nursing literature review dissertation

Nursing: How to Write a Literature Review

Traditional or Narrative Literature Review

Getting started

1. start with your research question, 2. search the literature, 3. read & evaluate, 4. finalize results, 5. write & revise, brainfuse online tutoring and writing review.

RESEARCH HELP

The best way to approach your literature review is to break it down into steps. Remember, research is an iterative process, not a linear one. You will revisit steps and revise along the way. Get started with the handout, information, and tips from various university Writing Centers below that provides an excellent overview. Then move on to the specific steps recommended on this page.

UNC- Chapel Hill Writing Center Literature Review Handout, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center Learn how to write a review of literature, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
University of Toronto-- Writing Advice The Literature Review: A few tips on conducting it, from the University of Toronto.
Begin with a topic.
Understand the topic.
Familiarize yourself with the terminology. Note what words are being used and keep track of these for use as database search keywords.
See what research has been done on this topic before you commit to the topic. Review articles can be helpful to understand what research has been done .
Develop your research question. (see handout below)
How comprehensive should it be?
Is it for a course assignment or a dissertation?
How many years should it cover?
Developing a good nursing research question Handout. Reviews PICO method and provides search tips.

Your next step is to construct a search strategy and then locate & retrieve articles.

There are often 2-4 key concepts in a research question.
Search for primary sources (original research articles.)
These are based on the key concepts in your research question.
Remember to consider synonyms and related terms.
Which databases to search?
What limiters should be applied (peer-reviewed, publication date, geographic location, etc.)?

Review articles (secondary sources)

Use to identify literature on your topic, the way you would use a bibliography. Then locate and retrieve the original studies discussed in the review article. Review articles are considered secondary sources.

Once you have some relevant articles, review reference lists to see if there are any useful articles.
Which articles were written later and have cited some of your useful articles? Are these, in turn, articles that will be useful to you?
Keep track of what terms you used and what databases you searched.
Use database tools such as save search history in EBSCO to help.
Keep track of the citations for the articles you will be using in your literature review.
Use RefWorks or another method of tracking this information.
Database Search Strategy Worksheet Handout. How to construct a search.
TUTORIAL: How to do a search based on your research question This is a self-paced, interactive tutorial that reviews how to construct and perform a database search in CINAHL.

The next step is to read, review, and understand the articles.

Start by reviewing abstracts.
Make sure you are selecting primary sources (original research articles).
Note any keywords authors report using when searching for prior studies.
You will need to evaluate and critique them and write a synthesis related to your research question.
Consider using a matrix to organize and compare and contrast the articles .
Which authors are conducting research in this area? Search by author.
Are there certain authors’ whose work is cited in many of your articles? Did they write an early, seminal article that is often cited?
Searching is a cyclical process where you will run searches, review results, modify searches, run again, review again, etc.
Critique articles. Keep or exclude based on whether they are relevant to your research question.
When you have done a thorough search using several databases plus Google Scholar, using appropriate keywords or subject terms, plus author’s names, and you begin to find the same articles over and over.
Remember to consider the scope of your project and the length of your paper. A dissertation will have a more exhaustive literature review than an 8 page paper, for example.
What are common findings among each group or where do they disagree?
Identify common themes. Identify controversial or problematic areas in the research.
Use your matrix to organize this.
Once you have read and re-read your articles and organized your findings, you are ready to begin the process of writing the literature review.

2. Synthesize. (see handout below)

Include a synthesis of the articles you have chosen for your literature review.
A literature review is NOT a list or a summary of what has been written on a particular topic.
It analyzes the articles in terms of how they relate to your research question.
While reading, look for similarities and differences (compare and contrast) among the articles. You will create your synthesis from this.
Synthesis Examples Handout. Sample excerpts that illustrate synthesis.

Regis Online students have access to Brainfuse. Brainfuse is an online tutoring service available through a link in Moodle. Meet with a tutor in a live session or submit your paper for review.

Brainfuse Tutoring and Writing Assistance for Regis Online Students by Tricia Reinhart Last Updated Oct 26, 2023 335 views this year
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How to undertake a literature search

Introduction.

Undertaking a literature search can be a daunting prospect. By breaking the exercise down into smaller steps, you can make the process more manageable. The following ten steps will help you complete the task from identifying key concepts to choosing databases for your search and saving your results and search strategy. It discusses each of the steps in a little more detail with examples and suggestions of where to get help.

There are ten steps to undertaking a literature search which we'll take you through below:

🎬 - Indicates a video is available with more information.

Please click on the boxes below to get a bit more detail on each step.

First, write out your title and check that you understand all the terms. Look up the meaning of any you don’t understand. An online dictionary or medical encyclopaedia may help with this.

If your search is for a dissertation, you may need to choose your own research question. In this case, you will need to consider whether there is likely to be enough research on your topic. Alternatively, if your topic is too broad, you could be overwhelmed by the number of references.

One way of checking how much is written on your topic is to use Library Search. Most libraries offer a Library Search or discovery tool. It provides a quick search across all the library’s holdings. You can also limit your search by date or type of document. If you just need a few references to help you write an essay, Library Search may be helpful. It also gives quick access to full text items.

Next, you need to identify your key concepts. One way to do this is to look at your title and identify the most important words. Ignore words that tell you what to do with the information you find eg evaluate, assess, compare, as these are not generally used as search terms. In the example below, key concepts have been highlighted:

Evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness intervention on the health-related quality of life of rheumatoid arthritis patients

Another way to do this is to break down your title using the PEO framework:

P = Population E = Exposure O = Outcome

This works well where there is no comparison between two types of treatment or intervention.

In our example:

P = rheumatoid arthritis patients

E = mindfulness

O = health related quality of life

Other question formats are available such as PICO or SPIDER

Tip: Not all search topics will include every element of PICO – some include fewer items.

Once you have identified the key concepts, it’s important to think of any other terms or phrases that might have a very similar meaning. Including such synonyms will make your search as thorough as possible. For example, if your topic is looking for articles on Staff attitudes , you might also use the terms:

Staff perceptions
Staff opinions
Stereotyping
Labelling

If the database you are using has a list of subject heading s , this may help you to find the most appropriate term for your subject. Some databases provide definitions for terms used in the database and may suggest related terms.

A comprehensive search will usually include both subject headings from databases and terms that you have thought of yourself.

Tip: Often your search term will be a phrase instead of a single word. To carry out phrase searches, use double quotes, for example “problem drinking”.

Once you have chosen your search terms, you need to think about the best databases for your topic. The databases you choose will depend on the search question and the libraries you have access to.

Tip: It’s well worth taking a few minutes to get to know the databases available on the Library webpages and what they cover.

The next step is to combine your search terms in such a way that you only retrieve the more relevant references for your search question. In order to do this you need to build a search strategy . This involves using Boolean operators such as AND , OR and NOT .

AND narrows the results of the search by ensuring that all the search terms are present in the results.

OR broadens the results of the search by ensuring that any of the search terms are present in the results.

NOT limits the results by rejecting a particular search term. Be careful with NOT because it will exclude any results containing that search term regardless of whether other parts of the article might have been of interest.

OR will broaden your number of results while AND will produce fewer results.


STAFF ATTITUDES		ALCOHOL

PERCEPTIONS		DRINKING
Search using Boolean logic

Try using this Search-plan-worksheet to break your topic down into concepts. These can then be linked together when you run the search. You can also add synonyms within each concept box. The yellow limits box is a prompt to think about any limits you want to apply when searching. This leads us to Step 6.

Tip: Most databases will allow you to use a truncation sign (*) or wildcard (?) to pick up various different endings to words or alternative spellings.

For example: alcohol* would pick up alcohol, alcoholic, alcoholism, etc

Sm?th would find Smith and Smyth

The next step is to think about any other restrictions you want to make to your results.

Common limiters found on databases include:

Peer reviewed articles
Research articles
Age group (adult, child, older person)
Document type

Not all databases allow all of the limiters above.

When writing a dissertation, primary research articles are normally required. Where the database allows you, try limiting to research articles only.

Non-research materials can also be useful as an overview of your topic; for example a literature review can give an analysis of what has already been written on a topic.

The video below includes a demonstration of how limits can be applied using the CINAHL database as an example:

CINAHL - advanced

Once you have identified all your search terms and any limits you want to apply, you are ready to run your search on the databases you have chosen.

Once you have some search results, you can look through them and start to select those that look relevant to your literature search. It is likely you will reject some because they are not quite what you wanted but there will be others that can be marked for further attention.

The title of an article on its own may not tell you very much; read the abstract quite carefully to see if the article is relevant or not.

Tip: You can show more details for each record by clicking on the article title. On some databases, there may be an abstract for the article which you can open.

If you find you are either generating more results than you can possibly look at or too few results to write about, be prepared to adjust your search terms and the way they are combined.

If you get too many results you could try: •limiting to just the most recent material •adding another term or concept and linking it using “AND” •limiting to a particular country or geographical area such as UK

If you get too few results, you might try: •expanding your date range •removing any geographical limits you have applied •removing the least important term or concept

Tip: Be prepared to try other databases and keep searching until you feel confident you have found enough relevant material.

Once you have selected some articles that look relevant for your piece of work, you will need to save them so that your hard work is not wasted.

At the same time, you will want to save your search strategy . This is a record of the terms you searched, how you combined them, any limits you applied and how many results you found.

You will also need to choose a way to save your results. One way is to email the results to yourself and this can be done from all the databases .

Another way is to export your results to reference management software such as Zotero, RefWorks, EndNote or Mendeley. This software allows you to collect, organise and cite research. It is suitable for managing references over a long period of time.

The RCN Library and Museum provides help with using Zotero .

Tip: Keep a record of all the databases you use as you carry out your search. It is also a good idea to note where you found any references you subsequently use for your dissertation.

The final step is to obtain the full text of the articles identified in your search which you believe may be useful for your assignment. If you are lucky, many of these will be available electronically and you may just be able to follow a link to the full text.

Alternatively you can copy and paste your article title into the Library search box and if it is available as full text, a hyperlink will be shown which will link you to the document.

If you are studying elsewhere and have access to a university or hospital library, they may subscribe to different journals to the RCN Library so it is worth exploring what they can offer. If your library does not have either an electronic copy or a physical copy, you may need to request the article by interlibrary loan .

Tip: It is also worth using Google or other browsers to check for the article title you require. Sometimes the article has been made freely available on the internet by the authors.

Boolean operators – words (AND, OR and NOT) which can be used to combine search terms in order to widen or limit the search results.

Database – this is an online collection of citations to journal articles which have been indexed to make retrieval easier. Some databases which also provide full text access to the articles.

Limits – these are options within a database which allow search results to be broken down further. Common limits are year(s) of publication, document type and language. MEDLINE and CINAHL allow age limits too.

Search Strategy – the list of search terms and limits used to retrieve relevant articles from a database in order to answer a search question.

Subject headings – terms that have been assigned to describe a concept that may have many alternative keywords. All these alternative keywords or terms are brought together under the umbrella of this single term. Most health-related databases use subject headings.

Additional information

If after following these steps, you still can’t find what you are looking for, remember that there is always help available at your library. The RCN Library and Museum offers a range of help materials via our Literature searching and training pages . These include: • Databases guides in electronic and printed formats • Video tutorials on how to search the databases • 1-1 training sessions pre-bookable via the RCN website face to face or via zoom

A reading list is also available on dissertation and essay support which provides suggestions for key resources, books and journal articles which may help. Click on the link below to access this list:

Dissertation and essay support reading list

Here are other resources you may also find helpful. You will find links to each resource below too:

Aveyard H (2019) Doing a literature review in health and social care: a practical guide . 4th edn. London: Open University Press.
Bettany-Satlikov J (2016) How to do a systematic literature review in nursing: a step-by-step guide . 2nd edn. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Coughlan M and Cronin P (2016) Doing a literature review in nursing, health and social care . 2nd edn. Los Angeles: Sage.
De Brún C, Pearce-Smith N, Heneghan C, Perera R and Badenoch D (2014) Searching skills toolkit: finding the evidence . 2nd edn. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell / BMJ Books.
Hewitt-Taylor J (2017) The essential guide to doing a health and social care literature review . London: Routledge.

Critical Appraisal subject guide

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What is a Literature Review?

Key questions for a literature review, examples of literature reviews, useful links, evidence matrix for literature reviews.

Annotated Bibliographies

The Scholarly Conversation

A literature review provides an overview of previous research on a topic that critically evaluates, classifies, and compares what has already been published on a particular topic. It allows the author to synthesize and place into context the research and scholarly literature relevant to the topic. It helps map the different approaches to a given question and reveals patterns. It forms the foundation for the author’s subsequent research and justifies the significance of the new investigation.

A literature review can be a short introductory section of a research article or a report or policy paper that focuses on recent research. Or, in the case of dissertations, theses, and review articles, it can be an extensive review of all relevant research.

The format is usually a bibliographic essay; sources are briefly cited within the body of the essay, with full bibliographic citations at the end.
The introduction should define the topic and set the context for the literature review. It will include the author's perspective or point of view on the topic, how they have defined the scope of the topic (including what's not included), and how the review will be organized. It can point out overall trends, conflicts in methodology or conclusions, and gaps in the research.
In the body of the review, the author should organize the research into major topics and subtopics. These groupings may be by subject, (e.g., globalization of clothing manufacturing), type of research (e.g., case studies), methodology (e.g., qualitative), genre, chronology, or other common characteristics. Within these groups, the author can then discuss the merits of each article and analyze and compare the importance of each article to similar ones.
The conclusion will summarize the main findings, make clear how this review of the literature supports (or not) the research to follow, and may point the direction for further research.
The list of references will include full citations for all of the items mentioned in the literature review.

A literature review should try to answer questions such as

Who are the key researchers on this topic?
What has been the focus of the research efforts so far and what is the current status?
How have certain studies built on prior studies? Where are the connections? Are there new interpretations of the research?
Have there been any controversies or debate about the research? Is there consensus? Are there any contradictions?
Which areas have been identified as needing further research? Have any pathways been suggested?
How will your topic uniquely contribute to this body of knowledge?
Which methodologies have researchers used and which appear to be the most productive?
What sources of information or data were identified that might be useful to you?
How does your particular topic fit into the larger context of what has already been done?
How has the research that has already been done help frame your current investigation ?

Example of a literature review at the beginning of an article: Forbes, C. C., Blanchard, C. M., Mummery, W. K., & Courneya, K. S. (2015, March). Prevalence and correlates of strength exercise among breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors . Oncology Nursing Forum, 42(2), 118+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.sonoma.idm.oclc.org/ps/i.do?p=HRCA&sw=w&u=sonomacsu&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA422059606&asid=27e45873fddc413ac1bebbc129f7649c Example of a comprehensive review of the literature: Wilson, J. L. (2016). An exploration of bullying behaviours in nursing: a review of the literature. British Journal Of Nursing , 25 (6), 303-306. For additional examples, see:

Galvan, J., Galvan, M., & ProQuest. (2017). Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences (Seventh ed.). [Electronic book]

Pan, M., & Lopez, M. (2008). Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches (3rd ed.). Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Pub. [ Q180.55.E9 P36 2008]

Write a Literature Review (UCSC)
Literature Reviews (Purdue)
Literature Reviews: overview (UNC)
Review of Literature (UW-Madison)

The Evidence Matrix can help you organize your research before writing your lit review. Use it to identify patterns and commonalities in the articles you have found--similar methodologies ? common theoretical frameworks ? It helps you make sure that all your major concepts covered. It also helps you see how your research fits into the context of the overall topic.

Evidence Matrix Special thanks to Dr. Cindy Stearns, SSU Sociology Dept, for permission to use this Matrix as an example.
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Last Updated: Jun 6, 2024 10:40 AM
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Conducting a Literature Review

Literature Review
Developing a Topic
Planning Your Literature Review
Developing a Search Strategy
Managing Citations
Critical Appraisal Tools
Writing a Literature Review

Before You Begin to Write.....

Do you have enough information? If you are not sure,

Ask yourself these questions:

Has my search been wide enough to insure I've found all the relevant material?
Has it been narrow enough to exclude irrelevant material?
Is the number of sources I've used appropriate for the length of my paper?

You may have enough information for your literature review when:

You've used multiple databases and other resources (web portals, repositories, etc.) to get a variety of perspectives on the research topic.
The same citations are showing up in a variety of databases.
Your advisor and other trusted experts say you have enough!

You have to stop somewhere and get on with the writing process!

Writing Tips

A literature review is not a list describing or summarizing one piece of literature after another. It’s usually a bad sign to see every paragraph beginning with the name of a researcher. Instead, organize the literature review into sections that present themes or identify trends, including relevant theory. You are not trying to list all the material published, but to synthesize and evaluate it according to the guiding concept of your thesis or research question

If you are writing an annotated bibliography , you may need to summarize each item briefly, but should still follow through themes and concepts and do some critical assessment of material. Use an overall introduction and conclusion to state the scope of your coverage and to formulate the question, problem, or concept your chosen material illuminates. Usually you will have the option of grouping items into sections—this helps you indicate comparisons and relationships. You may be able to write a paragraph or so to introduce the focus of each section

Layout of Writing a Literature Review

Generally, the purpose of a review is to analyze critically a segment of a published body of knowledge through summary, classification, and comparison of prior research studies, reviews of literature, and theoretical articles.

Writing the introduction:

In the introduction, you should:

Define or identify the general topic, issue, or area of concern, thus providing an appropriate context for reviewing the literature.
Point out overall trends in what has been published about the topic; or conflicts in theory, methodology, evidence, and conclusions; or gaps in research and scholarship; or a single problem or new perspective of immediate interest.
Establish the writer’s reason (point of view) for reviewing the literature; explain the criteria to be used in analyzing and comparing literature and the organization of the review (sequence); and, when necessary, state why certain literature is or is not included (scope).

Writing the body:

In the body, you should:

Group research studies and other types of literature (reviews, theoretical articles, case studies, etc.) according to common denominators such as qualitative versus quantitative approaches, conclusions of authors, specific purpose or objective, chronology, etc.
Summarize individual studies or articles with as much or as little detail as each merits according to its comparative importance in the literature, remembering that space (length) denotes significance.
Provide the reader with strong “umbrella” sentences at beginnings of paragraphs, “signposts” throughout, and brief “so what” summary sentences at intermediate points in the review to aid in understanding comparisons and analyses.

WRITING TIP: As you are writing the literature review you will mention the author names and the publication years in your text, but you will still need to compile comprehensive list citations for each entry at the end of your review. Follow APA, MLA, or Chicago style guidelines , as your course requires.

Writing the conclusion:

In the conclusion, you should:

Summarize major contributions of significant studies and articles to the body of knowledge under review, maintaining the focus established in the introduction.
Evaluate the current “state of the art” for the body of knowledge reviewed, pointing out major methodological flaws or gaps in research, inconsistencies in theory and findings, and areas or issues pertinent to future study.
Conclude by providing some insight into the relationship between the central topic of the literature review and a larger area of study such as a discipline, a scientific endeavor, or a profession.
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Doing a Literature Review in Nursing, Health and Social Care

Michael Coughlan - Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Patricia Cronin - Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Description

A clear and practical guide to completing a literature review in nursing and healthcare studies.

Providing students with straightforward guidance on how to successfully carry out a literature review as part of a research project or dissertation, this book uses examples and activities to demonstrate how to complete each step correctly, from start to finish, and highlights how to avoid common mistakes.

The third edition includes:

Expert advice on selecting and researching a topic
A chapter outlining the different types of literature review
Increased focus on Critical Appraisal Tools and how to use them effectively
New real-world examples presenting best practice
Instructions on writing up and presenting the final piece of work

Perfect for any nursing or healthcare student new to literature reviews and for anyone who needs a refresher in this important topic.

Praise for the previous edition:

'This book is an excellent resource for practitioners wishing to develop their knowledge and understanding of reviewing literature and the processes involved. It uses uncomplicated language to signpost the reader effortlessly through key aspects of research processes. Practitioners will find this an invaluable companion for navigating through evidence to identify quality literature applicable to health and social care practice.'

'Students often struggle with writing an effective literature review and this invaluable guide will help to allay their concerns. Key terms are clearly explained, and the inclusion of learning outcomes is a helpful feature for students and lecturers alike. The examples are also very helpful, particularly for less confident students. This is an accessible yet authoritative guide which I can thoroughly recommend.'

'A must have - this book provides useful information and guidance to students and professionals alike. It guides the reader through various research methods in a theoretical and pragmatic manner.'

' It's a very readable, concise, and accessible introduction to undertaking a literature review in the field of healthcare. The book’s layout has a logical format which really helped me to think methodically about my research question. An excellent reference for undergraduates who are about to undertake their first literature review.'

'This book is an essential resource for students. Clearly written and excellently structured, with helpful study tools throughout, it takes the reader step by step through the literature review process in an easy, informative and accessible manner. This text gives students the skills they need to successfully complete their own review.'

'The updating of the chapters will be exceptionally helpful given the rapid changes in online availability of resources and open-access literature.'

Excellent resource. Useful for any stage of studying

Excellent text for masters and doctoral level students

An excellent primer to help the level 7 students write their systemised review for the assignment.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the practical process of literature review in healthcare. It contains all details required to conduct a review by students.

This is an excellent clear and concise book on undertaking literature reviews being particularly good at demystifying jargon. It is timely given the move to student dissertations being primarily literature reviews in the current Covid pandemic. However nearly all the examples are drawn from nursing and health making the text less useful for social care and social work. A little disappointing given the title. SW students are likely to gravitate to texts where their subject is more prominent for a primary text.

Accessible, informative, step to step guide

This is a really helpful, accessible text for students and academic staff alike.

A really good addition to the repertoire of skills and techniques for understanding the essential process of literature reviewing.

Preview this book

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Literature Review Overview

What is a Literature Review? Why Are They Important?

A literature review is important because it presents the "state of the science" or accumulated knowledge on a specific topic. It summarizes, analyzes, and compares the available research, reporting study strengths and weaknesses, results, gaps in the research, conclusions, and authors’ interpretations.

Tips and techniques for conducting a literature review are described more fully in the subsequent boxes:

Literature review steps
Strategies for organizing the information for your review
Literature reviews sections
In-depth resources to assist in writing a literature review
Templates to start your review
Literature review examples

Literature Review Steps

Graphic used with permission: Torres, E. Librarian, Hawai'i Pacific University

1. Choose a topic and define your research question

Try to choose a topic of interest. You will be working with this subject for several weeks to months.
Ideas for topics can be found by scanning medical news sources (e.g MedPage Today), journals / magazines, work experiences, interesting patient cases, or family or personal health issues.
Do a bit of background reading on topic ideas to familiarize yourself with terminology and issues. Note the words and terms that are used.
Develop a focused research question using PICO(T) or other framework (FINER, SPICE, etc - there are many options) to help guide you.
Run a few sample database searches to make sure your research question is not too broad or too narrow.
If possible, discuss your topic with your professor.

2. Determine the scope of your review

The scope of your review will be determined by your professor during your program. Check your assignment requirements for parameters for the Literature Review.

How many studies will you need to include?
How many years should it cover? (usually 5-7 depending on the professor)
For the nurses, are you required to limit to nursing literature?

3. Develop a search plan

Determine which databases to search. This will depend on your topic. If you are not sure, check your program specific library website (Physician Asst / Nursing / Health Services Admin) for recommendations.
Create an initial search string using the main concepts from your research (PICO, etc) question. Include synonyms and related words connected by Boolean operators
Contact your librarian for assistance, if needed.

4. Conduct searches and find relevant literature

Keep notes as you search - tracking keywords and search strings used in each database in order to avoid wasting time duplicating a search that has already been tried
Read abstracts and write down new terms to search as you find them
Check MeSH or other subject headings listed in relevant articles for additional search terms
Scan author provided keywords if available
Check the references of relevant articles looking for other useful articles (ancestry searching)
Check articles that have cited your relevant article for more useful articles (descendancy searching). Both PubMed and CINAHL offer Cited By links
Revise the search to broaden or narrow your topic focus as you peruse the available literature
Conducting a literature search is a repetitive process. Searches can be revised and re-run multiple times during the process.
Track the citations for your relevant articles in a software citation manager such as RefWorks, Zotero, or Mendeley

5. Review the literature

Read the full articles. Do not rely solely on the abstracts. Authors frequently cannot include all results within the confines of an abstract. Exclude articles that do not address your research question.
While reading, note research findings relevant to your project and summarize. Are the findings conflicting? There are matrices available than can help with organization. See the Organizing Information box below.
Critique / evaluate the quality of the articles, and record your findings in your matrix or summary table. Tools are available to prompt you what to look for. (See Resources for Appraising a Research Study box on the HSA, Nursing , and PA guides )
You may need to revise your search and re-run it based on your findings.

6. Organize and synthesize

Compile the findings and analysis from each resource into a single narrative.
Using an outline can be helpful. Start broad, addressing the overall findings and then narrow, discussing each resource and how it relates to your question and to the other resources.
Cite as you write to keep sources organized.
Write in structured paragraphs using topic sentences and transition words to draw connections, comparisons, and contrasts.
Don't present one study after another, but rather relate one study's findings to another. Speak to how the studies are connected and how they relate to your work.

Organizing Information

Options to assist in organizing sources and information :

1. Synthesis Matrix

helps provide overview of the literature
information from individual sources is entered into a grid to enable writers to discern patterns and themes
article summary, analysis, or results
thoughts, reflections, or issues
each reference gets its own row
mind maps, concept maps, flowcharts
at top of page record PICO or research question
record major concepts / themes from literature
list concepts that branch out from major concepts underneath - keep going downward hierarchically, until most specific ideas are recorded
enclose concepts in circles and connect the concept with lines - add brief explanation as needed

3. Summary Table

information is recorded in a grid to help with recall and sorting information when writing
allows comparing and contrasting individual studies easily
purpose of study
methodology (study population, data collection tool)

Efron, S. E., & Ravid, R. (2019). Writing the literature review : A practical guide . Guilford Press.

Literature Review Sections

Lit reviews can be part of a larger paper / research study or they can be the focus of the paper
Lit reviews focus on research studies to provide evidence
New topics may not have much that has been published

* The sections included may depend on the purpose of the literature review (standalone paper or section within a research paper)

Standalone Literature Review (aka Narrative Review):

presents your topic or PICO question
includes the why of the literature review and your goals for the review.
provides background for your the topic and previews the key points
Narrative Reviews: tmay not have an explanation of methods.
include where the search was conducted (which databases) what subject terms or keywords were used, and any limits or filters that were applied and why - this will help others re-create the search
describe how studies were analyzed for inclusion or exclusion
review the purpose and answer the research question
thematically - using recurring themes in the literature
chronologically - present the development of the topic over time
methodological - compare and contrast findings based on various methodologies used to research the topic (e.g. qualitative vs quantitative, etc.)
theoretical - organized content based on various theories
provide an overview of the main points of each source then synthesize the findings into a coherent summary of the whole
present common themes among the studies
compare and contrast the various study results
interpret the results and address the implications of the findings
do the results support the original hypothesis or conflict with it
provide your own analysis and interpretation (eg. discuss the significance of findings; evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the studies, noting any problems)
discuss common and unusual patterns and offer explanations
stay away from opinions, personal biases and unsupported recommendations
summarize the key findings and relate them back to your PICO/research question
note gaps in the research and suggest areas for further research
this section should not contain "new" information that had not been previously discussed in one of the sections above
provide a list of all the studies and other sources used in proper APA 7

Literature Review as Part of a Research Study Manuscript:

Compares the study with other research and includes how a study fills a gap in the research.
Focus on the body of the review which includes the synthesized Findings and Discussion

Literature Reviews vs Systematic Reviews

Systematic Reviews are NOT the same as a Literature Review:

Literature Reviews:

Literature reviews may or may not follow strict systematic methods to find, select, and analyze articles, but rather they selectively and broadly review the literature on a topic
Research included in a Literature Review can be "cherry-picked" and therefore, can be very subjective

Systematic Reviews:

Systemic reviews are designed to provide a comprehensive summary of the evidence for a focused research question
rigorous and strictly structured, using standardized reporting guidelines (e.g. PRISMA, see link below)
uses exhaustive, systematic searches of all relevant databases
best practice dictates search strategies are peer reviewed
uses predetermined study inclusion and exclusion criteria in order to minimize bias
aims to capture and synthesize all literature (including unpublished research - grey literature) that meet the predefined criteria on a focused topic resulting in high quality evidence

Literature Review Examples

Breastfeeding initiation and support: A literature review of what women value and the impact of early discharge (2017). Women and Birth : Journal of the Australian College of Midwives
Community-based participatory research to promote healthy diet and nutrition and prevent and control obesity among African-Americans: A literature review (2017). Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

Vitamin D deficiency in individuals with a spinal cord injury: A literature review (2017). Spinal Cord

Resources for Writing a Literature Review

These sources have been used in developing this guide.

Resources Used on This Page

Aveyard, H. (2010). Doing a literature review in health and social care : A practical guide . McGraw-Hill Education.

Purdue Online Writing Lab. (n.d.). Writing a literature review . Purdue University. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/conducting_research/writing_a_literature_review.html

Torres, E. (2021, October 21). Nursing - graduate studies research guide: Literature review. Hawai'i Pacific University Libraries. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://hpu.libguides.com/c.php?g=543891&p=3727230

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What is a Literature Review?

The Scholarly Conversation

The format is usually a bibliographic essay; sources are briefly cited within the body of the essay, with full bibliographic citations at the end.
The introduction should define the topic and set the context for the literature review. It will include the author's perspective or point of view on the topic, how they have defined the scope of the topic (including what's not included), and how the review will be organized. It can point out overall trends, conflicts in methodology or conclusions, and gaps in the research.
In the body of the review , the author should organize the research into major topics and subtopics. These groupings may be by subject, (e.g., globalization of clothing manufacturing), type of research (e.g., case studies), methodology (e.g., qualitative), genre, chronology, or other common characteristics. Within these groups, the author can then discuss the merits of each article and analyze and compare the importance of each article to similar ones.
The conclusion will summarize the main findings, make clear how this review of the literature supports (or not) the research to follow, and may point the direction for further research.
The list of references will include full citations for all of the items mentioned in the literature review.

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You are here: Students

Top Tips for doing your literature review!

07 September, 2010 By NT Contributor

Many undergraduates and qualified nurses who have returned to study do a literature review as the final part of their degree. Helen Aveyard’s advice will ease the process and make it more enjoyable

Many undergraduate students and qualified nurses who have returned to study embark on a literature review as the final dissertation component of their degree. If this applies to you then there are various things that you can do and people you can see to make this process easier, more rewarding and even enjoyable!

The following tips will guide you through the literature review process:

Choose a topic that interests you. This might sound obvious but it does make all the difference in keeping your interest and motivation.From this topic, identify a specific question that you can answer from the literature. The key is to find a question that is not too broad.

Discuss this topic with everyone who will listen to you! This way you will mull over and refine your question until you feel you have a useful question that you can answer.

Work out what literature you need to answer your question . Not everything relating to your question will be relevant and some information will be more relevant than others… be selective.

Most questions need to be answered using primary research . In general terms, if your question involves measuring or evaluating care or an intervention then you will probably need to use quantitative research. If your question is more explorative, then qualitative research is likely to be most relevant. However this is not absolute. Remember that identifying which literature you need is one of the most important aspects of doing your literature review and it is useful to discuss in detail your approach with your supervisor. Think carefully about the type of literature that is likely to be most useful to you. Once you know what you are looking for, you can start to think about how to search for it!

Go and see your subject librarian . Most academic libraries offer drop in sessions for dissertation students. These will enable you to work out how to search for literature on your topic.

Identify key words and search terms . Think laterally about this and don’t forget to use words that are less common or have become outdated. This is because relevant articles might have been indexed using these words and you will miss them if you do not include them in your list of key words.

Now consider which databases you will search through . Go to your academic library website and read through the descriptions of each database and what each holds and select those databases that seem most relevant to your topic.

You are now ready to start searching . Remember to familiarise yourself with the basic functions of the database you are using, remembering that each database is slightly different from another. Take advantage of the Boolean operators (AND/OR/NOT) which allow you to narrow or broaden a search. It is always a good idea to supplement electronic searching with additional searching strategies, for example hand searching relevant journals or reference lists. This is because some key articles might be missed through electronic searching due to the way the paper is indexed.

Look at the abstracts of the articles you come across . It is usually possible to identify from the abstract whether the paper is useful for your review.

Start getting hold of the articles that seem relevant . Sometimes you will need an inter-library loan to do this. At this stage you need to be ruthless. If the article is not relevant to your review, then do not include it. However anything that might be relevant must be looked at.

Collect together all the articles that address your research question . At undergraduate level, if you have around 10 articles, then this is ideal. Significantly more will mean that you are not able to refer to the articles in sufficient detail and too few will not give you enough data to write your review.

Be pragmatic! If needs be, refine your review question to fit the articles that you have. If you have too many articles, try limiting the focus of your question somehow. Can you restrict the focus to the UK only? or a particular nursing speciality?

The next step is to consider the quality of the articles you have . You might have a paper that is directly relevant to your research question but if the quality of the paper is poor it may not help you as much as you think. It is generally a good idea to use a critical appraisal tool that is specific to the research design of your given paper. This might mean that you need to use a few different critical appraisal tools if your literature review question requires you to access a wide range of literature. Discuss this with your supervisor. Using the critical appraisal tool, consider the strengths and limitations of the literature you have identified and consider how much impact each paper has in addressing your research question.

Bring all the papers together and provide an answer for your research question . It is often useful to make a chart of key themes that arise in the papers, the authors of the papers, when they were written and their strengths and weaknesses. You can then see at a glance which other papers identify similar (or different) themes.

As you do this, you will begin to see patterns emerging in the literature and will be able to form an answer to your question. Remember that your answer may well be incomplete. It is quite permissible to say ‘there is some evidence that…’ rather than to provide a definitive answer. What is not permissible is to make out that you have a clear answer when in fact the literature does not support this. In this case, honesty really is the best policy.

Above all remember to answer the question!

Finally remember to put your literature review on your CV and be prepared to discuss at interview. It is a strong selling point when you apply for your first job or a new job.

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Bettany-Saltikov J. How to do a systematic literature review in nursing: a step-by-step guide.Maidenhead: Open University Press; 2012

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Developing a framework for critiquing health research. 2005. https://tinyurl.com/y3nulqms (accessed 22 July 2019)

Cognetti G, Grossi L, Lucon A, Solimini R. Information retrieval for the Cochrane systematic reviews: the case of breast cancer surgery. Ann Ist Super Sanita. 2015; 51:(1)34-39 https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_15_01_07

Dixon-Woods M, Cavers D, Agarwal S Conducting a critical interpretive synthesis of the literature on access to healthcare by vulnerable groups. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2006; 6:(1) https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-6-35

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Hanley T, Cutts LA. What is a systematic review? Counselling Psychology Review. 2013; 28:(4)3-6

Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions. Version 5.1.0. 2011. https://handbook-5-1.cochrane.org (accessed 23 July 2019)

Jahan N, Naveed S, Zeshan M, Tahir MA. How to conduct a systematic review: a narrative literature review. Cureus. 2016; 8:(11) https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.864

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Methley AM, Campbell S, Chew-Graham C, McNally R, Cheraghi-Sohi S. PICO, PICOS and SPIDER: a comparison study of specificity and sensitivity in three search tools for qualitative systematic reviews. BMC Health Serv Res. 2014; 14:(1) https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-014-0579-0

Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. PLoS Med. 2009; 6:(7) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097

Mueller J, Jay C, Harper S, Davies A, Vega J, Todd C. Web use for symptom appraisal of physical health conditions: a systematic review. J Med Internet Res. 2017; 19:(6) https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.6755

Murad MH, Asi N, Alsawas M, Alahdab F. New evidence pyramid. Evid Based Med. 2016; 21:(4)125-127 https://doi.org/10.1136/ebmed-2016-110401

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Sambunjak D, Franic M. Steps in the undertaking of a systematic review in orthopaedic surgery. Int Orthop. 2012; 36:(3)477-484 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-011-1460-y

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Carrying out systematic literature reviews: an introduction

Alan Davies

Lecturer in Health Data Science, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester

View articles · Email Alan

Systematic reviews provide a synthesis of evidence for a specific topic of interest, summarising the results of multiple studies to aid in clinical decisions and resource allocation. They remain among the best forms of evidence, and reduce the bias inherent in other methods. A solid understanding of the systematic review process can be of benefit to nurses that carry out such reviews, and for those who make decisions based on them. An overview of the main steps involved in carrying out a systematic review is presented, including some of the common tools and frameworks utilised in this area. This should provide a good starting point for those that are considering embarking on such work, and to aid readers of such reviews in their understanding of the main review components, in order to appraise the quality of a review that may be used to inform subsequent clinical decision making.

Since their inception in the late 1970s, systematic reviews have gained influence in the health professions ( Hanley and Cutts, 2013 ). Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are considered to be the most credible and authoritative sources of evidence available ( Cognetti et al, 2015 ) and are regarded as the pinnacle of evidence in the various ‘hierarchies of evidence’. Reviews published in the Cochrane Library ( https://www.cochranelibrary.com) are widely considered to be the ‘gold’ standard. Since Guyatt et al (1995) presented a users' guide to medical literature for the Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group, various hierarchies of evidence have been proposed. Figure 1 illustrates an example.

Systematic reviews can be qualitative or quantitative. One of the criticisms levelled at hierarchies such as these is that qualitative research is often positioned towards or even is at the bottom of the pyramid, thus implying that it is of little evidential value. This may be because of traditional issues concerning the quality of some qualitative work, although it is now widely recognised that both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies have a valuable part to play in answering research questions, which is reflected by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) information concerning methods for developing public health guidance. The NICE (2012) guidance highlights how both qualitative and quantitative study designs can be used to answer different research questions. In a revised version of the hierarchy-of-evidence pyramid, the systematic review is considered as the lens through which the evidence is viewed, rather than being at the top of the pyramid ( Murad et al, 2016 ).

Both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies are sometimes combined in a single review. According to the Cochrane review handbook ( Higgins and Green, 2011 ), regardless of type, reviews should contain certain features, including:

Clearly stated objectives
Predefined eligibility criteria for inclusion or exclusion of studies in the review
A reproducible and clearly stated methodology
Validity assessment of included studies (eg quality, risk, bias etc).

The main stages of carrying out a systematic review are summarised in Box 1 .

Formulating the research question

Before undertaking a systemic review, a research question should first be formulated ( Bashir and Conlon, 2018 ). There are a number of tools/frameworks ( Table 1 ) to support this process, including the PICO/PICOS, PEO and SPIDER criteria ( Bowers et al, 2011 ). These frameworks are designed to help break down the question into relevant subcomponents and map them to concepts, in order to derive a formalised search criterion ( Methley et al, 2014 ). This stage is essential for finding literature relevant to the question ( Jahan et al, 2016 ).

Framework	Components	Primary usage
PICOS	opulation/problem/phenomenon, ntervention, omparison, utcome, tudy design	Used often for medical/health evidence-based reviews comparing interventions on a population
PEO	opulation, xposure, utcome	Useful for qualitative research questions
SPIDER	ample, henomenon of nterest, esign, valuation, esearch type	Often used for qualitative and mixed-methods research questions
ECLIPSE	xpectation, lient group, ocation, mpact, rofessionals, ervice	Policy or service evaluation
SPICE	etting, erspective, ntervention, omparison, valuation	Service, project or intervention evaluation

It is advisable to first check that the review you plan to carry out has not already been undertaken. You can optionally register your review with an international register of prospective reviews called PROSPERO, although this is not essential for publication. This is done to help you and others to locate work and see what reviews have already been carried out in the same area. It also prevents needless duplication and instead encourages building on existing work ( Bashir and Conlon, 2018 ).

A study ( Methley et al, 2014 ) that compared PICO, PICOS and SPIDER in relation to sensitivity and specificity recommended that the PICO tool be used for a comprehensive search and the PICOS tool when time/resources are limited.

The use of the SPIDER tool was not recommended due to the risk of missing relevant papers. It was, however, found to increase specificity.

These tools/frameworks can help those carrying out reviews to structure research questions and define key concepts in order to efficiently identify relevant literature and summarise the main objective of the review ( Jahan et al, 2016 ). A possible research question could be: Is paracetamol of benefit to people who have just had an operation? The following examples highlight how using a framework may help to refine the question:

What form of paracetamol? (eg, oral/intravenous/suppository)
Is the dosage important?
What is the patient population? (eg, children, adults, Europeans)
What type of operation? (eg, tonsillectomy, appendectomy)
What does benefit mean? (eg, reduce post-operative pyrexia, analgesia).

An example of a more refined research question could be: Is oral paracetamol effective in reducing pain following cardiac surgery for adult patients? A number of concepts for each element will need to be specified. There will also be a number of synonyms for these concepts ( Table 2 ).

PICO element	Concept(s)
Population
Intervention
Comparison
Outcome

Table 2 shows an example of concepts used to define a search strategy using the PICO statement. It is easy to see even with this dummy example that there are many concepts that require mapping and much thought required to capture ‘good’ search criteria. Consideration should be given to the various terms to describe the heart, such as cardiac, cardiothoracic, myocardial, myocardium, etc, and the different names used for drugs, such as the equivalent name used for paracetamol in other countries and regions, as well as the various brand names. Defining good search criteria is an important skill that requires a lot of practice. A high-quality review gives details of the search criteria that enables the reader to understand how the authors came up with the criteria. A specific, well-defined search criterion also aids in the reproducibility of a review.

Search criteria

Before the search for papers and other documents can begin it is important to explicitly define the eligibility criteria to determine whether a source is relevant to the review ( Hanley and Cutts, 2013 ). There are a number of database sources that are searched for medical/health literature including those shown in Table 3 .

Source	Description
PubMed	Life sciences and biomedical topics
Medline	Life sciences and biomedical information
Embase	Biomedical information
Web of Science	Multidiscipline science
Biosis	Life sciences and biomedical topics
PsycINFO	Behaviour and mental health
SCOPUS	Life sciences, social sciences, physical sciences and health science
CINAHL	Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature
Cochrane Library	Database of systematic reviews
CENTRAL	The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials
OpenGrey	Grey literature (conference proceedings, unpublished work)

The various databases can be searched using common Boolean operators to combine or exclude search terms (ie AND, OR, NOT) ( Figure 2 ).

Although most literature databases use similar operators, it is necessary to view the individual database guides, because there are key differences between some of them. Table 4 details some of the common operators and wildcards used in the databases for searching. When developing a search criteria, it is a good idea to check concepts against synonyms, as well as abbreviations, acronyms and plural and singular variations ( Cognetti et al, 2015 ). Reading some key papers in the area and paying attention to the key words they use and other terms used in the abstract, and looking through the reference lists/bibliographies of papers, can also help to ensure that you incorporate relevant terms. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) that are used by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) ( https://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html) to provide hierarchical biomedical index terms for NLM databases (Medline and PubMed) should also be explored and included in relevant search strategies.

Wildcard/operator	Meaning	Example
‘‘, { }	Several words	‘treatment strategy’{treatment strategy}
#, ?	Alternative spellings or missing characters ie, ‘z’ or ‘s’ or ‘-’	visulai#ationvisulai?ation
*, $	Truncation, i.e., could include graphs, graphics, graphene etc	Graph*Graph$
AND	Must include both terms	Heads AND toes
OR	Must include one of the terms	Heads OR toes
NOT	Must not have that term included	Graph* NOTphotograph

Searching the ‘grey literature’ is also an important factor in reducing publication bias. It is often the case that only studies with positive results and statistical significance are published. This creates a certain bias inherent in the published literature. This bias can, to some degree, be mitigated by the inclusion of results from the so-called grey literature, including unpublished work, abstracts, conference proceedings and PhD theses ( Higgins and Green, 2011 ; Bettany-Saltikov, 2012 ; Cognetti et al, 2015 ). Biases in a systematic review can lead to overestimating or underestimating the results ( Jahan et al, 2016 ).

An example search strategy from a published review looking at web use for the appraisal of physical health conditions can be seen in Box 2 . High-quality reviews usually detail which databases were searched and the number of items retrieved from each.

((web OR Internet OR “search engine” OR google OR online OR on line’’) AND (“help seeking” OR “help-seeking” OR “information seeking” OR “information-seeking”) AND (symptom OR symptoms OR diagnoses OR diagnosis))

A balance between high recall and high precision is often required in order to produce the best results. An oversensitive search, or one prone to including too much noise, can mean missing important studies or producing too many search results ( Cognetti et al, 2015 ). Following a search, the exported citations can be added to citation management software (such as Mendeley or Endnote) and duplicates removed.

Title and abstract screening

Initial screening begins with the title and abstracts of articles being read and included or excluded from the review based on their relevance. This is usually carried out by at least two researchers to reduce bias ( Bashir and Conlon, 2018 ). After screening any discrepancies in agreement should be resolved by discussion, or by an additional researcher casting the deciding vote ( Bashir and Conlon, 2018 ). Statistics for inter-rater reliability exist and can be reported, such as percentage of agreement or Cohen's kappa ( Box 3 ) for two reviewers and Fleiss' kappa for more than two reviewers. Agreement can depend on the background and knowledge of the researchers and the clarity of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. This highlights the importance of providing clear, well-defined criteria for inclusion that are easy for other researchers to follow.

Full-text review

Following title and abstract screening, the remaining articles/sources are screened in the same way, but this time the full texts are read in their entirety and included or excluded based on their relevance. Reasons for exclusion are usually recorded and reported. Extraction of the specific details of the studies can begin once the final set of papers is determined.

Data extraction

At this stage, the full-text papers are read and compared against the inclusion criteria of the review. Data extraction sheets are forms that are created to extract specific data about a study (12 Jahan et al, 2016 ) and ensure that data are extracted in a uniform and structured manner. Extraction sheets can differ between quantitative and qualitative reviews. For quantitative reviews they normally include details of the study's population, design, sample size, intervention, comparisons and outcomes ( Bettany-Saltikov, 2012 ; Mueller et al, 2017 ).

Quality appraisal

The quality of the studies used in the review should also be appraised. Caldwell et al (2005) discussed the need for a health research evaluation framework that could be used to evaluate both qualitative and quantitative work. The framework produced uses features common to both research methodologies, as well as those that differ ( Caldwell et al, 2005 ; Dixon-Woods et al, 2006 ). Figure 3 details the research critique framework. Other quality appraisal methods do exist, such as those presented in Box 4 . Quality appraisal can also be used to weight the evidence from studies. For example, more emphasis can be placed on the results of large randomised controlled trials (RCT) than one with a small sample size. The quality of a review can also be used as a factor for exclusion and can be specified in inclusion/exclusion criteria. Quality appraisal is an important step that needs to be undertaken before conclusions about the body of evidence can be made ( Sambunjak and Franic, 2012 ). It is also important to note that there is a difference between the quality of the research carried out in the studies and the quality of how those studies were reported ( Sambunjak and Franic, 2012 ).

The quality appraisal is different for qualitative and quantitative studies. With quantitative studies this usually focuses on their internal and external validity, such as how well the study has been designed and analysed, and the generalisability of its findings. Qualitative work, on the other hand, is often evaluated in terms of trustworthiness and authenticity, as well as how transferable the findings may be ( Bettany-Saltikov, 2012 ; Bashir and Conlon, 2018 ; Siddaway et al, 2019 ).

Reporting a review (the PRISMA statement)

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) provides a reporting structure for systematic reviews/meta-analysis, and consists of a checklist and diagram ( Figure 4 ). The stages of identifying potential papers/sources, screening by title and abstract, determining eligibility and final inclusion are detailed with the number of articles included/excluded at each stage. PRISMA diagrams are often included in systematic reviews to detail the number of papers included at each of the four main stages (identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion) of the review.

Data synthesis

The combined results of the screened studies can be analysed qualitatively by grouping them together under themes and subthemes, often referred to as meta-synthesis or meta-ethnography ( Siddaway et al, 2019 ). Sometimes this is not done and a summary of the literature found is presented instead. When the findings are synthesised, they are usually grouped into themes that were derived by noting commonality among the studies included. Inductive (bottom-up) thematic analysis is frequently used for such purposes and works by identifying themes (essentially repeating patterns) in the data, and can include a set of higher-level and related subthemes (Braun and Clarke, 2012). Thomas and Harden (2008) provide examples of the use of thematic synthesis in systematic reviews, and there is an excellent introduction to thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke (2012).

The results of the review should contain details on the search strategy used (including search terms), the databases searched (and the number of items retrieved), summaries of the studies included and an overall synthesis of the results ( Bettany-Saltikov, 2012 ). Finally, conclusions should be made about the results and the limitations of the studies included ( Jahan et al, 2016 ). Another method for synthesising data in a systematic review is a meta-analysis.

Limitations of systematic reviews

Apart from the many advantages and benefits to carrying out systematic reviews highlighted throughout this article, there remain a number of disadvantages. These include the fact that not all stages of the review process are followed rigorously or even at all in some cases. This can lead to poor quality reviews that are difficult or impossible to replicate. There also exist some barriers to the use of evidence produced by reviews, including ( Wallace et al, 2012 ):

Lack of awareness and familiarity with reviews
Lack of access
Lack of direct usefulness/applicability.

Meta-analysis

When the methods used and the analysis are similar or the same, such as in some RCTs, the results can be synthesised using a statistical approach called meta-analysis and presented using summary visualisations such as forest plots (or blobbograms) ( Figure 5 ). This can be done only if the results can be combined in a meaningful way.

Meta-analysis can be carried out using common statistical and data science software, such as the cross-platform ‘R’ ( https://www.r-project.org), or by using standalone software, such as Review Manager (RevMan) produced by the Cochrane community ( https://tinyurl.com/revman-5), which is currently developing a cross-platform version RevMan Web.

Carrying out a systematic review is a time-consuming process, that on average takes between 6 and 18 months and requires skill from those involved. Ideally, several reviewers will work on a review to reduce bias. Experts such as librarians should be consulted and included where possible in review teams to leverage their expertise.

Systematic reviews should present the state of the art (most recent/up-to-date developments) concerning a specific topic and aim to be systematic and reproducible. Reproducibility is aided by transparent reporting of the various stages of a review using reporting frameworks such as PRISMA for standardisation. A high-quality review should present a summary of a specific topic to a high standard upon which other professionals can base subsequent care decisions that increase the quality of evidence-based clinical practice.

Systematic reviews remain one of the most trusted sources of high-quality information from which to make clinical decisions
Understanding the components of a review will help practitioners to better assess their quality
Many formal frameworks exist to help structure and report reviews, the use of which is recommended for reproducibility
Experts such as librarians can be included in the review team to help with the review process and improve its quality

CPD reflective questions

Where should high-quality qualitative research sit regarding the hierarchies of evidence?
What background and expertise should those conducting a systematic review have, and who should ideally be included in the team?
Consider to what extent inter-rater agreement is important in the screening process

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Dissertations on Nursing

Nursing involves providing care for people and families, whether that be during bad physical or mental health, illness or injury. Nurses are compassionate and empathetic, supporting people during their time of need.

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Latest Nursing Dissertations

Including full dissertations, proposals, individual dissertation chapters, and study guides for students working on their undergraduate or masters dissertation.

Effect of Informative Electronic Discharge Summaries on Patient Safety and Satisfaction

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What Causes Fear of Childbirth and How Can Midwives Support Women?

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Physical and Mental Health Outcomes Among HIV Patients Receiving Integrated Care Treatment

The purpose of this archival study was to further contribute to the existing literature evaluating integrated care approaches to HIV treatment in community based settings....

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The aims of this overview was to determine if hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can be detected accurately, reliably and effectively by screening programmes, and if screening programmes are effective in reducing the rate of mortality of sudden cardiac death....

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The goal of this paper is to examine if a substance abuse patient diagnosed as having a co-occurring mental illness benefit from the integrated care approach....

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Example Literature Reviews

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Nursing: Literature Review

Required Texts
Writing Assistance and Organizing & Citing References
NCLEX Resources
Literature Review
MSN Students
Physical Examination
Drug Information
Professional Organizations
Mobile Apps
Evidence-based Medicine
Certifications
Recommended Nursing Textbooks
DNP Students
Conducting Research
Scoping Reviews
Systematic Reviews
Distance Education Students
Ordering from your Home Library

Good Place to Start: Citation Databases

Interdisciplinary Citation Databases:

A good place to start your research is to search a research citation database to view the scope of literature available on your topic.

TIP #1: SEED ARTICLE Begin your research with a "seed article" - an article that strongly supports your research topic. Then use a citation database to follow the studies published by finding articles which have cited that article, either because they support it or because they disagree with it.

TIP #2: SNOWBALLING Snowballing is the process where researchers will begin with a select number of articles they have identified relevant/strongly supports their topic and then search each articles' references reviewing the studies cited to determine if they are relevant to your research.

BONUS POINTS: This process also helps identify key highly cited authors within a topic to help establish the "experts" in the field.

Begin by constructing a focused research question to help you then convert it into an effective search strategy.

Identify keywords or synonyms
Type of study/resources
Which database(s) to search
Asking a Good Question (PICO)
PICO - AHRQ
PICO - Worksheet
What Is a PICOT Question?

Seminal Works: Search Key Indexing/Citation Databases

Google Scholar
Web of Science

TIP – How to Locate Seminal Works

DO NOT: Limit by date range or you might overlook the seminal works
DO: Look at highly cited references (Seminal articles are frequently referred to “cited” in the research)
DO: Search citation databases like Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar

Web Resources

What is a literature review?

A literature review is a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of published information on a subject area. Conducting a literature review demands a careful examination of a body of literature that has been published that helps answer your research question (See PICO). Literature reviewed includes scholarly journals, scholarly books, authoritative databases, primary sources and grey literature.

A literature review attempts to answer the following:

What is known about the subject?
What is the chronology of knowledge about my subject?
Are there any gaps in the literature?
Is there a consensus/debate on issues?
Create a clear research question/statement
Define the scope of the review include limitations (i.e. gender, age, location, nationality...)
Search existing literature including classic works on your topic and grey literature
Evaluate results and the evidence (Avoid discounting information that contradicts your research)
Track and organize references
How to conduct an effective literature search.
Social Work Literature Review Guidelines (OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab)

What is PICO?

The PICO model can help you formulate a good clinical question. Sometimes it's referred to as PICO-T, containing an optional 5th factor.

- Patient, Population, or Problem	What are the most important characteristics of the patient? How would you describe a group of patients similar to yours?
- Intervention, Exposure, Prognostic Factor	What main intervention, prognostic factor, or exposure are you considering? What do you want to do for the patient (prescribe a drug, order a test, etc.)?
- Comparison	What is the main alternative to compare with the intervention?
- Outcome	What do you hope to accomplish, measure, improve, or affect?
- Time Factor, Type of Study (optional)	How would you categorize this question? What would be the best study design to answer this question?

Search Example

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Public Health Nursing

How to run your search

Selected titles to help you write a literature review

What is a literature review, systematic literature searching, your search strategy, search strategy elements, tools to help you focus your topic.

Using One Search
Specialist Resources for Public Health Nursing
Evaluating Health Sources
Keeping track of your sources
Writing and Referencing

Scribbr (2020) How to write a literature review: 3 minute step-by-step guide. Available at: https://youtu.be/zIYC6zG265E (Accessed: 29 June 2021).

A literature review is a formal search and discussion of the literature published on a topic. Such reviews have different purposes, some providing an overview as a learning exercise. Most literature reviews are related to research activity, focus on scholarly and research publications and how this evidence relates to a specific research question or hypothesis.

Machi and McEvoy (2016, p.23) consider the review process as a critical thinking activity:

Select a topic (Recognize and define a problem);
Develop tools of argumentation (Create a process for solving the problem);
Search the literature (Collect and compile information);
Survey the literature (Discover the evidence and build the argument);
Critique the literature (Draw conclusions);
Write the thesis (Communicate and evaluate the conclusions).

Machi, L.A. and McEvoy, B.T. (2016) The literature review: six steps to success. London; Corwin.

Leite, D., Padilha, M., and Cecatti, J. G. (2019) 'Approaching literature review for academic purposes: The Literature Review Checklist', Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil) , 74 , e1403. https://doi.org/10.6061/clinics/2019/e1403

Systematic literature searching You might be an undergraduate who wants to improve the quality of their searches, a postgraduate deciding on a dissertation topic, or a PhD student conducting a systematic literature review as part of your thesis. Or, you might be a member of staff conducting systematic search as part of your academic work, grant application, or Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme. This guide is your practical companion, offering insights and strategies to navigate the intricacies of systematic searching work.

Literature reviews are often conducted as an introduction to a research project. However, they can also be used to gain an overview of the publications or research or evidence available as an introduction to a topic.

For the latter, you will be expected to develop a systematic search strategy to identify and locate the most relevant material (Aveyard, 2019). This means including, as part of your text, the keywords and resources used for your review and the decisions made regarding your selection of materials.

Aveyard, H. (2019) Doing a literature review in health and social care: a practical guide.4th edn. London: Open University Press, McGraw-Hill Education.

Your search strategy incorporates all the decisions made while selecting items for your literature review.

Themes and keywords

What are the separate elements of your topic/search?
Which are the principal key words or search terms for each element?
Are there obvious alternative search terms that should be included? For example, 'international' could also be described as 'global' or 'worldwide'.

Your initial searches on the topic will help you ascertain relevant search terms.

Which types of material are you including in your review? This can be restricted to research articles or encompass policy papers, textbooks, reports, conference presentations, blogs and more.
Which bibliographic resources are most relevant to your topic, and the types of material identified above? Options include bibliographic databases and Google Scholar (journal and research papers); the library's OneSearch (books, exemplars and more), Google or other general search engines (policy papers, blogs ...).See Specialist Resources for links to CINAHL and other bibliographic services.

Additional selection criteria

Does a specific date range for publication apply?
Are you only interested in a specific scenario or environment?
Are you focusing on a specific population?

Please remember:

Your decision making will be influenced, in part, by the restricted nature of your assignment and related timescale.
You will be accessing and reading multiple items for each assignment. Some of these will be relevant throughout our programme, or in other contexts. See the Keeping Track of your Sources page on this guide for advice on noting details methodically.

There are several tools available to help researchers formulate a robust research question or hypothesis. These may be helpful in refining your topic and developing a search strategy for your assignments.

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Next: Using One Search >>
Last Updated: Jun 27, 2024 3:53 PM
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100+ Current Nursing literature review topics + Examples to Write About

Carla Johnson
August 18, 2023
Nursing Care Plan , Nursing Topics and Ideas , Writing Guides for MSN students

Nursing literature review is an important part of the nursing profession. It allows nurses to learn from the best studies and research on a particular topic. In this article, we will provide you with 100 good nursing literature review topics that you can use to help you write your nursing literature review.

Current Nursing literature review topics to Write About – topics for literature review in nursing

Nursing literature review is an essential component of any nursing program. Nurses need to have a comprehensive understanding of the latest nursing research in order to provide optimal care for their patients .

Here are current nursing literature review topics that you can explore:

The Role of Nursing Research in Clinical Practice
Enhancing Patient Outcomes through Nursing Research
Applications of evidence-based Practice in Nursing
The Relationship between Nursing Theory and Practice
Issues in Implementation and Translation of Research Evidence into Clinical Practice
Cultural Competence in Nursing: Perspectives from the Global South
Nursing Perspective on Genetics and Genetics in Nursing
Advances in Geriatric Nursing: From Theory to Practice
Transforming Pediatric Nursing Care through EvidenceBased Practice
Health Technology Assessment: A Critical Appraisal from a Nursing Perspective
Promoting Collaborative Care through Effective Communication Practices within the Health System
Nurses, Technology, and Innovation: Implications for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
Nursing Ethics: A Multidisciplinary Perspective
Nursing in an Era of Health Care Reform
The Role of Nursing Research in Evaluating Nursing Practice
Nursing Research and Quality Improvement: Strategies for conducting systematic reviews
Collaborative Care in Nursing: Theory, Research, and Practice
The Impact of Nursing on Patient Safety
The Role of Nursing Ethics in Patient Safety
Nursing Informatics: A Critical Appraisal
What Nurses Should Know About the National Minimum Data Set (NMDS)
Assessing Electronic Health Records: Challenges and Opportunities
Nursing in the Era of the Affordable Care Act
The Influence of Nursing on Patient Outcomes
The Effects of Culture on Nursing Practice
Nursing in a Time of Economic Turmoil
Challenges Facing Nursing Education in the Context of Healthcare Reform
The Use of Technology by Nurses in the Delivery of Nursing Care
Creating an Effective Learning Environment for Nursing Students

Here’s How to write a Strong Literature Review for Nursing | Guide, Outlines & Examples

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20 Mental health nursing literature review topics

Introduction to mental health nursing literature review: This literature review will introduce the reader to the field of mental health nursing and provide an overview of 20 different mental health nursing literature review topics.
Psychiatric assessment: This literature review will focus on the psychiatric assessment process, including topics such as history taking and diagnostic procedures.
Assessing for suicide risk: This literature review will discuss methods for assessing for suicide risk in patients, including coding criteria and risk assessment tools.
Cultural competency in mental health nursing: This literature review will explore ways to be culturally competent when providing care to patients with mental illness, such as understanding cultural norms and beliefs.
Therapeutic interventions for depression: This literature review will focus on therapeutic interventions for treating depression, such as pharmacological and psychological treatments.
Psychotherapy for anxiety disorders: This literature review will discuss psychotherapy options for treating anxiety disorders, including cognitive-behavioral therapy and group therapies.
Psychosocial rehabilitation interventions for addiction: This literature review will focus on psychosocial rehabilitation interventions designed to help patients recovering from addiction. Topics covered include relapse prevention and counseling techniques.
Care of childrenand adolescents with mental health issues: This literature review will discuss the care of children and adolescents with mental health issues, including pediatric mental health disorders and psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents.
Care of older adults with mental illness: This literature review will focus on the care of older adults with mental illness, including interventions for dementia-related psychosis and falls prevention.
Complementary and alternative medicine in mental health nursing: This literature review will explore complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies used to treat mental illness, such as acupuncture and meditation.
Ethics in mental health nursing: This literature review will discuss ethical considerations in providing care to patients with mental illness, such as cross-cultural competency and ensuring patient safety.
Mental health literacy: This literature review will focus on how to improve mental health literacy among nurses, including teaching strategies and clinical applications.
Research methods in mental health nursing: This literature review will discuss research methods used in the study of mental health Nursing, including qualitative methods and quantitative methods.
The role of nursing research in advancing mental health nursing: This literature review will discuss the role of nursing research in advancing the field of mentalhealth nursing, including the importance of randomized controlled trials.
The role of advocacy in mental health nursing: This literature review will discuss the role of advocacy in mental health nursing, including advocacy for better access to mental health care and insurance coverage for mental health services.
Patient safety in mental health nursing: This literature review will discuss patient safety issues in mental health nursing , including safe practices for handling psychiatric medications and preventing falls in elderly patients with dementia.
The role of social work in mental health nursing: This literature review will discuss the role of social work in mental health nursing, including providing support to patients and their families.
Geriatric psychiatry: This literature review will focus on the impact of aging on the brain and psychiatric disorders, including geriatric bipolar disorder and dementia-related psychosis.
Rehabilitation interventions for people with mental illness: This literature review will focus on rehabilitation interventions designed to help people with mental illness recover from their illnesses. Topics covered include cognitive-behavioral therapy and peer support groups.
Future research in mental health nursing: This literature review will discuss future research directions in mental health nursing, including innovative treatments and new approaches to understanding psychiatric disorders.

Here’s the process of Evaluating sources for a nursing literature review | Guide

List of 7 Nursing Literature Review Examples

Here’s a sample Capstone project
Make use of this Nursing Literature Review Sample | Benchmark – Part B: Literature Review
More resources for your study Capstone Literature Review
Here’s the best Capstone Project Literature Review – Solved Example
Working with a PICOT question, here’s a Literature Review For The PICOT Question – Solved Essay
Make use of this Grand Canyon Literature Review PICOT Statement Paper
Taking MSN, here’s a sample nursing literature review example that you should read Literature Review: The Use Of Clinical Systems To Improve Outcomes And Efficiencies

40 Ideas for nursing literature review topics

Nursing literature review is an important practice that nurses use to learn about new concepts and research studies. It can also be used to evaluate the quality of nursing care.

Here are forty ideas for nursing literature review topics:

Nursing care of patients with dementia
Effect of bed rest on nurses’ health
Use of complementary and alternative medicine in nursing care
Impact of technology on nurses’ work
Role of nurses in disaster preparedness
Effectiveness of patient safety programs
Assessment and management of chronic diseases in the elderly
Developing culturally competent nursing care plans
Care of hospitalized pediatric patients
Nursing interventions for preventing falls in the elderly
Effectiveness of home health services for persons with disabilities
Strategies to improve communication between nurses and patients with dementia
Health promotion in hospitals: an evidence-based approach
Nursing care for critically ill patients
Promoting safe sleep for children
A qualitative exploration into transitional learning experiences in nursing
The intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender with nursing
Ethics education for nurses
Nurses’ experience working with migrant patients
The impact of social media on nurses’ work
Nurses’ perceptions of work stress and burnout
Nursing management of chronic pain in adults
Implementation and evaluation of nurse-led interventions for promoting oral health in older adults
The role of nurses in the transition to palliative care
Assessment and management of postoperative pain in adults
Effects of sleep deprivation on nurses’ performance
Nurse-led interventions for preventing falls in the elderly: a systematic review
Nursing care in intensive care units: an overview
Psychiatric nursing: an introduction
Impact of burnout on nurses’ quality of life
Nursing research: a critical perspective
The influence of culture on maternal nursing
Assessment and management of chronic diseases in children
Caregiving trajectories among migrant mothers in Canada
Development and evaluation of an evidence-based electronic health record for pediatric patients with chronic conditions (CHILD-EHR)
Research methods for studying nursing practices: a qualitative exploration
Cultural competency among hospital workers: implications for patient safety
Nursing interventions for managing postoperative pain
The role of nurses in disaster preparedness
A qualitative exploration of the experience of work-life balance in nurses

Pediatric nursing literature review topics

There are many nursing literature review topics that could be covered when studying pediatric nursing. A few possible topics include:

Acute care of the pediatric patient
Assessment and diagnosis of pediatric patients
Vital signs in pediatric patients
Nutrition in the pediatric patient
Pharmacology in the pediatric patient
Palliative care of the pediatric patient
Sleep patterns in the pediatric patient
Infectious diseases of the pediatric population
Child abuse and neglect in the pediatric population
Medications and their effects in pediatrics

Nursing dissertation topics literature review

Nursing dissertation topics can be incredibly diverse, and there are many different ways to approach them. Below is a list of thirty possible topics that could be used as a starting point for your literature review. This is by no means an exhaustive list – you may want to explore additional topics that you feel would be relevant to your project.

Care of the Elderly
Care of Patients with Chronic Conditions
Care of Pregnant Women
Developmental Nursing
Geriatric Nursing
Healthcare Ethics
Healthcare Leadership and Management
Industrial/Organizational Nursing
Neonatal/Pediatric Nursing
Patient Safety and Welfare
Primary Health care nursing
Public Health nursing
Women’s health nursing
Youth health nursing
Nursing Research Methods
Nursing Care of Children with Special Health Needs
Nursing Care of Patients with Developmental Disabilities
Nursing Care of the Elderly with Memory Loss
Nursing Research on Pediatric Populations
Nursing Research on Chronic Illness
Nursing Care of the Obese Patient
Nursing Research on Palliative Care
Nurse Anesthetists
Nurse Midwives
Nurse Practitioners
Nurses in Critical Care Settings
Nurses in Psychiatric Settings
Nurses in Geriatric Settings
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
Collaborative Practice

Nursing literature review is an important part of the nursing profession. It allows nurses to learn from the best studies and research on a particular topic. In this article, we will provide you with 100 good nursing literature review topics that you can use to help you write your nursing literature review.

List of Literature review topics for nursing students

Nursing students need to be familiar with a wide variety of literature review topics in order to become well-rounded professionals . Here are fifty of the most common nursing literature review topics.

Nursing care of people with disabilities
Advanced practice nurse practitioner roles and responsibilities
Infectious diseases in nurses and patients
Collaborative care: working together as a team in healthcare settings
Leadership concepts in nursing: decision making, planning, organizing, goal setting, communication, delegation, and problem solving
Nursing research: methods and applications in population-based studies
Violence against nurses:prevention, intervention and response
Nursing care of patients with chronic diseases
Health assessment in the clinical setting
Care of the elderly patient: principles and practice
Nursing care of persons with diabetes mellitus
Nursing care of the HIV-infected patient
Cardiovascular nursing
Advanced practice nurse roles in pediatric health nursing
Nursing care of the post-operative patient
Geriatric mental health nursing: a framework for practice
Critical care transport nursing
Community pharmacists in healthcare
Pediatric advanced practice nurse roles and responsibilities
Environmental health nursing
Nurse case managers: integrating evidence-based interventions into clinical practice
Mental health assessment tools for nurses
Acute renal failure: diagnosis and management
Nurses & social work collaboration in long-term care settings
Care of the homeless patient
Nursing care of the elderly at home
Palliative care for pediatric patients
Nursing care of older adults in assisted living facilities
Nurses & pharmacists: drug therapy interactions
Nursing care of cancer patients
Patient assessment
Care of the critically ill patient
Nursing interventions for acute care
Palliative care
Nursing assistantship and leadership development
Pharmacology for nursing students
Human growth and development
Community health nursing
Research methods in nursing
Nursing leadership and management
Mental health nursing
Nutrition for nurses
Psychiatric rehabilitation nursing
Nurse-midwife collaboration in obstetrics and gynecology
Pediatric infection control and prevention
Geriatric health teaching: a systematic approach
Palliative care for children and adolescents
Critical incident stress debriefing

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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

Best Nursing Research Topics for Students

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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Being a postgraduate nursing student in limpopo province, south africa: an exploratory study.

1. Introduction

2. materials and methods, 2.1. population and sampling, 2.2. study setting, 2.3. data collection, 2.4. data analysis, 2.5. ethical considerations, 2.6. measures to ensure trustworthiness, 3. results and discussion, demographic data of postgraduate nursing students.

Theme 1: The reasons behind engaging in postgraduate studies
Sub-theme 1.1: Provision of evidence-based solutions

“ It has taught me that when treating a patient, you don’t consider subjective and objective data only, there is more to a symptom ”. (Participant 12)

“ There are so many problems we are encountering at the hospitals, which I believe can only be solved through research ”. (Participant 08)

“ Research is important because it helps us nurses to address health problems scientifically, even though it is tough studying while working ”. (Participant 23)

“ With research, you have all answers, and research helps develop health in general and helps on how to manage different conditions ”. (Participant 22)

Sub-theme 1.2: personal, career, and academic development

“ I love research, and I have joined master’s programme because I want to advance myself and become a professor one day ”. (Participant 18)

“ I do research because I am motivated by one professor who is a research professor. I wish to be like her and be able to be recognised for better positions at work ”. (Participant 12)

“ It is important as a nurse to research because we do statistics at work, and we need to be able to interpret, make sense of them, and improve our services. I want to be that nurse who is a research expert in my ward ”. (Participant 04)

Theme 2: Factors impacting postgraduate studies’ success
Sub-theme 2.1: The impact of participants’ attitude towards research

“ …Research is a really good thing; you are able to learn more and understand people better ”. (Participant 20)

“ Research is very difficult, and I don’t see myself conducting it again in future because of its ups and downs and knowledge required ”. (Participant 06)

“ Research is interesting; however, it is difficult to do research while working. As such, I am unable to keep up with the time and to show my full potential in the programme. However, because I want to be a researcher, I keep pushing and I am not going to quit ” (Participant 14)

Sub-theme 2.2: Good versus poor knowledge and skills related to the use of technology in postgraduate studies

“ …We are previous university students, and we never experienced a problem because we were introduced to subjects by librarians who oriented us about IT and how to conduct a literature search, and it was emphasised that we need to be computer literate as we started with research projects ”. (Participant 03)

“ …When I started with the programme, I struggled with academic writing which delayed my progress. I think this should be addressed during the workshop we attend at the beginning of the course ”. (Participant 11)

Theme 3: Description of challenges associated with conducting research
Sub-theme 3.1: Barriers experienced when conducting research

“ …time was really a problem because research requires ample time, looking at literature review and also going out there to recruit for participants ”. (Participant 10)

“ …I have a family to look after and care for, so my time for research is limited ”. (Participant 16)

Sub-theme 3.2: Challenges in obtaining participants’ informed consent for participation

“ I thought people from our profession understood what research was, unfortunately, people thought when interviewing them, the information is taken elsewhere, and their names will be revealed ”. (Participant 13)

“ It became a problem when conducting research wherein the participants are colleagues, and they don’t want to participate ”. (Participant 15)

“ It took me a long time to get participants because the nurses, as my participants’ thought participating in the study, they are helping me to pass, so they expected to be paid ”. (Participant 19)

Sub-theme 3.3: Mixed experiences of mentoring from the research supervisor

“ …I was motivated by clinical nurse practitioners as I received referrals from them; they know what is known by doctors, and they further displayed independence during practice, which encouraged me to work hard to be like them, especially those who have conducted research before ”. (Participant 02)

“ My supervisor was very supportive and took a mentorship role in taking me through the research journey. She also invited me to workshops and conferences so that I can develop as an emerging researcher ”. (Participant 09)

4. Recommendations

5. limitations to the study, 6. conclusions, author contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, public involvement statement, guidelines and standards statement, use of artificial intelligence, acknowledgments, conflicts of interest.

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Demographic Variables	Population, n (%)
Gender
Female	14 (61%)
Male	09 (39%)
Age
19–29	05 (22%)
30–39	08 (35%)
40–49	07 (30%)
50–59	03 (13%)
Marital Status
Single	16 (70%)
Married	07 (30%)
Employment Status
Employed	22 (96%)
Unemployed	01 (4%)
Institution enrolled with
University of Limpopo	14 (61%)
University of Venda	09 (39%)
Qualification enrolled for
Master’s Degree	16 (70%)
Doctoral Degree	07 (30%)
Years of study
1st–2nd year	14 (61%)
3rd–4th year	07 (30%)
>5th	02 (09%)
Total	23

Themes	Sub-Themes

The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

Ntho, T.A.; Ngoatle, C.; Mothiba, T.M.; Hlahla, L.S.; Phukubye, T.A.; Bopape, M.A. Being a Postgraduate Nursing Student in Limpopo Province, South Africa: An Exploratory Study. Nurs. Rep. 2024 , 14 , 1621-1632. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep14030121

Ntho TA, Ngoatle C, Mothiba TM, Hlahla LS, Phukubye TA, Bopape MA. Being a Postgraduate Nursing Student in Limpopo Province, South Africa: An Exploratory Study. Nursing Reports . 2024; 14(3):1621-1632. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep14030121

Ntho, Tshepo Albert, Charity Ngoatle, Tebogo Maria Mothiba, Lina Sebolaisi Hlahla, Thabo Arthur Phukubye, and Mamare Adelaide Bopape. 2024. "Being a Postgraduate Nursing Student in Limpopo Province, South Africa: An Exploratory Study" Nursing Reports 14, no. 3: 1621-1632. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep14030121

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Nursing Dissertation Topics Ideas & Examples

Published by Alvin Nicolas at January 10th, 2023 , Revised On May 8, 2024

Choosing an appropriate nursing dissertation topic is an extremely important step toward producing an exciting and manageable research study. This post aims to help medicine and nursing students select the most appropriate dissertation title according to their research interests.

It should be noted that the subject of nursing encompasses various areas of knowledge, including but not limited to general nursing, community nursing, public health , environmental health, mental health, clinical management, health organization, and occupational health and safety.

So there is plenty to whet your appetite here. Nursing dissertations can be based on either primary research or secondary research. Primary data nursing dissertations incorporate the collection and analysis of data obtained through questionnaires and surveys. Secondary data nursing dissertations, on the other hand, make use of existing literature to test the research hypothesis .

To help you get started with brainstorming for medicine and nursing topic ideas, we have developed a list of the latest nursing dissertation topics that can be used for writing your dissertation.

These topics have been developed by PhD-qualified writers of our team , so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting a brief research proposal from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an introduction to the problem, research questions , aim and objectives , literature review along with the proposed methodology of research to be conducted. Let us know if you need any help in getting started.

Check our example dissertations to get an idea of how to structure your dissertation .

You can review step by step guide on how to write your dissertation here.

View our free dissertation topics database.

Evidence-based Practice Nursing Dissertation Topics
Child Health Nursing Dissertation Topics
Adult Nursing Dissertation Topics
Critical Care Nursing Dissertation Topics
Dementia Nursing Dissertation Topics

Midwifery Dissertation Topics

Palliative Care Nursing Dissertation Topics
Mental Health Nursing Dissertation Topics
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Nursing Dissertation Topics

2024 Nursing Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: assessing the parental perceptions and attitude towards the adoption of healthy behaviour patterns to control obesity and overweight concerns in young children..

Research Aim: This study aims to analyse the parent’s perceptions and attitudes in relation to healthy behaviours practises to control obesity and overweight disorders in young children. It will also focus on the obstacles parents or caregivers experience when it comes to obesity control in young children.

Topic 2: Investigating the importance of community nursing for the care of Old People suffering from Dementia- A case study of the UK.

Research Aim: This study aims to find the usefulness of nursing practise for the care of people suffering from dementia. This will also focus on how trained nurses are very professional in providing information and support to the people suffering from dementia so that they can prepare themselves to live their life well with dementia. This study will conduct a systematic review of published literature to find the potential roles of nurses in taking care of people living with dementia. Furthermore, it will also look at various characteristics and effectiveness of nurse interventions.

Topic 3: Assessing the role of midwives in providing medical services to pregnant women in low-income countries.

Research Aim: Midwives are health professionals who are specialised in taking care of pregnant women and newborn health. Women living In low-income countries are far less to get midwifery care, and it is very challenging for them to face this situation. The aim of this study is to find the role of midwives in providing medical services to pregnant women in low-income countries. Furthermore, this study will also look at the challenges and factors in getting midwifery care for women faced with low income.

Topic 4: Examining the mental health of nurses working in ICU.

Research Aim: Nurses working in critical care had significantly higher rates of emotional discomfort and poor health than other nurses, which has a negative impact on their mental health. However, it is unknown how intensive care nurses’ physical health impacts the frequency of medical mistakes. This study will examine the mental health of nurses working in ICU and how it affects their work and causes medical errors. Furthermore, it will also analyse the perception of nurses working in ICU.

Topic 5: Examing nursing practices during the stages of newborn development – A comparative study between the UK and US.

Research Aim: This study’s primary goal is to compare nursing staff practises during the stages of newborn development in the US and UK. This study will compare the effects of nurses’ care practises and will look at the challenges that occur during this process and how they handle these challenges.

Covid-19 Medicine and Nursing Research Topics

Topic 1: research to identify the training resources of nurses to combat the covid-19 pandemic.

Research Aim: Nursing staff plays a vital role in treating and recovering patients from illness. This study will identify the training programs and resources designed for nursing staff to combat the Coronavirus pandemic.

Topic 2: Research to find whether robotic nurses will be a long-lasting solution to treat the patients of Coronavirus.

Research Aim: Medical teams across the globe have been on their toes to combat coronavirus, and substantial human resources have also been invested in overcoming this crisis. This study will focus on collecting information about the idea of using robotic nurses to treat patients of Covid-19. It will reveal the advantages and disadvantages of using robotic nurses.

Topic 3: Research to analyse the risk of nurses getting affected while treating Covid-19 patients

Research Aim: This study will focus on analysing the risks faced by nurses and the medical team. It will discuss the safety measures adopted to protect the medical staff, the challenges they face, and appropriate solutions to minimise them.

Topic 4: Research to identify the impacts of Coronavirus on pharmaceutical industries

Research Aim: This study will focus on identifying the impacts of coronavirus on pharmaceutical industries, production, and supply of medicines. It will discuss the possible ways to combat COVID-19.

Topic 5: Research to know the contributions of pharmaceutical industries to combat Covid-19

Research Aim: This study will focus on identifying the contributions of pharmaceutical industries to combat Covid-19. Did COVID-19 increase the business of pharmaceutical sectors?

Nursing and Medicine Dissertation Topics for 2023

Topic 1: impact of coronavirus on the pharmaceutical industry.

Research Aim: This research aims to identify the impact of Coronavirus on the pharmaceutical industry.

Topic 2: The role and impact of occupational safety and health in medical clinics

Research Aim: This research aims to measure the impact of occupational safety and health in medical clinics.

Topic 3: Increasing work pressure and occupational health concerns

Research Aim: This research aims to address increasing work pressure and occupational health concerns during a pandemic.

Topic 4: How researchers’ nurses may enhance the operation of clinical research?

Research Aim: The quality improvement of the performance of health care includes scientific study. The research team from the place where there was a shortage of research has established a steadily growing spectrum of testing within the Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust. In this research, the main emphasis would be on the key role of research nurses.

Topic 15: Developing effective nursing strategies for dealing with patients possessing acute and chronic pain: A case study of NHS

Research Aim: The concept of nursing has evolved since recent times. Many health care institutions have developed effective strategies to increase nursing efficiency. Therefore, the main purpose of the research is to develop effective nursing strategies for dealing with patients possessing acute and chronic pain by analysing the case study of the NHS.

Topic 6: Critical analysis of community nursing and health care needs: A comparative analysis of UK and USA

Research Aim: Nursing and health care needs have a direct and positive relationship. The main purpose of this research is to conduct a critical analysis of community and health care needs. This research will compare the UK and USA nursing practices and provide recommendations to improve the existing strategy.

Topic 7: Analysing the societal acceptance of Marijuana: The case of developing countries

Research Aim: The purpose of this study is to contemplate upon the key benefits that the use of Marijuana, within a medicinal capacity, has. Ideally, in developing countries, the use of marijuana is considered “Taboo” or unacceptable by the members of the community/society. Hence, the study intends to analyze the societal acceptance of Marijuana within developing countries.

Topic 8: Developing effective nursing strategies for dealing with patients suffering Coronavirus disease: A case study of NHS

Research Aim: The coronavirus has taken the world by storm, infecting millions in nearly 200 countries. Many health care institutions have developed strategies to increase nursing efficiency. Therefore, the main purpose of the research is to identify effective nursing strategies for dealing with patients possessing coronavirus by analysing the case study of NHS.

Topic 9: Coronavirus research: Keys to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of SARS

Research Aim: This research will discuss the basic life cycle and replication of the well-studied coronavirus, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), identifying the unique characteristics of coronavirus biology and highlighting critical points where research has made significant advances, and which might represent targets for antivirals or vaccines. Areas where rapid progress has been made in SCV research, will be described. Finally, areas of need for research in coronavirus replication, genetics, and pathogenesis will be summarised.

Mental Health Dissertation Topics

Investigating the effectiveness of psychiatric treatment and medicine for patients suffering schizophrenia – A qualitative study based on UK mental health nurses and patients
Exploring the legal aspects of mental health research in the UK
To study and determine the causes to increasing number of suicides in the urban youth population in the developing world
The role of socioeconomic backgrounds on the mental health of individuals
Investigating the impact of early maternal mental illness on children
Parents with serious mental health problems from the perspective of professionals who offer support
Treatment of mental health difficulties by combining psychological and complementary therapies
To perform an interpretative phenomenological analysis to treat older people with long term mental health difficulties
To identify the barriers and risks associated with personalization within the context of mental illness
To explore mental illness by conducting a biographical narrative study
Deconstructing mental health difficulties: A critical enquiry into the views and opinions of professionals dealing with families, parents, and children

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Occupational Health and Safety Nursing Dissertation Topics

To investigate occupational health and safety risks in the UK health care sector: Preventive techniques and recommended practices
A quantitative study to evaluate the understanding and knowledge nurses have of occupational risks in an operating theatre environment
To investigate the impact of occupational safety and health on the job performance of nurses
To identify and discuss factors affecting the practice of occupational health nursing in London
The role and impact of occupational safety and health in medical clinics
To identify and discuss key occupational safety and health risks, challenges, and concerns in China
Workplace health management and the role of occupational health nurses
Increasing work pressure and occupational health concerns
Occupational safety and health risks and practices among Filipino nurses
Adopting a multi-climate approach to address patient safety issues in the nursing work environment
To assess and understand occupational risks and nursing duties from an ergo logical perspective
The need to realise the increasing importance of occupational safety and health issues in industrialised societies

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Environmental Health Dissertation Topics

Improving awareness on environmental health issues by encouraging community participation
To identify and analyse various environmental health concerns in the health care sector
To determine the possibility of food poisoning and foot-related illness in urban regions from the perspective of environmental health
Constrained ordinal models with application in occupational and environmental health
To examine the impact of secondhand smoke on public health with particular focus on the relevant control strategies
An investigation into the attitudes of bar staff workers to environmental tobacco smoke and the varying provision of smoke-free areas within public houses
To study and understand the impact of traffic calming procedures on local air quality
Investigating how reusable cleaning cloths can help to reduce cross-contamination within the food industry
Analysing older driver behaviour and road safety
To review public health nurses’ opinions on environmental hazards and health effects
Disposing toxic wastes from the perspective of environmental health
Recommended sanitary hygiene practices for developing countries – A quantitative study
A qualitative study to address arsenic and lead poisoning issues

Related: Environmental Engineering Dissertation Topics

Also Read This: Occupational And Environmental Health Thesis And Dissertations

Evidence-Based Practice Dissertation Topics

To identify and discuss evidence-based practices that enable nurses to provide high-quality care
Use of evidence and knowledge management in clinical practice
How the health care needs of elderly cancer patients can be satisfied with evidence-based nursing programme
Investigating the use of evidence-based medicine for disease management
To study the effectiveness of evidence-based practice in the health care industry
To investigate the relationship between evidence-based practice and the research process
To study the basic principles of evidence-based practice in the UK health care industry
Why is it critical for nurses to base the foundation of their practices on reliable evidence?
Barriers to implementing evidence-based practice and the strategies/organisations used to avoid these barriers
The role of ethics and leadership in evidence-based nursing practice

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Health Organisations Dissertation Topics

The Highest Attainable Standard: The World Health Organisation, Contentious Politics of Human Rights and the global health governance
Factors contributing to efficient service delivery – A qualitative study on the implementation of health policies in Argentina
Integrating technology, process and the people in lean healthcare
Should World Health Organisation do more to satisfy the health care needs of people in the developing world? – The current programmes and future ambitions
An investigation in the health care plans and associated costs of countries across the globe
To study strategic management policies and strategies of World Health Organisation
Investigating the power, culture, and dynamics of National Health Service in the UK
Factors influencing the healthcare policies of new health organisations
The extent of NHS focus on providing services to elderly
Research trends and directions within the World Health Organisation
Exploring practices and experiences of midwives in regards to the evaluation of maternal postnatal genital tract health
Investigating midwifery practice in the third stage of labour
To study the professional care in midwifery practice with a focus on woman centered-care
To determine the factors contributing to midwives decision to stay in midwifery
How do midwives perceive normal birth and how their ability to practice and support normality might be influenced by the professional and organisational culture of a maternity unit?
A feminist technoscience perspective of the midwife’s role
To investigate the challenges associated with carrying out a water-birth randomised controlled trial
To what extend do midwives can facilitate informed choices among pregnant women?
To identify and discuss the factors influencing the competence of midwives in a clinical setting
The role of midwifery in relation to health risks to women due to postpartum depression

Community Nursing Dissertation Topics

The impact of community participation on social inclusion, self-perception, and everyday lives of participants
Quality of life, good practices, and senior citizens in residential care homes
To investigate the impact of existing welfare ideologies and policies on the elderly in Leicestershire
To what extent the community care has met the needs of the elderly with mental health difficulties after being discharged from long-stay psychiatric clinics? – A review of literature from the past 10 years
Exploring the relationship between ethnicity and community nursing facilities in London
Obesity awareness and prevention: Can food labelling help to deal with obesity problems in the USA?
The role of community nursing practice in relation to health promotion
Recommended practices and policies to ensure high-quality community nursing services to pregnant women
Health care needs of children and the community nursing service in Leicestershire
Factors affecting the quality of life of older people – A review of community nursing practices and challenges

Children Health Nursing Dissertation Topics

Improving, recording, and perceiving school children’s health from the perspective of school health nursing
Critical evaluation of child health nursing through education and practice
Identifying challenges and support processes of child health nursing in developing countries
To investigate the skills and abilities required to promote and sustain the emerging practice of child health nursing
Leadership and intellectual skills are needed to be successful in positions of leadership and caring for children
Caring for young people and children with complicated health needs
To explore the effects of child patient death on nursing staff in a clinical setting: A literature review
To understand children’s perspectives on community nursing
To identify factors that can help to improve breastfeeding initiation practices among community nurses in the UK
Children with congenital heart diseases and the role of parents – A literature review

Related: Top QA on Children Health Nursing

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Clinical Management Dissertation Topics

Clinical governance strategies and practices at National Health Services
Hospitalised patients with diabetes and clinical decision support systems
Developing optimum strategies for management of patients in adult intensive care units
Clinical management of patients with prostate cancer – The risks and challenges
Effectively managing elderly patients in a clinical setting
Optimal management plan for patients with post-traumatic stress issues
Use of advanced technology tools to improve clinical management efficiency
To study various management strategies in surgical cases

Important Notes

As a student of medicine and nursing looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment with existing medicine and nursing theories – i.e., to add value and interest in the topic of your research.

The field of medicine and nursing is vast and interrelated to so many other academic disciplines like civil engineering , construction , law , healthcare , mental health , artificial intelligence , tourism , physiotherapy , sociology , management , marketing, cryptocurrencies and architecture . That is why it is imperative to create a project management dissertation topic that is articular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic; it is the basis of your entire research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your topic wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, and there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in writing your dissertation as you may end up in the cycle of rejection at the very initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

While developing a research topic, keeping our advice in mind will allow you to pick one of the best medicine and nursing dissertation topics that fulfil your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalizing your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Take a look at some of our sample medicine and nursing dissertation topics to get an idea for your own dissertation.

How to Structure your Dissertation on Medicine and Nursing

A well-structured dissertation can help students to achieve a high overall academic grade.

A Title Page
Acknowledgements
Declaration
Abstract: A summary of the research completed
Table of Contents
Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems to be addressed. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can also be added to this chapter.
Literature Review : This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analysing published and unpublished literature available on the chosen research topic, in light of research questions to be addressed. The purpose is to highlight and discuss the relative weaknesses and strengths of the selected research area whilst identifying any research gaps. Break down of the topic, and key terms can have a positive impact on your dissertation and your tutor.
Methodology: The data collection and analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter which usually includes research design, research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods and data analysis strategy .
Findings and Analysis: Findings of the research are analysed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include graphs , charts and tables to this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
Discussion and Conclusion: The researcher presents his interpretation of results in this chapter, and states whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section of the paper is to draw a linkage between the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regards to implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
References: This should be completed in accordance with your University’s requirements
Bibliography
Appendices: Any additional information, diagrams, graphs that were used to complete the dissertation but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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