or case management. The role includes reviewing medical records, assessing the needs/appropriateness of healthcare services, making recommendations regarding coverage, answering medical questions, providing support to policymakers, and facilitating access to medical resources.
• Home Healthcare Agencies : Nurses provide individualized care in patients’ homes, educating patients and their families on managing health conditions and acting as primary advocates on healthcare teams. The nursing focus is on promoting independence, facilitating recovery, and ensuring the safety and well-being of patients in the home.
• Urgent Care Facilities : The nursing role in urgent care involves providing rapid assessment, triage, and treatment to patients with acute medical needs. In addition to medication administration, conducting diagnostics, and assisting with minor procedures, nurses stabilize patients quickly and efficiently.
• Government Agencies : Med-surg nurses work in roles such as public health, military health services, or veterans affairs. Health promotion, disease prevention, and providing healthcare services to specific populations are generally the focus.

Is Med-Surg Nursing Right for You?

Med-surg nursing is diverse and demanding; it requires your knowledge, expertise, and versatility while enhancing your skill set and strengthening your foundation. Your comprehensive understanding of bodily systems, disease processes, and lab values combined with your ability to pivot and multitask will make you an asset to high-quality healthcare delivery. 

Working in this specialty can be a career stepping stone to further opportunities or a path you stick to throughout your career. Either way, the value of gaining experience in med-surg nursing is immeasurable. 

Ready to embark on your journey into medical-surgical nursing? Explore dynamic roles and diverse career opportunities in this exciting specialty. 

Patti Ashwell, BSN, RN, CCRN, has more than twenty years of clinical experience in the critical care setting. While the primary portion of her career has been in the adult ICU, she has practiced in CCU, ER, and hospice. She is also a freelance medical/healthcare writer leveraging her experience as a nurse and educator; she is committed to bringing timely and topical content to the general public and medical community. Patti lives in New England with her wife and their dog.

Related Articles

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2. Dr. R. Revathi :         Medical Surgical Nursing Society of India  3.Dr. E. Sujitha:            Medical Surgical Nursing Society of India 4. Dr. A. Porkodi:        Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing from January 4, 2003                                    Trained Nurses Association of India                                     Medical surgical Nursing Society of India                                    Nursing PhD Society                                     Alumni Association 5. Ms. N. Purnima:     Trained Nurses Association of India                                    Alumni Association

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Medical-Surgical Nursing

Medical-Surgical Nursing is a specialized field that focuses on the care of adult patients who are acutely ill with various medical conditions or diseases and those recovering from surgery (perioperative care).

On this page, you’ll find an extensive collection of Medical-Surgical Nursing study guides, designed to support your learning and exam preparation. Our resources include detailed explanations of key concepts, procedures, and patient care strategies, as well as sample test bank questions to test your knowledge and readiness.

Key topics include:

• Nursing care of adult clients
• Management of Various Medical Conditions and Diseases
• Perioperative Care Techniques
• Patient Care Strategies

Enhance your understanding and proficiency in Medical-Surgical Nursing with our expertly curated study materials. Whether you’re a student or a practicing nurse, these resources will help you excel in your field. Explore our Medical-Surgical Nursing guides now and take your knowledge to the next level.

Perioperative Nursing

Ever wondered what drives the critical decisions behind surgical procedures? In perioperative nursing, understanding the reasons for surgery—curing, diagnosing, preventing, enhancing, repairing, or relieving—empowers nurses to deliver exceptional, tailored patient care.

Appendicitis

Appendicitis (also known epityphlitis) is the inflammation of the appendix which is a small finger-like appendage attached to the cecum.

Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused by pathogenic microorganisms in the urinary tract.

Urolithiasis (Renal Calculi)

Urolithiasis refers to stones (calculi) in the urinary tract. Stones are formed in the urinary tract when the urinary concentration of substances such as calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, and uric acid increases.

Status Asthmaticus

Status asthmaticus is severe and persistent asthma that does not respond to conventional therapy; attacks can occur with little or no warning and can progress rapidly to asphyxiation.

Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle cell anemia is a severe hemolytic anemia that results from inheritance of the sickle hemoglobin gene.

Sepsis and Septic Shock

Sepsis is a systemic response to infection. Septic shock is associated with sepsis.

Respiratory Acidosis

Respiratory Acidosis is an acid-base imbalance characterized by increased partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide and decreased blood pH.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease of unknown origin. Here’s the nursing care management for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Respiratory Alkalosis

Respiratory Alkalosis is an acid-base imbalance characterized by decreased partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide and increased blood pH to less than 35 mm Hg, which is due to alveolar hyperventilation.

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Guns and domestic abuse: Supreme Court upholds longstanding, lifesaving ban

Jacquelyn campbell, a renowned expert in intimate partner violence, discusses the risks firearms pose to abused women and her landmark research the underpins the high court's recent 8-1 decision.

By Hub staff report

Jacquelyn Campbell , a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is a global leader in research and advocacy in the field of domestic and intimate partner violence.

Image caption: Jacquelyn Campbell

The U.S. Supreme Court recently decided U.S. v. Rahimi , ruling 8 to 1 to uphold the constitutionality of a 30-year-old federal law that prevents people with domestic violence protection orders from possessing firearms .

For decades, Jacquelyn Campbell has been a global leader in research and advocacy in the field of domestic and intimate partner violence. She is best known for developing the Danger Assessment, a tool that has influenced national policy and helps abused women determine their lethality risk. Campbell's research found that an abused woman is at a five times greater risk for homicide if the abuser has access to a gun, a finding was cited by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor in the decision for U.S. v. Rahimi .

Here, Campbell talks about risk at the intersection of gun and intimate partner violence, the state of intimate partner violence in America today, and the pipeline to advocacy for nurse researchers.

What do we need to know about this case and the related research?

We know that a woman is five times more likely to be murdered by her abuser if he has access to a firearm. Guns are way too easy to pick up when someone is in a rage and not thinking clearly, so the presence of a gun makes it all too easy for there to be a homicide.

This finding came from a landmark study conducted by myself and my colleagues in 2003, and it really made a difference in terms of raising awareness among the general public, especially in the domestic violence community, and helped people understand how important it is to do safety planning around guns in the home.

"Does he own a gun" is a question in the Danger Assessment. If there's a gun, we need to do safety planning around the gun. One option is a protective order. But if she's not prepared to leave the relationship, we talk about getting the gun stored safely. It's important for children, too—the surgeon general just issued a warning because gun violence is the No. 1 cause of death for children and adolescents. Guns in the home are dangerous for children and abused women.

Why are deaths from intimate partner violence on the rise in the U.S.?

Because so many people own guns. There was an increase in domestic violence homicides amidst the COVID-19 lockdowns, but domestic violence homicides have been trending up since 2014. In 2014, 57% of gun-related domestic violence homicides happened with a gun; in 2017 it was nearly 61%, and the percentage continues to rise. There are more guns, and in more states there are more open carry laws, and in many states people are able to buy guns now with fewer background checks.

How do nurses and nurse researchers fit into advocacy fighting violence against women?

As a nurse researcher, I know well that there are millions of nurses who can help in conducting research but also just as importantly help implement the nursing practice implications from research. Nurses are the largest sector of the health care workforce and provide prenatal care, are in emergency departments, and just exist at every touch point of entry into the health care system. That means we are the closest health care providers in proximity to women experiencing domestic violence.

From our research, only 4% of women who were murdered by an intimate partner called the domestic violence hotline in the year before their death, but 47% were in the health care system during that year. If a nurse can ask a woman about their situation at home in terms of violence and abuse, and has the resources to share with them, that nurse can save a life.

One of the first studies I did was on the health effects of domestic violence. It is very meaningful to know that the legacy of that work continues on through researchers like Michelle Patch, who is investigating traumatic brain injury in relationship to domestic violence, and Katie Spearman, current PhD candidate, who is investigating post-separation abuse—things like stalking or using the courts against an intimate partner and how that affects the health of their children.

This work is heavy, but the women I work with, the ones we do this work for and with are incredibly strong and smart and give me strength and energy to continue on. My fellow nurse researchers are committed, caring people, and we try to take care of each other. We're all in this work because we want to make a difference. And it also helps that I got a personal Christmas card from Joe and Jill Biden!

Tagged intimate partner violence , gun policy , domestic violence , 3-questions

Related Content

What I've Learned: Jacquelyn Campbell

Firearms and domestic violence

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UC Nursing alum continues to further advocacy efforts for LGBTQ+ community

University of Cincinnati alum Cole Williams, BSN ’23, has continued to stay busy post-graduation. In addition to working at the med-surg floor at Tufts Medical Center, in Boston, he continues to make strides at Pride and Plasma , a group he founded in 2022 to advocate for revising blood and tissue donation guidelines. The group gained broader national attention in May 2023, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced new guidelines to include gender-inclusive language and individual-based risk assessments for blood donor eligibility. The recommendations—introduced a month after Williams’s presentation to the FDA’s Blood Products Advisory Committee—permit donations from anyone who does not report having new or multiple partners along with engaging in anal sex the previous three months and represent a step forward not only for queer men, but also for transgender, nonbinary and other gender-diverse donors. 

After their first win, Pride and Plasma expanded their advocacy agenda to include tissue donation. Tissue donation guidelines have been in place since 1994 and impose a five-year deferral period for men who have had sex with other men (MSM). Using a similar approach to their blood donation advocacy, the group submitted two research briefs on the five-year MSM deferment policy to the FDA’s Cellular, Tissue, and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee in 2023 and now hope the FDA will consider the research, as well as similar global advances, to draft new policies. 

In May 2024, Pride and Plasma spoke again before the Blood Products Advisory Committee, this time addressing the lack of federal guidelines for screening, testing and interacting with gender-diverse blood donors. 

Cole Williams presenting at the FDA Blood Products Advisory Committee

"The experiences of transgender, non-binary and gender-fluid donors vary from blood bank to blood bank” Williams says. “The goal should be creating a welcoming environment, not only because this the right thing to do, but also because that encourages all donors to come back.”  

The group reached out to blood centers across the country to assess current practices, including UC’s own Hoxworth Blood Center , followed by literature review on the topic. They then became aware of blood centers with programs for therapeutic phlebotomy—the practice of prescribing blood donations to individuals with increased red blood cell production, namely cisgender men undergoing testosterone replacement therapy—a practice that may be beneficial for transgender men taking the same medications.

“This is the same hormone replacement therapy transgender male and gender diverse individuals are going through,” Williams says. “So, they should be dealing with similar, if not the same, side effect of extra red blood cell production and could donate more often, but the lack of federal guidance and inclusive environments are negatively impacting these potential donors.” 

Another flaw in current blood donation screening guidelines links gender with the potential inability to donate platelets or plasma due to Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) antibody production during pregnancy. The presence of HLA antibodies in plasma or platelet donations can cause transfusion related acute lung injuries (TRALIs), the second cause of transfusion-related mortality in the country for the past five years.  

“There is a chance that transgender men and non-binary individuals are not being screened for pregnancy and fall through the cracks for TRALI prevention.” 

In their recent presentation to the Blood Advisory Committee, Pride and Plasma assembled a comprehensive brief including TRALI data, research from hormone administration programs and definitions of gender identities from the American Psychological Association. The next step is to create a public, accessible version of the brief to share on their website and social media channels to increase awareness.  

Cole Williams, BSN '23

“The screening questionnaire for blood and blood product donation should be as non-gendered as possible, with all questions asked to all donors, regardless of gender,” Williams says. “Including an option for every gender identity would be accepting and wonderful, but it is not practical at this point.” 

In July, Williams will be joining the board of directors at Fenway Health , one of the leaders in LGBTQ+ health care, research, advocacy, and education. Now getting ready for the next step in his education—likely a master's in public policy—Williams shares a few suggestions for those interested in LGBTQ+ advocacy and allyship: 

• Display your pronouns in a visible way—on your badge, your email signature, your Zoom profile.
• Speak up not only for your patients, but also for your coworkers.
• Don’t assume a patient’s sexuality, gender, or pronouns.
• Pursue continuing education related to health disparities impacting LGBTQ+ patients, LGBTQ+ patients of color and transgender patients.
• Your dollar can be stretched a lot further and is likely needed more by small, independent and local organizations.
• Consider if you want to impact education or advocacy, which will impact your ability to deduct donations on your taxes: education: 501c3,  advocacy and political lobbying: 501c4 (not eligible for tax deductions).
• Register as an organ & tissue donor here .
• Find a blood center near you here .

Stay in the Loop

• Pride & Plasma @prideandplasma
• Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network @glsen
• GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality @glma_lgbthealth
• The Buckeye Flame @thebuckeyeflame
• Transohio @transohio_org
• Kaleidoscope Youth Center @kycohio
• Have a Gay Day @mygayday
• Margie’s Hope @margiescloset
• Mozaic @mozaicohio
• PFLAG @pflag
• The Trevor Project @trevorproject
• Stonewall Columbus @stonewallcollumbus
• LGBTQ Community Center of Greater Cleveland @lgbtcleveland
• Greater Dayton LGBT Center @daytonlgbtcenter
• Equity and Inclusion
• Alumni Association
• College of Nursing

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