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Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Dnp projects from 2023 2023.

Implementing an African American Cultural Awareness Program for Skilled Nursing Facility Staff , ADEKEMI T. ADEDIPE

Community Health Worker Certification Program - Motivational Interview, Advocacy, Communication and Conflict Resolution , Stella Antony

Predicting the Risk of Falling with Artificial Intelligence , Ann Aquino

Mindfulness Based Self Care Toolkit for Psychiatric Healthcare Staff , Harkirat K. Bajwa

Mindfulness Based Self Care Toolkit for Psychiatric Healthcare Staff , Harkirat Kaur Bajwa

Trauma-Informed Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder: Improving Long-Term Recovery , Aline M. Bales

Improving Patient Safety for Surgical Clearance: A PreOp One Stop Shop , Anna Benedictos

Using Critical Incident Debriefing after Code Blue Events to Support Registered Nurses , David L. Boyd

Improving New Nurse Manager Orientation and Onboarding Program , Leanne E. Deegenaars

Effects of Leadership Education and Mentoring for Assistant Nurse Managers , Karen T. Descent

Promoting Parent-Child Relationships Through Community-Based Family Wellness Programs to Improve Mental Health in Children , Maria Elena Falcon

Supporting Mental Health in Children by Providing Basic Skills and Knowledge of Mental Health to Middle-School Teachers , MariaElena Falcon

Reducing 30-day Heart Failure Hospital Readmissions Through the Implementation of a Telehealth Education and Screening Program , Madison Geib, Jo Loomis, and Maria (Dupi) Gomez Cogan

Responding to a Deteriorating Patient: An Educational Intervention for Outpatient Clinic Nurses , Angela N. Ikeme

Screening for Uterine Fibroids in Black Women , Winnie N. Kagendo

School-Based Development and Implementation of Adolescent Mental Health Educational Toolkits , Chantel M. Kilford Ms

School-Based Development and Implementation of an Educational Toolkit , Chantel M. Kilford Ms

Assuring a Continuum of Care for Heart Failure Patients Through Post-Acute Care Collaboration , Purnima Krishna

Save the Children Community Health Worker Program – Adverse Childhood Events Prevention , Jieun Lee

Educating Community Health Workers and Gatekeepers to Screen for Suicide , Jennifer Maina

The importance of suicide screening training for healthcare providers as part of suicide prevention , Jennifer Maina

Mental Health Services: Reaching the Homeless , Gurdeep Mann

Improving Outcomes in Persons Who Inject Drugs: A Multidisciplinary Healthcare Initiative , Carla S. Martin

Implementation of a Community Health Worker (CHW) training program to improve birth outcomes , Emiko Maruri

Beyond the Physical Wounds: A Proactive Approach to Mental Health Recovery After a Traumatic Injury , Christine McGahey

Environmental and Occupational Health Risks: Educating Undergraduate (ADN-BSN) Nursing Students for Safer Practice , Dorinda A. Mercado

Enhancing Mental Health Assessments for Hysterectomy Patients: Implementing a Depression Screening Tool for Healthcare Clinicians , Dede Mihedji

Depression Screening Tool for Hysterectomy Patients , Dede C. Mihedji

Developing and Implementing an Infection Prevention Practice Fellowship Program , Sejal Naik

Implementing Community Health Workers to Improve the Management of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases in Children , Julia L. Newell

Implementing an Infant-Driven Feeding Practice Model , Ann P. Nguyen

Reducing 30-Day Psychiatric Inpatient Hospital Readmission of Mentally Ill Homeless Men with Substance Use Disorder by Using a Discharge Checklist , Chibuogwu E. Ogbuka

A Quality Improvement Project on Anxiety Management Before Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy , Kiera Paulo

Enhancing Nurse Manager Resilience with a Resilience-Enhancing Toolkit , Rosarina A. J. Pelikan

Strategies to Reduce Chronic Disease: Adding Role to Community Health Workers , Ingrid J. Renwanz DNP, PMHFNP-BC/APRN, MSN, RNC

Community Health Worker Program: Adverse Childhood Experiences and Early Childhood , Arelis Sandoval

Implicit Bias in Nursing: Raising Awareness, Fostering Change , Jeanette C. Sandoval

Determining Care Delivery Model Feasibility Using Discrete-Event-Simulation , Tanya Scott

Implementation of Implicit Bias Training in a Doctor of Nurse Practitioner Program , MacDana Selecon

Improving Health Outcomes for LGBTQ+ Youth Through Provider Education , Marissa Simko

Implementation of Fast-Track Triage Process to Improve Ambulance Patient Offloading Time (APOT) in a Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) Unit , OKE AUGUSTINE UMEUGOJI

Improving Health Outcomes Among Patients with CHF Through Implementation of Telehealth Depression Screening and CHF Symptom Management , Akudo Udodiri Unanwa

The Dedicated Education Unit: Increasing Capacity and Confidence , Heather Marie Van Housen

DNP Projects from 2022 2022

Save the Children Community Health Worker Program—Project Management , Lauren Loree Burchfield

Increasing vaccination rates in the Latin X communities through a public health initiative for increasing education and vaccination , Gabriela Carrico

Educating Providers Without Prescriptive Authority About Psychopharmacology Basics: Bridging the Interdisciplinary Work Among Psychotropic Prescribers and Psychologists , Olivia Ceja

Psychosocial Distress Screening for Patients with Cancer: A Value-Based Approach to the Integration and Delivery of Holistic Care , Candy Cheung

Engaging Rural Providers About the Potential of Low-Earth Orbit Internet Satellite Supported Rural Telehealth Programs , Joshua M. Cleary

Development and Implementation of a Standardized Protocol for Nurse Practitioners Working in an AUD Treatment Telehealth Program , CJ Dea

Oleoresin Capsicum Gel: Enhancing Safety for the Home Health Clinician , Lilly Dickens

Diabetes Prevention and Management Education for Punjabi-Sikh Older Adults , Mandeep K. Gill

Improving Home Health Nurses' Knowledge of Heart Failure Self-Care Management , Nenette Hoffman

Improving Colorectal Cancer Screening in Primary Care , Bushra iqbal

Improving Colorectal Cancer Screening in Primary Care , Bushra Iqbal

Community Health Worker Program - Substance Use Disorder in Pregnancy , Alicia Claire Kletter DNP

Improving Diabetes Self-Management (DSM) Among Patients with Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM): A Patient-Centered Education Model , Maria Hannah Tiangha Mandecote

Save the Children® Community Health Worker Program - Prenatal Care , Deirdre A. Martinez

MITIGATE Toolkit for Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship: Enhancing Safe Antibiotic Prescribing Practices , Allyssa Marie Montemayor and Allyssa Marie Montemayor

Implementing a Diabetic Foot Care Program in a Virtual Primary Care Clinic , Zahra Naderi Asiabar

Decreasing Seclusion and Restraint Events Among Clients Within an Inpatient and Crisis Stabilization Behavioral Health Facility , Karen Lee Richards

Utilization of the Nurse Practitioner Skillset in Partnership with the Medical Device Industry , Daniel C. Rowland

Integrating Culturally Tailored Interventions to Increase Cervical Cancer Screening: A Quality Improvement Initiative in a Primary Care Clinic , Marife Centeno Solomon

Advancing Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in a Rural Emergency Department , Jill M. Wabbel

DNP Projects from 2021 2021

Technology-Based Advance Care Planning Education for Primary Care Patients , Taryn Achong

Development and Implementation of an Evidence-Based Practice Mentor Fellowship , Stacy L. Alves

Promoting Antibiotic Stewardship in Primary Care Setting: An Evaluation Process of Treatment Practices for Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections in Premenopausal Non-Pregnant Women , Ira Amayun

Manager Onboarding to Improve Retention, Knowledge, and Confidence to Lead , Christine Asiimwe

Manager Onboarding to Improve Knowledge and Confidence to Lead , Christine (Tina) K. Asiimwe

Designing and Implementing a De-Escalation Toolkit to Improve Staff Education and Competency on De-Escalation within a Mental Health Outpatient Setting , Balraj Bajwa

Increasing Chlamydia Screening in the High-Risk Population using Electronic Notification and Targeted Education: A Primary Care Approach , Michael Barnett

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Implementation of Shared Decision-Making , LIESEL BUCHNER

Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy Staff Training Program to Tackle Postpartum Depression , Helen XUMIN Chen

Implementation of an Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Unit in a Community Hospital , Kimberly A. Colonnelli

Bullying in the C-Suite: A Nurse Leader Perspective , Kimberly Ann Colonnelli

Educating Providers to Screen for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder , Alyssa Fraino

Creating a Pipeline to Increase Diversity in Executive Leadership Positions , Trarina Harris

Developing a Culturally Relevant Mental Health Assessment for Persons of African Descent , Roberta Iyamu

A Peer Feedback Process to Improve Assistant Nurse Manager Job Satisfaction , Juanita A. Jularbal-Walton

Development of an eHealth Harm Reduction Resource to Address Opioid Use Among Youth in Rural Northern California , Carolyn Perrotti Lake

Implementation of a Mental Health Environmental Risk Assessment Tool , Alan Le

Purposeful Nurse Hourly Rounding: A Plan To Decrease Patient Falls During a Pandemic , Robbie Masangkay

Purposeful Nurse Hourly Rounding: Plan to Decrease Patient Falls During a Pandemic , ROBBIE MASANGKAY

Regulatory Orientation to Support Transition to Academic Leadership , Annmarie Munana

Preparing Nurses in Management Positions for Bedside Care During Times of Crisis , Trevor Murray

Utilizing Digital Technology to Address Loneliness and Isolation in Older Adults through a Community-Based Connection Model: Responding to a Pandemic , Melissa A. Nagel

The Nurse Will See You Now: Improving Nurse-Led Chemotherapy Teaching , Laura Oka

PROVIDING HYPERTENSION EDUCATION FOR AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS AT A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CONGREGATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC , Esther Oshunluyi

PROVIDING HYPERTENSION EDUCATION TO AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS AT A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CONGREGATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC , Esther Oshunluyi

Increasing Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Compliance with Various Telemedicine Interventions: An Integrated Literature Review , Tracy Partington

Telehealth Appointments to Increase Therapy Compliance in Patients with MOSA , Tracy J. Partington

Behavioral Health Patients and Agitation in the Emergency Department: A Synthesis of Literature , Adam Pelzl

Implementation of an Agitation Scale in Three Emergency Departments in an Urban Area of Northern California , Adam Pelzl

Targeting Pre-Operative Booking Processes to Decrease Risks of "Never Events" , Rebecca Lynn Poths and Rebecca Lynn Poths

Building Excellence through Shared Governance and Continuous Process Improvement , Deborah Reitter

Streamlining Care for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Siavash Rostami Jafarabad

Nurse Practitioner-Led Care Pods: A Team Communication Enhancement Model , Miranda Saint-Louis and Miranda Saint Louis

Use of Simulation to Improve Nurse's Response to COVID-19 Code Blue: A Literature Review , Charity Shelton

Using Simulation to Improve COVID-19 Code Blue Outcomes , Charity Shelton

Utilizing Group Prenatal Care to Support Underserved Pregnant Women , Kathleen Shrader

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Best Nursing Research Topics for Students

What is a nursing research paper.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Nursing Research Papers

When do nursing students write research papers.

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

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

Do Nursing Students Conduct Original Research?

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

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

Example Research Project Scenario:

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

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

What Does a Nursing Research Paper Include?

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

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

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

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

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

How to Choose a Nursing Research Topic

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

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

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

The Best Research Topics for Nursing Students

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

1. Clinical Nursing Research Topics

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

2. Community Health Nursing Research Topics

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

3. Nurse Education Research Topics

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

4. Mental Health Nursing Research Topics

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

5. Pediatric Nursing Research Topics

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

6. The Nursing Profession Research Topics

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

Tips for Writing a Nursing Research Paper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Helpful Nursing Research Writing Resources:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Plus, get exclusive access to discounts for nurses, stay informed on the latest nurse news, and learn how to take the next steps in your career.

By clicking “Join Now”, you agree to receive email newsletters and special offers from Nurse.org. We will not sell or distribute your email address to any third party, and you may unsubscribe at any time by using the unsubscribe link, found at the bottom of every email.

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Digital Commons @ USF > College of Nursing > Theses and Dissertations

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Psychological Distress, Resilience, and the Impact on Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors With Taxane-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy , Lauren Schwab

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Medication-Assisted Treatment Versus 12-Step Group Therapy: A Comparative Analysis of Adherence and Abstinence In Patients With Opioid Use Disorder , Derrick C. Glymph

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Quality of Life of Older Adults with Complicated Grief Receiving Accelerated Resolution Therapy: A Mixed Methods Study , Tina M. Mason

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

In Post-Extubated Patients What are the Preferred Methods of Communication During Their Experience of Endotracheal Intubation with Mechanical Ventilation , Lanette Dumas

The Effect of Hope on the Relationship between Personal and Disease Characteristics and Anxiety and Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer , Sharon B. McNeil

Predictors of Nonadherence to Radiation Therapy Schedules Among Head and Neck Cancer Patients , Jennifer Lynn Miller

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Perceived Discrimination and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Blacks: A Secondary Data Analysis of the Heart SCORE Study , Marilyn Aluoch

Exploration of Gratitude in Cardiovascular Health: Mediators, Medication Adherence and Psychometrics , Lakeshia A. Cousin

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Fatigue-related Symptom Clusters and their Relationship with Depression, and Functional Status in Older Adults Hospice Patients with Cancer. , Suzan Fouad Abduljawad

Genetic Moderation of Pain and Fatigue Symptoms Resulting from the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Breast Cancer Program , Carissa Bea Alinat

The Moderating Effect of Religion on Death Distress and Quality of Life between Christian Cancer patients in the United States with Muslim cancer patients in Saudi Arabia , Doaa Almostadi

Prevention of Post Intensive Care Syndrome-Family with Sensation Awareness Focused Training Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial Pilot Study , Paula L. Cairns

Assessing Abstinence in Infants Greater Than 28 Days Old , Genieveve J. Cline

The Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Motor Function in Hospitalized Older Adult Survivors of Critical Illness , Maya N. Elías

The Role of Migration-Related Stress in Depression Among Haitian Immigrants in Florida: A Mixed Method Sequential Explanatory Approach , Dany Amanda C. Fanfan

The Effect of Depression, Inflammation and Sleep Quality on Risk for Cardiovascular Disease , Catherine L. O'Neil

Adapting SafeMedicate (Medication Dosage Calculation Skills software) For Use In Brazil , Samia Valeria Ozorio Dutra

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

The Relationship Between Total Neuropathy Score-reduced, Neuropathy Symptoms and Function. , Ashraf Abulhaija

Validation of the Electronic Kids Dietary Index (E-KINDEX) Screening Tool for Early Identification of Risk for Overweight/Obesity (OW/OB) in a Pediatric Population: Associations with Quality of Life Perceptions , Patricia A. Hall

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

The Effectiveness of an Intervention Designed to Improve Chlorhexidine (CHG) Bathing Technique in Adults Hospitalized in Medical Surgical Units , Janette Echemendia Denny

Levels of Distress Among Women Veterans Attending a Women’s Health Specialty Clinic in the VA Healthcare System , Debbie T. Devine

Examination of the Use of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) in the Treatment of Symptoms of PTSD and Sleep Dysfunction in Veterans and Civilians , Marian Jevone Hardwick

Investigating the Mutual Effects of Depression and Spiritual Well-being on Quality of Life in Hospice Patients with Cancer and Family Caregivers Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model , Li-Ting Huang

The Change in Nutritional Status in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients: A Retrospective Descriptive A Retrospective Descriptive Study , Dina A. Masha'al

Exploring the Relationship Between Severity of Illness and Human Milk Volume in Very Low Birth Weight and Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants Over Six Weeks , Shannon Leigh Morse

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Scores and Novel Risk Factors in Relation to Race and Gender , Johanna Wilson

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

A Comparative Evaluation of the Learner Centered Grading Debriefing Method in Nursing Education , Marisa J. Belote

Sleep, Depressive Symptoms and Cognition in Older Adults and Caregivers of Persons with Dementia , Glenna Shemida Brewster

The Relationship between Hearing Status and Cognitive Performance and the Influence of Depressive Symptoms in the Older Adult , Julie A. Daugherty

Basal Salivary Oxytocin and Skin to Skin Contact among Lactating Mothers of Premature Infants , Jessica Marie Gordon

The Relationship Between Nurses' Emotional Intelligence and Patient Outcomes , Mary Kutash

Sexual Functioning and Body Image in Younger Breast Cancer Survivors , Carly Lynn Paterson

Cognitive Load of Registered Nurses During Medication Administration , Sarah Faith Perron

A Comparison of Quality of Life between Intense and Non-Intense Treatment for Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and High-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome , Sara Marie Tinsley

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Acculturation, Self-Efficacy and Breastfeeding Behavior in a Sample of Hispanic Women , Ivonne F. Hernandez

Knowledge and Acceptance of HPV and the HPV Vaccine in Young Men and Their Intention to be Vaccinated , Brenda Renee Jasper

The Relationships Between Sleep Disturbances, Depression, Inflammatory Markers, and Sexual Trauma in Female Veterans , Ellen Marcolongo

Examination of Possible Protective Effect of Rhesus D Positive Blood Factor on Toxoplasma-related Depressive Symptoms in Pregnancy , Lisa Lynn Parnell

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice of Primary Care Nurse Practitioners Regarding Skin Cancer Assessmnets: Validity and Reliability of a New Instrument , Debra Michelle Shelby

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Knowledge and Practice of Reproductive Health among Mothers and their Impact on Fetal Birth Outcomes: A Case of Eritrea , Winta Negusse Araya

Race/Ethnicity, Subjective and Objective Sleep Quality, Physical and Psychological Symptoms in Breast Cancer Survivors , Pinky H. Budhrani

Factors Predicting Pap Smear Adherence in HIV-infected Women: Using the Health Belief Model , Crystal L. Chapman Lambert

The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Body Mass Index on Vitamin D Levels in African American Women with and without Diabetes Living in Areas with Abundant Sunshine , Shani Vann Davis

Predictors of Quality of Life in Patients with Cutaneous T cell Lymphoma , Darcie Marie Deaver

Relationship between dysphoric moods, risk-taking behaviors, and Toxoplasma gondii antibody titers in female veterans , Allyson Radford Duffy

Prenatal Stress, Depression, and Herpes Viral Titers , Pao-Chu Hsu

Factors Associated with Fear of Breast Cancer Recurrence Among Survivors , Jean Marie Lucas

Sickle Cell Disease: The Role of Self-Care Management , Nadine Matthie

Factors Influencing Vaccination Decisions in African American Mothers of Preschool Age Children , Chauntel Mckenzie Mcnair

The Strong Black Woman, Depression, and Emotional Eating , Michelle Renee Offutt

Development of an Investigator-designed Questionnaire Concerning Childbirth Delivery Options based on the Theory of Planned Behavior , Chun-Yi Tai

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

The Mediating Effect of Distress Caused by Constipation on Predictors of Quality of Life of Hospice Patients with Cancer. , Abdel Alkhalouf

Testing a Model of Bacterial Vaginosis among Black Women , Jessica Brumley

The Effect of Tight Glycemic Control on Surgical Site Infection Rates in Patients Undergoing Open Heart Surgery , Sierra Gower

Development of a Tool for Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment and Preventive Interventions in Ancillary Services Patients , Monica Shutts Messer

Hospice Nurses- Attitudes and Knowledge about Pain Management , Amie Jacqueline Miller

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Literacy and Hazard Communication Comprehension of Employees Presenting to an Occupational Health Clinic , Christine Bouchard

A Meta-Analysis of Cultural Competence Education in Professional Nurses and Nursing Students , Ruth Wilmer Gallagher

Relationship Between Cancer-Related Fatigue and Depression: A Pilot Study , Gloria Michelle Guess

A Comparison of Oncology and Non-Oncology Nurses in Their Knowledge of Cancer Pain Management , Nicole Houle

Evaluating Knowledge and Attitudes of Graduate Nursing Students Regarding Pain , Eric Bartholomew Jackson

Bone Marrow Transplant Nurses' Attitudes about Caring for Patients Who are Near the End of Life: A Quality Improvement Project , Leslie Lauersdorf

Translation and Adaptation of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) Scale Into Tigrigna Language for Tigrigna Speaking Eritrean Immigrants in the United States , Mulubrhan Fisseha Mogos

Nurse Manager Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor to Registered Nurse Job Satisfaction and RN Perceptions of the Practice Environment and the Relationship to Patient, Nursing and Hospital Outcomes , Jacqueline Cecilia Munro

The Relationship of Mid-Pregnancy Levels of Cytokines, Stress, and Depression with Gestational Age at Delivery , Melissa Molinari Shelton

Prophylactic, Risk-Reducing Surgery in Unaffected BRCA-Positive Women: Quality Of Life, Sexual Functioning and Psychological Well-Being , Sharon Tollin

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

The Relationship Between FAM5C SNP (rs10920501) Variability, Metabolic Syndrome, and Inflammation, in Women with Coronary Heart Disease , Jennifer L. Cline

Women’s Perceptions of Postpartum Stress: A Narrative Analysis , Nancy Gilbert Crist

Lived Experience: Near-Fatal Adolescent Suicide Attempt , Phyllis Ann Dougherty

Exploring the Relationships among Work-Related Stress, Quality of Life, Job Satisfaction, and Anticipated Turnover on Nursing Units with Clinical Nurse Leaders , Mary Kohler

A Comparative Study of Knowledge of Pain Management in Certified and Non-Certified Oncology Nurses , Sherrie A. LaLande

Evaluating Knowledge and Attitudes of Undergraduate Nursing Students Regarding Pain Management , Jessica Latchman

Evaluation of Oncology Nurses' Knowledge, Practice Behaviors, and Confidence Specific to Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy , Rebecca Denise McAllister

Moderating the Effectiveness of Messages to Promote Physical Activity in Type 2 Diabetes , Rachel E. Myers

Factors Affecting the Process of Clinical Decision-Making in Pediatric Pain Management by Emergency Department Nurses , Teresa A. Russo

The Correlation Between Neuropathy Limitations and Depression in Chemotherapy Patients , Melissa Thebeau

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Fatigue Symptom Distress and Its Relationship with Quality Of Life in Adult Stem Cell Transplant Survivors , Suzan Fouad Abduljawad R.N., B.S.N.

Nursing Advocacy and the Accuracy of Intravenous to Oral Opioid Conversion at Discharge in the Cancer Patient , Maria L. Gallo R.N., O.C.N.

Transitional Care for Adolescents with HIV: Characteristics and Current Practices of the Adolescent Trials Network Systems of Care , Patricia Gilliam

The Effect of Ethical Ideology and Professional Values on Registered Nurses’ Intentions to Act Accountably , Susan R. Hartranft

Falls in Bone Marrow Transplant Patients: A Retrospective Study , Lura Henderson R.N., B.S.N.

Predictors of cancer caregiver depression symptomatology , Henry R. Rivera

Psychosocial outcomes of weight stigma among college students , Sabrina Joann Robinson

The Experience of Fatigue and Quality of Life in Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer , Andrea Shaffer

The Relationship Between Uncertainty in Illness and Anxiety in Patients With Cancer , Naima Vera

Shifting Paradigms: The Development of Nursing Identity in Foreign-Educated Physicians Retrained as Nurses Practicing in the United States , Liwliwa Reyes Villagomeza

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Prostate Cancer Screening Intention Among African American Men: An Instrument Development Study , Susan Anita Baker

The Geriatric Cancer Experience in End of Life: Model Adaptation and Testing , Harleah G. Buck

Communication Systems and HIV/AIDS Sexual Decision Making in Older Adolescent and Young Adult Females , Rasheeta D. Chandler MS, ARNP, FNP-BC

Relationship of Anger Trait and Anger Expression to C-Reactive Protein in Post-Menopausal Women , Rosalyn Gross

Identifying Patients with Cancer at Risk of Experiencing a Fall While Hospitalized , Joann M. Heaton

Modulation of Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cell Maturation and Function by Cigarette Smoke Condensate in a Bronchial Epithelial Cell Co-Culture Model , Alison J. Montpetit

Cancer Patients with Pain: Examination of the Role of the Spouse/Partner Relationship In Mediating Quality of Life Outcomes for the Couple , Mary Ann Morgan

Development of an Ecological Model to Predict Risk for Acquisition of Clostridium difficile -Associated Diarrhea During Acute Care Hospitalization , Susan Elaine Steele

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool , Cindy S. Tofthagen

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Nursing Dissertation Ideas That Will Lead You to a Perfect Topic

#i',$content, -1); --> table of contents unique nursing dissertation topics to explore what’s a nursing dissertation and steps to write it nursing education dissertation topics: how to choose the right one list of the best dissertation topics nursing of the year some great phd nursing dissertation ideas unique nursing dissertation topics to explore.

Choosing a good topic for your dissertation in nursing is an important step in ensuring the overall success of your research project. This task may seem easy at first, but once you are at it, it can prove much trickier, primarily because it might take multiple brainstorms, drafts, and reviews for your topic to shine. But worry not — our nursing dissertation help service has got you covered!

To help you get started, we’ve developed a list of the latest nursing dissertation topics that you can use just as they are or simply to get inspiration for your dissertation project. We’ll come to those in a moment, but let’s find out what is a nursing dissertation first!

What’s a Nursing Dissertation and Steps to Write It

• Admission/Application Essay
• Admission Editing
• Admission Proofreading
• Annotated Bibliography
• Argumentative essay
• Article paraphrasing
• Article review
• Book Report/Review
• Business plan
• Capstone Project
• Concept map
• Concept paper
• Conference Paper
• Critical review
• Custom List of Topics
• Data analysis
• Defence Presentation
• Discussion Post
• Dissertation
• Dissertation Chapter - Abstract
• Dissertation Chapter - Discussion
• Dissertation Chapter - Introduction Chapter
• Dissertation Chapter - Literature Review
• Dissertation Chapter - Methodology
• Dissertation Chapter - Results
• Dissertation revision
• Evidence-based practice paper
• Exam Answers
• Grant proposal
• Interview essay
• Letter of recommendation
• Literature review
• Literature review outline
• Marketing plan
• Math Problem
• Multiple Choice Questions
• Non-word assignment
• Nursing care plan
• Nursing teaching plan
• Paraphrasing
• Personal Statement
• PICO/PICOT Questions
• PowerPoint Presentation Plain
• PowerPoint Presentation with Speaker Notes
• Problem solution
• Proofreading
• Quality improvement project
• Reaction paper
• Reflection paper
• Reflective Journal
• Research Paper
• Research Proposal
• Retyping (PDF / PNG / Handwriting to Word)
• Scholarship Essay
• Scoping review
• Shadow health assessment
• Statistical Analysis
• Statistics Project
• Swot-analysis
• Systematic review
• Thesis chapter - Background
• Thesis chapter - Conclusion & future works
• Thesis chapter - Implementation
• Thesis chapter - Introduction
• Thesis chapter - Other (not listed above)
• Thesis chapter - Results & evaluation
• Thesis chapter - Theory & problem statement
• Thesis literature review
• Thesis Proposal
• Thesis revision
• Topic Suggestion
• Topic Suggestion + Summary + References

A nursing dissertation is a research paper usually required as part of a PhD degree program. It’s a comprehensive and original work that aims to explore a specific topic in nursing and demonstrates your ability to investigate, analyze information and present findings.

Here’s how to write a nursing dissertation:

• Choose a relevant dissertation topic.
• Write a catchy introduction.
• Collect data from reliable sources.
• Critically evaluate the gathered information.
• Perform a literature review.
• Outline the significance of your project.
• Audit and inspect employing clinical guidelines.
• Describe the methodology used.
• Reflect on outcomes.
• Present recommendations for future research or practice.
• Format your project and create a references list.
• Structure and proofread the final draft.

Now that you know the fundamentals, let’s find out how to choose a good topic and dive into the best nursing education dissertation topics that will stay relevant in 2024.

Nursing Education Dissertation Topics: How to Choose the Right One?

If you’re struggling to come up with appropriate dissertation topics nursing, try taking the following steps:

• Understand the objective of your project.
• Make a list of topics you are familiar with or genuinely passionate about exploring.
• Look into the current trends, ongoing debates, or innovations in the field for additional inspiration.
• Think about what specific aspects of the subject you want your paper to focus on.
• Define why these aspects are relevant and important.
• Do preliminary research to determine the availability of credible sources to back up your arguments.
• Think about how you’ll be presenting your findings.
• Narrow down your topic to a specific research question that’s manageable and can be answered.

Lastly, our experts recommend choosing a topic that aligns with your career goals or areas you wish to specialize in. This way, you can turn a tedious writing process into a motivational journey with perspectives for future research.

List of the Best Dissertation Topics Nursing of the Year

For your convenience, we’ve organized dissertation nursing topic ideas into eight distinct thematic categories.

Child Health Dissertation Topics

• How medical progress benefits patients with innate disabilities.
• Physical limitations and the impact of timely medication.
• The role of nurses in neonatal intensive care units.
• Evaluation of mothers’ needs when caring for children aged 2 to 5.
• The role of hospitals in the treatment of children’s psychiatric diseases.
• Techniques for improving pediatric cancer treatment.
• Childhood asthma diagnostics and treatment options.
• Identifying developmental delays in Down syndrome children.
• Applying Piaget’s theory to the cognitive development of healthy children.
• A training program for pediatric nurses to support emergency patients.

Clinical Care Dissertation Topics

• Should visitors be allowed in the intensive care unit?
• Analyzing the management plans for patients with dementia.
• Examining the impact of timing in critical patient nursing care.
• Considerations for ICU patients’ treatment and the risks of pressure injury.
• An overview of the critical nursing analysis literature from the last ten years.
• What are the challenges that the critical care nursing system faces?
• Medical treatment research in a high-tech environment.
• What primary challenges do nurses face in intensive care units?
• Do nurses ever have problems with their patients? If so, how do they deal with those problems?
• A study of the demand for healthcare facilities among sick patients on ventilators.

Adult Nursing Dissertation Topics

• What challenges do adult nursing professors in the United States face?
• The influence of social media on adult nursing students.
• Could online nursing studies help overcome the nurse shortage?
• Investigation of sustainability issues in adult nursing.
• Risk management and needs assessment in healthcare.
• Analysis of the impact of social media on nursing careers.
• What kind of treatment should adult nurses provide to dementia patients?
• Examination of the level of stress faced by emergency room nurses.
• Should adult nurses stay up-to-date on emerging trends in nursing?
• Investigation of the transition from hospital to outpatient settings.

Evidence-Based Practice Dissertation Topics

• Ways of choosing the right IV catheter size.
• NPO status and hypoglycemia rates.
• Nonpharmacologic methods of pain relief.
• Should hospitalized patients be given pain relievers?
• Ways of reducing catheter-acquired urinary tract infections (CAUTIs).
• Nursing professionals’ misconceptions about evidence-based practice.
• Evidence-based nursing practice rating systems.
• The evidence-based practice manual for nurses.
• What is the effect of visitation hours on patient outcomes?
• Fall prevention in people with acute dementia.

Palliative Care Dissertation Topics

• Palliative care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
• Models of palliative care delivery for patients with cancer.
• The benefits of perinatal hospice care.
• Home-based palliative care for Renal disease patients.
• Moral position on palliative care for terminal patients.
• The role of volunteers in palliative medicine.
• Initial palliative care for heart failure.
• Evidence-based palliative care practice.
• The role of the advanced practice nurse in palliative care.
• Psychosocial screening and assessment in palliative nursing.

Mental Health Dissertation Topics

• Investigation of the correlation between dopamine levels and autism.
• Benefits of antipsychotic medicine for reducing delirium.
• Chemical stimulants used in ADHD treatments.
• Identification of bipolar disorder and associated risk factors.
• Alzheimer’s disease and its connection to the environment.
• The effect of social media on mental health.
• The genetic component of bipolar disorder.
• Methods for assisting stroke victims in regaining motor skills.
• Investigation of the relationship between ADHD and screen time.
• Strategies helping to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder.

Emergency Care Dissertation Topics

• The impact of delays in emergency care.
• How does overcrowding in emergency departments impact patients with stroke?
• The importance of having a trauma team in the emergency department.
• Creating cycles for emergency department physicians.
• The effects of inadequate staffing in the emergency room.
• Should patients be allowed to visit the emergency room to treat a fever of unknown nature?
• Strategies to improve the level of healthcare in emergency rooms.
• Ways to decrease the frequency of angry outbursts in the emergency room.
• Ethical dilemmas faced by emergency department nurses.
• The importance of having emergency rooms for patients with allergic reactions.

Environmental Health Dissertation Topics

• Impact of climate change on food contamination with mycotoxins.
• Airborne influenza virus detection strategies employing bioaerosol collection.
• Homicide and suicide trends among farmers and other workers in the field.
• The influence of loudness on the employees of food courts in college towns.
• Investigation of environmental risks to the health of socially disadvantaged groups.

Now, let’s move on to some of the most promising nursing dissertation ideas for Ph.D. students and dissertation topics community health nursing.

Some Great PhD Nursing Dissertation Ideas

If you’re writing a PhD dissertation , the topic ideas below will definitely come in handy!

• Steps to prevent major health problems in patients with increased work-related stress.
• The latest public health initiatives to reduce childhood obesity.
• The significance and effects of workplace safety in medical clinics.
• Investigation of the impact of AIDS on modern society.
• Increasing awareness of the issues and risks involved with the clinical management of elderly patients in ICU.
• The role of drug addiction and psychological treatment in prisons.
• Leading causes of cerebrovascular accidents that injure adult brain cells.
• The role of WHO policies and methodologies in understanding child development.
• Treatment strategies and post-treatment care for patients suffering from acute and chronic pain.
• Adaptive approach to patient care in adult critical care units.

Topics Related to Community Health

• Senior outpatient care and community services.
• The importance of community nursing in increasing the quality of adult patients’ lives.
• The impact of existing welfare theories and practices on adult patients.
• The role of community nursing practice in health promotion.
• Quality of seniors’ life: ethical behavior and residential care homes.

We hope these dissertation topics in nursing will inspire you to write an excellent dissertation worthy of the professor’s praise. Thanks for reading, and good luck with your paper! Should you need nursing writing help , NursingPaper is at your service 24/7!

150 Nursing Dissertation Topics to be the Smartest

As one of the most complex research types, dissertation helps university professors see that a student can show sufficient ability to conduct independent research, synthesize information, and make an original contribution regarding both theoretical and practical constituents. In most cases, this task includes finding an argumentative topic that allows forming strong response to a problem.

The proposal stage is one of the hardest since it is not easy to come up with a unique topic that will be interesting not only for you but also for readers. It may take much time to do research and find a gripping issue. Our Writix experts completed s list of nursing dissertation topics that you may use for your dissertation or which can inspire you to come up with your own idea.

Choosing Dissertation Topic Right

Usually, professors let students choose dissertation topic from the list, but it may also happen that you’ll have to create a unique one. In order to do so, think of what area is more interesting for you, which perspectives it has and if you’ll manage to find enough literature to cover it. Surf the internet, read recent news, new scientific articles, and understand what issue is relevant and is worth exploring.

Useful info: If you want to say “ pay someone to write dissertation “, we’ll hear and help you!

Look through various nursing literature review topics, get an idea of what issues has already been covered, how these papers are formatted, in which way they highlight important information. An average dissertation length usually reaches up to 10,000 words, so most professors recommend starting with an outline which is a structured plan for your future paper. While completing it, you’’ understand if the chosen topic worth writing about and if there’s enough info.

Hot Nursing Dissertation Ideas by Subject

Clinical management.

Clinical management deals with the healthcare (NHS) programs that study systems, scientific methods, incentives, and various data with an aim to improve current medical practices. It focuses on engagement and collaboration processes in the field of nursing and healthcare. Good clinical management dissertation ideas to consider:

• The Blood Management
• Wound Healing Practices
• Specialist Rehabilitation Services
• Radiation Screening
• Domains of Subacute Care
• Reducing Wastage of Blood and Blood Products
• Domestic Violence Signs among clinical management patients
• Clinical Stress Reduction
• Conflict Resolution Styles
• Patient Confidentiality

Public Health

Public health stands for the protection and improvement of the health of individuals in specific communities. It can be both large cities and rural areas where the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and safe medical practices help to achieve safety and overall improvement in society.

• Alcohol-related Harms
• Food Safety Rules
• Teen Pregnancy
• Tobacco Consumption in Women
• Motor Vehicle Injuries
• Hospital-based Infections
• Rural Healing Practices
• Substance Consumption
• Drugstore Accessibility
• Digital Accident Reporting

Community Nursing Dissertation Topics

The community nursing services are quite challenging for a dissertation, which is one of the reasons why so many students prefer using a nursing essay writing service , which helps to outline a clearer dissertation structure and find the required number of sources. Including grammar and structure checking, it helps to avoid the most common mistakes an average student makes. Good topics to consider include:

• Rehabilitation of Sexual Abuse Victims
• Healthcare Demands of Rural Population
• Healthcare Surveys in Digital Age
• Creative Care Modelling
• Immigrant Care
• Scottish Culture
• Innovative Practices
• Patient Records Discussion
• Charity Nursing Work
• Stress Management

Midwifery Dissertation Topics

It is related to prenatal practices and childbirth. As the field of nursing that deals with women’s health, it plays a critical role for society as one must strive for the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and infant health.

• Risks of Planned Cesarean Birth
• Palliative Care Standards
• Childbirth Rehabilitation
• Immunization During Pregnancy
• Intrauterine Fetal Demise
• Maternal Illnesses
• Home Childbirth
• Prenatal Screening
• Genetic Disorders
• Maternal Anxiety

Health Organisations

Many students might consider writing about NHS, yet it is also possible to write about WHO and discuss things like Covid-19 and their take on vaccination. Since the majority of health organisations will not readily disclose any information, finding a good topic will be easier if you look through our suggestions:

• Inequality in Healthcare Delivery
• Racial Prejudice in Emergency Unit
• Rural Conflicts in Healthcare Innovations
• Child Rehabilitation in School Facilities
• School Screening Practices
• Voluntary Work Availability
• TV Healthcare Ads
• Digital Administration
• Distant-care Help
• UK Paramedics Training

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Evidence-based Practice

It is a special nursing practice that is based on theories and research-based information where the evidence is presented with the help of statistical data or surveys. It helps to provide a healthy mixture of personal clinical expertise along with case study analysis and literature studies on the subject.

• Oscillometric Practices
• Red Blood Cell Transfusion Benefits
• Impact of Environment for Intramuscular Injections
• X-Ray Immune Impact
• Substance Analysis
• Breast Cancer Reporting
• Heritage Immunology
• Kindergarten Infections
• Laboratory Work Risks
• ER Room Precautions

Environmental Health

Nursing professionals working in the field of environmental healthcare focus on the identification of various issues related to the environment that have either positive or negative effects on human health living in a particular area. Writing a dissertation on the environmental nursing issue, always identify potential challenges and study environmental background with statistics and the facts to make your research reliable.

• Weather Tracking and Informatics
• Food Safety Regulations
• Digital Control of Pests’ Distribution
• Community-Driven Intervention in Whales
• Water Quality Bias
• Environmental NGOs
• National Parks Status
• Nursing in Remote Areas
• Chemical Ground Control
• Repellents Use in Children

If it sounds too complex, consider professional dissertation help where a specialist can nail it down in a best way, with zero plagiarism and right on time.

Occupational Health and Safety

It researches workplace healthcare and the safety of people employed in factories and various services like transportation, architecture, nursing, education, and many other fields. It is one one the most popular subjects these days as it involves more than one discipline in addition to nursing.

• Construction Safety
• Drugs and Alcohol Testing Policies
• Motorcycle Safety
• Food Distribution Among NGOs
• Airplane Behavioral Patterns
• Coal Mining Respiratory Diseases
• Healthcare Insurance
• Automotive Spinal Risks
• Mental Side of Teaching
• Painkillers Management

Mental Health Nursing Dissertation Topics

Mental health explores issues that are related to non-physical aspects per se like ADHD, Autism, Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mental health issues. As a nurse studying mental aspects, it is essential to provide background information and operate with statistical data to make the dissertation structure stand out with evidence.

• Eating Disorders Among Athletes
• PTSD Home Rehabilitation
• Depression in Schoolchildren
• Rehabilitation of Injured Army Veterans
• Schizophrenia Stages
• Child Abuse Victims
• Cyberbullying
• Bipolar Disorder Families
• Nursing Burnout
• HIV Social Stigma

Models and Theories in Nursing

This branch of nursing dissertation writing relates to the works of famous theorists, which is a good chance to keep your writing structured as you research well-known personalities. Start with the data collection first and remember to provide references for each fact or thesis argument that you mention.

• Patricia Benner’s Theory
• Change Model by Kurt Lewin
• Betty Neuman’s Heritage
• Mental Growth Elements in Living Nursing Model
• Dorothea Orem
• Madeleine Leininger
• Systematic Nursing
• Florence Nightingale Heritage
• Digital Care Model
• Virginia Henderson Morals

Child Nursing Dissertation Topics

Child nursing revolves around infants and children aged up to 14 years old, dealing with specific healthcare practices, patient management, and nursing care for young people. Since there are major differences, students starting with this type of dissertation writing must focus on case study analysis or implement generally accepted practices.

• Covid-19 vaccination dangers for the middle school children
• The negative impact of social media on eating disorders among youth
• Why the antibiotic resistance in preschool children constantly decreases during the last two decades?
• Improper nutrition and the frequency of seizures in infants
• The physical changes in neural patterns of autistic children

Paediatric Nursing Dissertation Topics

Paediatric nursing plays a major role in the current NHS system in Great Britain, which became especially evident during Covid-19 time. The topics for your dissertation may range from obesity issues and ADHD to wound care treatment and the psychological aspects of school violence.

• Pain management practices and cultural aspects of refugee children
• Childhood cancer: how can AI-based technology help prevent and detect it
• Effect of parents’ divorce on pre-school children
• The analysis of current obesity prevention programs in Wales
• Panic attacks among children as the negative effect of remote learning

Nursing Dissertation Topics Critical Care

Critical care or emergency nursing is often associated with ambulances and urgent cases where correct educated decisions must be made. It is a challenging field to work with your dissertation, which is why our selection of nursing critical care subjects and ideas will help you.

• Satisfaction among critical care nursing personnel: analysis of the patient care practices
• End-of-life decisions through the prism of global coronavirus pandemic situation
• Emergency care and equal access to the “helmet bundle” for invasive ventilation patients
• The factors that lead to burnout and anxiety in critical care nurses
• Alarm fatigue and the mental aspect of disease reporting
• Afghan refugees and language barriers for nurses in the critical care unit
• Cardiac arrest identification practices vs the United States
• Nursing workloads comparison between pre-Brexit and post-Brexit times
• The role of culture for the spiritual well-being of the critical care nurses
• The importance of critical thinking practices during the Covid-19 pandemic

Adult Nursing Dissertation Topics

Adult nursing stands for those problems and issues that are most common for adult patients where specific practices are implemented. Choosing it for your dissertation writing, remember to specify your age group as you work with dissertation methodology and research samples.

• The link of alcohol to acute coronary syndrome cases
• What role is played by the anxiety for respiratory disorders?
• Is bipolar disorder more common in Scotland and Wales than in because of the different detection practices?
• Migraine vs cluster headaches: major differences and similarities
• Diabetes and weight management programs
• Psychiatric care in adults during social distancing times
• The role of ethnicity in adult nursing care environment
• AI-based learning tools and speech disorder therapies
• Self-care and hypertensive diseases treatment
• Data collection methods in adult healthcare vs paediatric nursing

Nursing Dissertation Topics Dementia

Dementia is one of those conditions where nursing help is paramount for patients and their families. Choosing one of the topics below, stay respectful, and explore challenges and the treatment methods to avoid misconceptions and minor mistakes.

• The role of dehydration control for patients with dementia
• Client orientation: management of reality vs factual conversational assistance methods
• The role of positive feedback and nursing diary keeping
• The strategies to prevent false idea cultivation
• Creation of the care plan for dementia patients
• Cognitive stimulation therapy with the help of computer-aided tools
• The role of exercises and physical activity for dementia patients
• Animal therapy: why is this practice not yet common?
• Home care vs clinical care setting for dementia patients
• How do happiness and entertainment decrease the risks of dementia worsening?

Emergency Nursing Dissertation Topics

Emergency nursing is one of the most challenging topics to consider for your dissertation, yet if you are enrolled in one of the critical care university courses, it is an amazing opportunity to explore current emergency nursing practices.

• The best methods to reduce violent outbreaks in the ER
• Forensics in the paediatric fall victims
• An ethical aspect of psychiatric screening
• Mental disorders caused by Covid-19 restrictions: a case study
• The safest methods to overcome shock in wound care caused by paediatric traumas
• Talking to refugees to identify human trafficking cases
• Child abuse identification and privacy matters according to legislation
• The rights of women in the cases based on domestic violence reports
• Drug screening methods for adolescent patients vs the United States
• What has the Covid-19 situation change in the current preparation practices of the emergency care nursing personnel?

Looking through the list of dissertation topics in nursing, remember that it is not only important to find something that inspires you but to provide due credit for ideas that are not originally yours. Even though many university students believe that their Literature Review dissertation section is sufficient, it is also necessary to place relevant references for every picture, graph, statistical diagram, and quote. It will help you to keep things structured in a better way and avoid plagiarism risks.

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If you still wonder how to choose a nursing dissertation topic or need an expert opinion about dissertation writing, there is no better way than approaching nursing assignment help . It includes multiple services like editing, search for suitable sources, finding, structuring, formatting, grammar check, scan for plagiarism. Our online help is reliable, affordable, fast, and can be easily accessed 24/7.

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Best Nursing Dissertation Topics 2024

Nowadays, medical science is becoming increasingly important, setting high standards for the qualifications of medical professionals. However, for university and college students, one of the most important stages of professional growth is writing a master’s thesis. Choosing a topic for this dissertation is the most essential step toward completing your studies.

Particular attention is paid to the choice of nursing dissertation topics, and it determines not only the academic direction of research but also affects the future professional career of the graduate. In this article, we will look at the key points when choosing a topic for a dissertation in nursing practice and provide lists of the most relevant issues in this field.

How to Select the Nursing Dissertation Topic?

Most students wonder how to select the nursing dissertation topic? Choosing a nursing dissertation topic is an essential step in your academic journey. Below, we will provide some practical tips to help you select an exciting and meaningful dissertation topic:

• The first step is to consider your interests and choose a topic that genuinely suits you and matches your passion for nursing. Try to show enthusiasm and talk about the motivation that will exist throughout the entire dissertation writing process.
• It is also essential to consider topics that are relevant to nursing practice. Doing this ensures that your research contributes to the existing knowledge and has practical implications.
• Try asking a professor or your mentor for advice. Often, they can provide valuable information, recommend relevant literature, and help you narrow down your questions based on their experience.
• Next, a thorough literature review should identify gaps or areas where research is limited.
• Think about the practical implications of your research. Consider how your findings can be applied to real-life nursing settings.
• Choose a topic that suits your personal and professional goals. Consider how your dissertation fits into your long-term career goals, and choose a topic that satisfies your academic requirements and supports your professional growth and aspirations.

By reviewing these tips, you can choose ideas nursing dissertation topics that will meet academic standards and reflect your passion and commitment to advancing the nursing field.

Child Nursing Dissertation Topics to Explore

Below, we will provide 15 of the best child nursing dissertation topics that cover a range of issues related to pediatric healthcare:

• An overview of how parents influence child care.
• What role do pediatric nurses play in promoting childhood vaccinations?
• Psychological impact of chronic diseases on pediatric patients.
• Play therapy in pediatric nursing.
• Exploring the role of pediatric nurses in the early identification and treatment of developmental delays.
• Assessing the quality of medical care for children.
• Case studies of the impact of cultural competence on pediatric nursing.
• Strategies for improving pain management in pediatric patients.
• Analysis of nursing interventions to support children with autism spectrum disorders.
• Nursing strategies for treating childhood obesity.
• Assessing school nurses’ interventions in promoting mental health in school-age children.
• Effectiveness of pediatric nurse-led health education programs in schools.
• Analysis of the problems faced by pediatric nurses when providing palliative care.
• Effectiveness of telehealth in pediatric nursing.
• Exploring nursing strategies to support families of children with chronic illness.

Community Nursing Dissertation Topics

Check out 15 community nursing dissertation topics that cover a variety of issues relevant to public health and nursing practice:

• How nursing interventions contribute to reducing health inequalities.
• Analysis of community strategies to improve access to health services in rural areas.
• Effectiveness of school nursing programs in promoting adolescent health and well-being.
• What role do community nurses play in preventing and managing chronic diseases?
• Integrating mental health services into community nursing practice.
• Community nursing responses to public health emergencies.
• How cultural competence influences community nursing.
• The impact of nurse-led community health education programs on preventive behavior.
• Community-based nursing care to address substance abuse problems.
• The role of community nurses in promoting maternal and child health.
• How nursing care impacts an aging population.
• An analysis of community nursing strategies to address social determinants of health.
• Effectiveness of telemedicine in nursing.
• Analysis of a community-based nursing intervention to improve immunization rates among children.
• The role of community nurses in supporting patients with complex and chronic illnesses at home.

 Thought-Provoking Adult Nursing Dissertation Topics

Choosing adult nursing dissertation topics is often too complicated for most students. However, with a list of 10 potential ideas that cover a range of adult health issues, you’re sure to be able to choose the best one:

• The impact of nursing leadership on patient outcomes in adult emergency departments.
• What role do nurses play in addressing the mental health problems of adult patients?
• Effectiveness of patient education programs in adult ambulatory care.
• Analysis of nursing strategies for chronic pain in adult patients.
• How nurse-initiated protocols impact patient safety in adult intensive care units.
• The impact of shift work on nurses’ well-being and quality of care for adult patients.
• What are nursing interventions to facilitate conversations about end-of-life care with adult patients?
• A study of the effectiveness of telehealth in adult care.
• The role of nursing in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections in adult hospitals.
• How cultural competence influences adult nursing practice.

Emergency Nursing Dissertation Topics to Consider

At the moment, there are a large number of emergency nursing dissertation topics that help students create high-quality research and get high scores. However, many students do not know which topic is best to study, which is why we have created a list of robust 15 topics that cover various aspects of emergency care and nursing practice:

• How triage systems influence patient outcomes in emergency departments.
• The role of emergency nurses in disaster response and preparedness.
• A review of nursing interventions in managing acute traumatic injuries in the acute care setting.
• Analysis of the effectiveness of rapid response teams in reducing hospital emergencies.
• Emergency medicine strategies to improve communication and collaboration.
• How nursing staffing affects patient safety in emergency departments.
• An investigation of the psychological impact of emergency medical care on job satisfaction.
• Use of simulation training in emergency medicine training.
• What role do emergency nurses play in identifying and treating mental health crises in the emergency department?
• An analysis of nursing strategies to reduce overcrowding in emergency departments.
• Challenges faced by emergency nurses in pediatric practice.
• How cultural competence influences the delivery of emergency medical care.
• The effectiveness of telemedicine in emergency medical care.
• What is a nursing intervention to improve resilience and coping strategies among emergency nurses?
• An analysis of the role of emergency nurses in addressing substance abuse problems.

Mental Health Nursing Dissertation Topics

Mental health areas have many topics that can be explored. However, students often need help deciding the most suitable idea for their research. Below, you can explore 25 potential mental health nursing dissertation topics covering various aspects of mental health care:

• Effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy in mental health nursing practice.
• What role do mental health nurses play in suicide prevention?
• The impact of stigma on mental health nursing care.
• Exploring the integration of technology into mental health nursing practice.
• An analysis of nursing strategies for managing agitation and aggression in psychiatric patients.
• How the therapeutic relationship influences treatment outcomes in mental health nursing.
• Effectiveness of group therapy in mental health nursing.
• A review of nursing interventions to support families of persons with severe mental illness.
• Impact of mental health first aid training for nurses.
• Analysis of the problems faced by psychiatric nurses in forensic psychiatric institutions.
• What role do mental health nurses play in addressing substance use problems?
• An investigation of nursing strategies to promote sleep hygiene in psychiatric patients.
• An analysis of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in mental health nursing practice.
• The role of mental health nurses in crisis intervention techniques.
• A study of nursing interventions to address trauma in persons with mental disorders.
• How cultural competence impacts mental health nursing.
• Possibilities of using telepsychiatry in caring for people with a mental health condition.
• Effectiveness of psychiatric nurse-led medication management clinics.
• Exploring nursing strategies to promote the physical health of persons with severe mental illness.
• What role do mental health nurses perform in primary care settings?
• Analysis of the impact of nursing staffing on patient safety in inpatient psychiatric units.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of family interventions in mental health nursing practice.
• How COVID-19 has impacted mental health nursing practice.
• Research on nursing interventions to address co-occurring mental illness and chronic illness.
• What role do mental health nurses play in promoting recovery-oriented care: Perspectives from practice.

Engaging Nursing Dissertation Ideas

Students often think of nursing dissertation ideas that can be discussed in their research. However, some need help deciding on the best question that will be successful. Below, we will provide the 20 best options that are relevant and interesting at the moment:

• How nursing education impacts patient outcomes.
• The role of technology in nursing education.
• Analysis of the effectiveness of nursing simulation education.
• How nurse-physician collaboration influences the quality of patient care.
• Implementation of evidence-based practice in nursing.
• An exploration of nursing strategies to improve patient safety in emergency departments.
• The impact of nurse staffing levels on surgical patient outcomes.
• The role of cultural competence in pediatric nursing practice.
• How emotional intelligence influences nursing leadership effectiveness.
• Challenges critical care nurses face when providing end-of-life care.
• Nursing interventions to increase physical activity in patients with chronic diseases.
• The effectiveness of telemedicine in home care.
• What role does nursing play in eliminating health care disparities?
• Analyzing the impact of nursing advocacy on patient rights and autonomy.
• Effectiveness of nurse handover processes during shift changes.
• Exploring nursing strategies for managing compassion fatigue and burnout.
• The role of nurses in promoting mental health in schools.
• Impact of nurse-led health promotion programs in low-income communities.
• How nurse practitioners influence primary care access and patient satisfaction.
• Challenges and opportunities for nursing in global health.

Choosing a topic for a master’s thesis in nursing practice is essential to a student’s professional growth. This process requires a careful look at relevant aspects of the study that can contribute to the development of medical science and practice. When choosing a suitable idea, it is necessary to consider not only academic interests but also opportunities for improving health care quality.

One more reliable option is to seek advice from academic advisors, conduct an extensive literature review, and focus on current issues in the field of nursing practice. Check out the list of the best themes we have provided and choose the one that suits you best!

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COMPLETED PHD DISSERTATIONS

• Aric Bunch : High Versus Low-Fidelity Ultrasound Phantoms in the Acquisition of Needle to Vascular Target Contact Skill During Simulated Central Venous Line Placement
• Jessie Reich : Medical-surgical Nurses’ and Nursing Assistants’ Attitudes and Beliefs towards Young Adult Patients with Sickle Cell Disease and their Perceptions of Barriers to Providing Quality Care to this Population
• Megan Moyer : Early Patient Mobilization in the Neurological Intensive Care Unit.
• Caroline Ortiz : Decia mi Mama: Traditional Medicine from Mexico Among Mexican Women American in the Texas Rio Grande Valley
• Gwen Hamid : The Association of Functioning, Relationship Quality and Community Reintegration to Depressive Symptoms in Miliary Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury
• Kathleen Williams : An Examination of the Relationship of Mandated Reporting to Pediatric Up-to-Date Immunization Status
• Marcia Gamaly : Comparing the effectiveness of self-directed and interactive online educational interventions to reduce obesity bias in nurses in the hospital setting
• Carol Devlin : The Relationship Between Preoperative Smoking Status and Postoperative Surgical Site Infections: A Secondary Analysis of the American College of Surgeons’ 2019 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Data
• Kimberly Hampton : Survey of Baccalaureate Nursing Faculty About Non-Clinical Transition-to-Practice Courses and Their Perceived Effectiveness
• Tanya Carmichael : Effect of an Educational Intervention on Nursing Students’ Knowledge of and Attitudes toward Caring for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People
• Waad Ali : The Influence of Undergraduate Informatics Education on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Use
• Marin Jacobwitz : Predictors of Poor Oral Feeding in Infants with a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) Following Surgical Intervention with Cardiopulmonary Bypass
• Patricia Griffith : The Effect of Structured Reflection on Diagnostic Reasoning Competency and Accuracy of Nurse Practitioner Students Who Experience Cognitive Bias: A Mixed Methods Experimental Study
• Mary Ann Zimmer : Enhancing Communication Skills of Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate Nursing Students Through the Use of Standardized Patients in Clinical Simulation
• Melissa Bourne : Clinical Nursing Faculty Perceptions about Teaching Pre-Licensure BSN Students to Provide Care for Adults with Developmental Disability in the Clinical Setting
• Melissa Leisen : Exploration of the Learning Experiences of Undergraduate Nursing Students in Relation to the Care of Children with Special Health Care Needs in Home-Based Respite Care
• Jodi Erickson : How Older Adults Perceive the Terminology “Allow Natural Death”: A Qualitative Dissertation
• Meg Kloster : Measuring Knowledge and Behavior after an Educational Program on Air Pollution as a Health Risk Reduction Strategy
• Emily Sheff : Factors Associated with Work Engagement among Doctorally Prepared Nursing Faculty
• Joseph Vena : The Lived Experience of Young Adults with Lymphoma During Acute Survivorship
• Megan M. Walsh : The Emotional Experience of Women with Multiple Sclerosis in the Postpartum Period
• Lyn Starrs-Zorn : The Lived Experience of Civilian, Female Spouse Caregivers of Community-Dwelling U.S. Veterans Who Sustained Polytrauma Injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan
• Heiddy DiGregorio : Organizational Skill Development Using Simultaneous Multiple Patient Simulation
• Laura Klenke-Borgmann : The Effect of Interprofessional Simulations in the Classroom on Pre-Licensure, Baccalaureate Nursing Students’ Clinical Judgment Development
• Sister Jackline Mayaka : Risk Factors Associated with Low-Birth-Weight Infants Among HIV-Positive Women and Related Outcomes of HIV-Exposed Low Birth Weight Infants at 18 Months Follow-up in Western Kenya
• Claire McKinley-Yoder : The Relationships Among Individual and School Characteristics and Long-Term Educational Outcomes for Students with Disabilities
• Ginger Schroers : Interruptions During Simulated Medication Administration: An Examination of Errors and Interruption Management Strategies
• Caitlin Yeager : The Role of Nurses in Surveillance of New and Emerging Infectious Disease to Enhance Global Health Security: A Delphi Study
• Cynthia Hambach : Using Standardized Patients in Simulated Learning Experiences to Develop Clinical Judgment and Clinical Competence of Sophomore Baccalaureate Nursing Students in a Foundations in Nursing Course
• Amal Alqahtani : Workplace Incivility and Work Ethic Across Three Generations of Saudi Nurses
• Zainab Al-Maqbali : Pre-gestational Diabetes Mellitus (Type 1 & Type 2), Gestational-Diabetes, and Pre-eclampsia with Preterm Birth Among Omani Women
• Susan Moyer : Fruit and Vegetable Intake of Young Adult Millennials
• Serah Nthenge : Perinatal Experiences of Women with Physical Disabilities
• Christine Pariseault : Nurse Practitioners Experiences of Polypharmacy in Older Adults in the Primary Care Setting
• Tara Sacco : The Relationship of the Work Environment to Compassion Satisfaction and Compassion Fatigue in Critical Care Nurses  
• Mia Waldron : Relationship of Parental Health Literacy (PHL) and Perceptions of Home Discharge Readiness in NICU Parents of Black Preterm Infants 
• Lisa Aiello : Assessment of Genomic Knowledge among Nurses in an Online RN to BSN Completion Program
• Zaina Al Harmali : Nurse characteristics and perceptions about safety and error reporting in Omani hospitals
• Abdullah I. Al Salmi : Self-Management Behaviors & Quality of Life of Patents with Sickle Cell Disease
• Al Cadavero : Nurse Graduates’ Perceived Educational Needs after Experiencing the Death of a Patient
• Mandy Kirkpatrick : Development of Palliative Care Competence in Nursing Students Using Simulation
• Brittany Koons : Factors Related to Travel for Transplantation Among U.S. Kidney Transplant Candidates
• Michelle McKay : The Relationship of Frailty, Fear of Falling, and Depression with the Risk for Falls and Health-Related Quality of Life in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
• Susan Myers : Postpartum Nurses’ Perceptions of Identifying and Providing Care for Mothers at Risk for Postpartum Depression
• Jennie Ryan : Parents’ Experience Using Medical Marijuana
• Cathy Sargent : The examination of nursing students’ attitudes towards chronic pain in the older adult.
• Saira Al-Bulushi : A Pilot Study of Standardized Patient Simulation Teaching Strategies and Instruments to Assess Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude of Primary Care Nurses in Cardiovascular Risk Assessment
• Khamis Al-Mamari : Omani Nurses’ Attitudes Towards Clients with Mental Illness in General and Psychiatric Hospitals in Oman
• Faith Atte : Factors Related to Caregiver Burden in Family Members of Military Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury
• Adaorah Azotam : The Intention of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to Report Child Maltreatment
• Susan Birkhoff : Examining the Usability and Acceptability of a Patient-Centered Mobile Health Tracking App for Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy for Cancer Treatment
• Deborah Byrne : Evaluating the Level of Cultural Competence in Undergraduate Nursing Students Using Standardized Patients in Simulation
• Michael Cont i: A Descriptive Study Exploring the Perceptions of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists about Collaboration with Physician Anesthesiologists
• Becky Coyle-Mueller : Family Nurse Practitioners’ Use of mHealth Apps for Health Promotion with Patients
• Patricia Gellasch : The Developmental Screening Behaviors, Skills, Facilitators and Constraints of Family Nurse Practitioners in Primary Care
• Stacy Hohenleitner : New Nursing Graduates’ Perceptions of Support
• Amanda Jenkinson : The Relationships Among Inner Strength, Depression, and Time Since Diagnosis to Quality of Life and Health Promoting Behaviors in Female Cancer Survivors
• Sue Lynch : The Lived Experience of Newly Qualified Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA) Who Have Transitioned to the Hospital Operating Room Surgical Setting: A Phenomenological Perspective
• Carlene McLaughlin : The Effect of Debriefing with Good Judgment on Nurse Anesthesia Students’ Critical Event Recognition, Response, and Treatment
• Jacquelyn McMillion-Bohler : Nurse Educators’ Perceptions of the Characteristics and Behaviors of Master Teachers in Nursing
• Kathleen Monforto : A Comparison of Outcomes in Patients with Common Pediatric Diagnoses Admitted on Weekends to Those Admitted on Weekdays
• Hanan Saca-Hazboun : Knowledge and Health Beliefs about Breast Cancer Screening among Rural Palestinian Women: A Pilot Study
• Jenna Thate : Leveraging Documentation in the Electronic Health Record to Support Interprofessional Communication: A Delphi Study 
• Susan Vacca : Patient Delivered and Expedited Partner Therapy for Chlamydia Trachomatis among Adolescent Females Using School Based Health Centers  
• Eilleen Feehan Choi : Development and Analysis of the Sodium Knowledge and Skills Index for Heart Failure (SKASI-HF)
• Katie Hooven : Development and Testing of the Collaboration in the Clinical Learning Environment (CCLE) Tool
• Christina Lam : Nurse Faculty Members' Experiences Teaching Chronic Illness Self-Management Concepts: An Exploration Study
• Patricia Ann Oertwich : Emotional Intelligence as a Component of Leadership Development in Traditional Undergraduate BSN Students
• Kelly Reilly : The Use of Simulation in Transformational Leadership Development in the Nurse Manager Role
• Robin Weingarten Wood : Workplace Bullying Between Registered Nurses: Occurrence and Perceived Effects on Work Productivity
• Christina Whitehouse : From Hospital to Home: Aiding in Patient Transitions Through Education for Obese Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
• Lisa Broughton : An Examination of the Relationship among Nurses’ Work Environment, Nurses’ Education Level and Patient Outcomes
• Karen Goldschmidt : Perspective Transformation and Professional Values of Students Enrolled in an Online RN-to-BSN Degree Completion Program
• Jana Goodwin : The Lived Experience of non-English and limited English speaking Hispanic persons associated with a past inpatient hospitalization in the United States: A phenomenological study
• Carey Heck : A Study of Moral Distress in Novice and Experienced Nurses
• Virginia Jones : Perception of Graduates from Online Accelerated Pre-Licensure Second-Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programs on Quality of Educational Experience and Readiness for Clinical Practice
• Danielle Kohler : Assessment of Nurse Faculty’s Acceptance and Intent to Use Social Media Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 Model
• James Mendez : The Role of Perceived Social Support in the Transition to Life after Lung Transplantation
• Maria Van Pelt : The Aftermath of Perioperative Catastrophe: A National Study of Nurse Anesthetists
• Nancy Wise : Nutritional Knowledge, Healthy Eating Behaviors and Personal Self-Efficaciy in Pregnant Adolescents
• Sherry Burrell : Exploring Symptom Clusters and Quality of Life in Individuals Undergoing Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer
• Jaqueline Meyer : Part-time Baccalaureate Clinical Nursing Faculty in U.S. Schools of Nursing: Factors Related to Work Engagement, Organizational Commitment and Job Satisfaction
• Nada Al Moosa : A Quality Study of Change: Implementing Quality Assurance and Continuous Quality Improvement in Health Profession Education during a Period of Transition
• Raja Jadelhack : Assessment of a Patient Satisfaction Survey and its Relationship to Hospital Sector and Nurses’ Level of Education in One Region in Saudi Arabia
• Amanda Klockars-McMulle : Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Somatic Awareness Scale of Women with Spontaneous Preterm Labor
• Majed Alamri : Motivational Factors and Barriers Related to Saudi Arabian Nurses’ Pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree
• Hilal Alrahbi : Diabetes Self-Management (DSM) in Omanis with Type-2 Diabetes
• Terri Ares : The Professional Socialization of Students in Clinical Nurse Specialist Programs
• Ann Fronczek : The Lived Experience of the Primary Family Caregiver of a Person with Head and Neck Cancer
• Karen May : Assessing Faculty Knowledge of Disability-Related Law and Providing Academic Accommodation
• JoAnn Platko : Nursing Students’ Beliefs and Attitudes Regarding Pain Management Knowledge Across Educational Levels
• Michele Damas Smith : Utilization of Secondary Preventive Screenings (HIV, Blood Pressure and Cholesterol) Among African-American Men in Comparison to Non-Hispanic Caucasian Men
• Amy Weaver : The Effect of a Model Demonstration During Debriefing on Students’ Clinical Judgment, Self-Confidence, and Satisfaction During a Simulated Learning Experience
• Pennie Sessler Branden : The Nurse as Advocate: A Grounded Theory Perspective
• Margaret Hattori-Uchima : Chuukese Migrant Women in Guam: Perceptions of Barriers to Health Care
• Michelle Kelly : Life After Prematurity:  Special Health Care Needs, Working Memory, and Health-related Quality of Life Among 9- to 11-year old Children Born Prematurely
• Catherine Morse : The Effect of Debriefing with Good Judgment on Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Students' Reflective Ability and Perspective Transformation.
• Lisa Thiemann : Nonsurgical Pain Management Infection Prevention Competencies
• Teresa Conte : Pediatric Oncology Nurses’ Lived Experiences of Loss and Grief
• Anne Fink : Primiparous Puerto Rican Women’s Self-Reports of Postpartum Infant and Self-Care Knowledge Acquisition
• Janet Fogg : The Experience of Parenting for Single, Unpartnered Mothers of Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
• Suzanne Foley : The First Months at Home: The Perceived Needs of an American Sample of Postpartum Women
• Catherine Heilferty : The Balance We Seek:  A Sequential Narrative Analysis of Childhood Cancer Blogs
• Stephanie Jeffers : Nurse Faculty Perceptions of End-of-Life Education in the Clinical Setting:  A Phenomenological Perspective
• Kelly Kuhns : Nursing Faculty Members' Use of Web 2.0 Technology and Perceptions of Importance of Online Faculty Presence
• Jennifer Gunberg Ross : The Effect of Simulation Training on Baccalaureate Nursing Students’ Competency in Performing Intramuscular Injection
• Joanne Schwartz : A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing Graduates of an Accelerated Second-Degree Baccalaureate Nursing Program and Graduates of a Traditional Baccalaureate Nursing Program in Demographics, Nursing Professional Development and Nursing Career Satisfaction
• Jodie Szlachta : The Effect of a Peer-Instruction Model in Nurse Anesthesia Student Learning in the High Fidelity Patient Simulator
• Ruth Crothers : The Development of Organized Continuing Education for Registered Nurses in the United States 1957-1974: Challenge for a Maturing Profession
• Elizabeth M. Romeo : The Predictive Ability of Critical Thinking, Nursing GPA and SAT Scores on First-Time NCLEX-RN® Performance
• Cynthia Rubenstein : Assessing and Improving Child Feeding Practices through "Take Charge of Your Family’s Health"
• Lorraine Rusch : Exploring Clinical Reason and Decision Making in Nursing Students.
• Jennifer Specht : Use of Mentoring to Ease Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity in Neophyte Nursing Faculty.
• Tamara M. Kear : An Investigation of Transformative Learning Experiences during Associate Degree Nursing Education Using Narrative Methods
• Bonnie Baloga-Altieri : Comparison of Staff Nurse Perceptions of Nurse Executive and Nurse Manager Leadership in Magnet and non-Magnet Hospitals
• Catherine Lovecchio :   On-Line Alcohol Education: Impact on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of First-Year College Students
• Ruth McDermott-Levy : The Lived Experience of Female Arab-Muslim Nurses Studying in the United States
• Amy McKeever :   Female College Students’ Self-Reported Behavioral Change After an Educational Intervention to Reduce Behaviors Associated with Cervical Cancer Risk
• Ann T. Vitale : Nurses’ Lived Experience of Reiki for Self-Care

EXPLORE PhD IN NURSING

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Writing a Thesis for Nursing School

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Writing a thesis presents an opportunity for graduate students to conduct scholarly inquiry, with the potential of publishing their finished paper. A thesis requires nursing students to identify a problem in nursing, and review academic literature while developing advanced research skills. Thesis advisors and committees guide students from the proposal phase to the final oral defense, a process that spans about two semesters.

Not every nursing student is required to complete a thesis. Some nursing programs offer a non-thesis option, in which candidates complete a final capstone project or oral examination on topics such as nursing theories and clinical practices.

The thesis process and requirements vary by school. Ohio State University’s master of science in nursing program’s final examination includes oral and written portions.

Want to know what to expect during the thesis process? Read on to learn how you can choose a thesis topic and orally defend your paper.

Choosing Your Nursing Thesis Topic

Nursing students must choose a thesis topic before they begin the research and writing process, typically within the first two terms of nursing school. A solid thesis must present an original argument, manageable research scope, and worthy academic pursuit. A thesis advisor or research professor will help to guide each student through the process of choosing a topic.

In the conceptual phase, candidates research potential thesis topics based on their interests within their nursing specialty. Students may start with a broad topic such as obesity and weight management, depression, or cardiovascular disease. To narrow their thesis argument, graduate students might focus on racial or ethnic groups, socio-economic issues, or current events.

After settling on a topic, students draft and submit a thesis proposal to an advisor or committee chair. Once this proposal has been approved, students can begin the formal work on his or her approved thesis topic.

While graduate students must complete a thesis to fulfill the requirements of a master’s degree in nursing, the thesis process also offers a chance for future nurses to immerse themselves in current academic literature and collaborate with fellow graduate students, faculty, and professors. A thesis can also serve as the foundation for doctoral studies. A thesis at the doctoral (PhD) level is called a dissertation.

Completing Your Nursing Thesis

Brainstorming a thesis topic begins as early as the first semester of a master’s in nursing program. The formal thesis process, which typically spans multiple terms, does not take place until the student’s final year, usually during the last term.

Thesis requirements vary by school, and students must meet specific deadlines and take prerequisite courses beforehand. At the University of Texas-Houston’s School of Nursing , candidates take a public health class before they submit a thesis proposal.

Future nurses work under the guidance of a thesis committee and advisor. The experience of writing a thesis trains students in original investigation, data collection, implementing research design, and public speaking. Candidates also learn to flex their analytical thinking skills and master a specific area of nursing as they develop the ability to analyze and draw conclusions through data.

At a program’s conclusion, students submit their thesis as a bound manuscript or electronic file. In addition to submitting a written report, students orally defend their final thesis in front of the committee. Many graduates also submit their manuscripts for publication.

Presenting Your Nursing Thesis

Graduate students generally orally defend their proposal and present their completed thesis in front of their committee. This committee also includes the thesis mentor, a faculty member specializing in the nursing discipline of their scholarly inquiry. There are generally 3 total committee members on a thesis committee.

Fellow graduate students or consultants outside of the college may attend presentations, if the process is open to the public. Otherwise, the thesis defense remains a private session, with students presenting their findings. The oral examination of the thesis takes up to one hour, but can last longer depending on how many questions the committee has for the student.

During that time, the committee evaluates the thesis based on how the research experience has shaped the student’s graduate education and the findings’ significance to the nursing field. When the exam concludes, the committee either accepts or rejects the thesis defense.

How is a Nursing Thesis Graded?

Nursing schools rely on each committee to formally grade each product in the thesis process. Some graduate nursing students may receive a letter grade, while other nursing schools adhere to a “pass” or “fail” policy.

To determine a grade, the committee assesses the thesis based on set criteria. Committee members look at the project’s key components, including the statement of purpose, literature review, research methodology, analysis, findings, and implications. The process and grading criteria for the thesis process can be found in the school’s graduate handbook. Most of these handbooks are published online for student review.

The thesis must identify significant issues or service gaps in nursing and present them in a concise and coherent fashion. Candidates must support all findings and analysis by research and explain the implications for healthcare.

The oral defense also factors into the grade. The committee grades the defense based on the quality of the student’s presentation, taking into consideration if the student spoke clearly and presented a logical and well-organized argument.

What is the Difference Between a Nursing Thesis and a Capstone?

A nursing thesis and a capstone demonstrate the student’s comprehensive knowledge and educational journey. Graduate students in a non-research track may have the choice of completing a clinical project. Doctoral of Nursing ( DNP ) students complete a capstone project.

Graduate-level nursing students work on an original scholarly inquiry during their thesis, while undergraduates recap their cumulative learning experience. The thesis process, which includes completing nursing courses and writing a proposal, takes place over the entire program.

Learn more about the difference between a thesis and capstone project on this page .

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Home > College of Nursing > Nursing Student Scholarship and Creative Works > Nursing Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nursing Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A collection of Nursing Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations.

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Racial Discrimination, Social Support and Psychological Distress among Black Pregnant Women , Camilla Carey

The Associations Among Racial Discrimination, Perceived Stress and Birth Satisfaction Among Black Women , Amanda de la Serna

A Digitally Enhanced Virtual Cognitive Behavior Skill Building Intervention to Reduce Parent Stress and Family Obesogenic Behaviors , Sharlene Smith

Mother-Father Relationship and Perceived Stress among Black Pregnant Women: A Mixed Methods Approach , Jenna Wheeler

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Nurse Managers' Patient Safety Communication , Christine Deatrick

Exploration of the Oral Microbiome in Non-Ventilated Hospitalized Patients , Kimberly Emery

Social Support and Empowerment Among Caregivers of Children with Asthma , Lauren Lebo

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Factors Associated with Resilience and Sense of Coherence in Adult Transgender Persons: Identifying Predictors to Reduce Health Disparities in a Vulnerable Population , Jake Bush

Cognitive Rehearsal, Self-efficacy, and Workplace Incivility Among Baccalaureate Nursing Students , Alina Diaz-Cruz

Survivors of Human Trafficking: Reintegration into the Community and Society , Charrita Ernewein

Remembering to Resume: Using Simulation-based Education to Teach Nursing Students to Manage Interruptions , Peggy Hill

First Impressions of the Bedside Nurse From the Patient Perspective , Sharon Imes

The Influences of Generational Membership and Practice Environment on Nurse Manager Job Satisfaction , Angela Keith

Knowledge and Attitudes of Nurse Practitioner's Assessment of Adults with Signs and Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder , Kelli Lipscomb

Ethical Decision Making Among Nurses Participating in Social Media , Melissa Lynn

Hospital Readmission After Major Abdominal/Colorectal Surgeries: A Mixed-Methods Study , Ansu Sebastian

The Effect of the Medilepsy Mobile App on Medication Adherence and Transition Readiness in Adolescents and Young Adults with Epilepsy , Michelle Tall

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Access and Utilization of Prenatal Care in Florida and its Effects on Preterm Birth , Corinne Audette

Nurse-Physician Collaboration during Bedside Rounding: What is the Impact on the Nurse? , Martha Decesere

The Relationship of Cognitive Load and Different Participant Roles on Knowledge Retention in Simulation-based Learning Among Undergraduate Nursing Students , Amanda Houston

Undergraduate Nursing Students' Depth of Reflection and Perceptions of Self-Debriefing Following Virtual Simulation: A Multi-method Descriptive Study , Valorie MacKenna

Patients with a Left Ventricular Device and Factors Affecting Readmission , Diana Pitcher

Geographic Access to Community Mental Healthcare and Adherence to Treatment Among Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders , Marie Smith-East

The Effect of Acuity-based Nurse Staffing on Nursing Medication Errors , Egidius Maria Eugene Waterval

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Persistence of Physical Activity Among Veterans , Jean Davis

Factors Influencing Nurse Practitioners' Weight Management Practices in Primary Care , Suzanne Hyer

Evaluation of Postoperative Air Leak and Chest Tube Drainage Systems after Pulmonary Resection , Kristina Jacobsen

Stress, Coping, and Quality of Life Among Parental Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Dawn Turnage

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Understanding the Perceived Experiences of Goal Setting of Mothers of Preschool Children: A Narrative Analysis , Dawn Eckhoff

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

The Influences of Mindfulness and Neuromotor Exercise Mode on Balance in Healthy Older Adults , Maxine Hicks

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

An Evaluation of Anxiety Following Substance Abuse Withdrawal and Assessment of Somatic Treatments presently Available with a Focus on Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation , Janet Hutchison

Perceived readiness to transition to adult health care for youth with cystic fibrosis and congruence with their caregivers' views , Valerie Lapp

Evaluating Moral Distress, Moral Distress Residue and Moral Courage in Oncology Nurses , Lolita Melhado

Preschool Attendance: A Parental and Teacher Perspective of Barriers and Behaviors using Grounded Theory Research , Anne Meoli

Prehabilitation (Prehab): Prevention in Motion , Billie Russell

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Impact of Interruption Frequency on Nurses' Performance, Satisfaction, and Cognition During Patient-Controlled Analgesia Use in the Simulated Setting , Kristi Campoe

Perceived Social Support and Self-care in Patients Hospitalized with Heart Failure , Lyne Chamberlain

Rapid Response Teams versus Critical Care Outreach Teams: Unplanned Escalations in Care and Associated Outcomes , Valerie Danesh

The Impact of Relational Coordination and the Nurse on Patient Outcomes , Fanya DeJesus

Family Care Giver Knowledge, Patient Illness Characteristics, and Unplanned Hospital Admissions in Older Adults with Cancer , Patricia Geddie

Helping Mothers Defend their Decision to Breastfeed , Kandis Natoli

Nurse Managers, Work Environment Factors and Workplace Bullying , Joy Parchment

A Faith-Based Primary Diabetes Prevention Intervention for At-Risk Puerto Rican Adults: A Feasibility Study , Sylvia Torres-Thomas

Pre and Post Implementation Evaluation of an Emergency Department Severe Sepsis Alert and Practice Protocol , Darleen Williams

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Factors Associated With Information Literacy Competencies Of The Traditional Baccalaureate Nursing Student , Patricia Lafferty

Mobile Phone Short Message Service (SMS) to Improve Malaria Pharmacoadherence in Zambia , Elinda Steury

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Evaluation Of A Mind-body Website By Women With Breast Cancer , Laura Beck

Nutrition Literacy And Demographic Variables As Predictors Of Adolescent Weight Status In A Florida County , Leslee D'Amato-Kubiet

Ventilator-associated Complications In The Mechanically Ventilated Veteran , Joan Grano

The Early Postpartum Experience Of Previously Infertile Mothers , Sigrid Ladores

Early And Intermediate Hospital-to-home Transition Outcomes Of Older Adults Diagnosed With Diabetes , Jacqueline Lamanna

Improving Chronic Kidney Disease Care With Group Visits , Vicki Montoya

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

An Exploratory Study Of Physiologic Responses To A Passive Exercise Intervention In Mechanically-ventilated Critically Ill Adults , Christina M. Amidei

The Self-described Experience Of Coping And Adaptation Associated With Workplace Stress Of Registered Nurses In The Acute Care Setting In Florida: An Ethnographic Study , Joyce Burr

Predictors Of Immunosuppressant Adherence In Long-term Renal Transplant Recipients , Sandra J. Galura

Stressors Experienced By Emergency Department Registered Nurses At The Bedside: A Phenomenological Study , Stephen D. Heglund

Noncardiac Chest Pain: The Use Of High Resolution Manometry As A Diagnostic Tool , Iman Hilal

Infection Control And Health Care Associated Infection (hcai) In The Nursing Home: A Study To Determine The Impact Of An Educational Video And Pamphlet About Infection Control On Knowledge And Perception Of Hand Hygiene In Certified Nurse Assistants , Kathe Hypes

Barriers To Timely Administration Of Thrombolytics In Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients , Elizabeth Joseph

Development And Evaluation Of An Instrument To Measure Mother-infant Togetherness After Childbirth , Carol Lawrence

Perceptions Influencing School Nurse Practices To Prevent Childhood Obesity , Susan Quelly

Front-line Registered Nurse Job Satisfaction And Predictors: A Meta-analysis From 1980 - 2009 , Deborah Anne Saber

Impact Of Cancer-specific Advance Care Planning On Anxiety, Decisional Conflict, And Surrogate Understanding Of Patient Treatment Preferences , Lynn Waser

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Duplicated Laboratory Tests : A Hospital Audit And Evaluation Of A Computerized Alert Intervention , Sharon Bridges

Exploring Women's Life Course Experiences With Weight Using Story Theory , Poff Allison Edmonds

Adherence Practices Of Caucasian Women With Hypertension Residing In Rural Florida An Exploratory Study , Jeanne M. Hopple

The Lived Experience Of Young-onset Dementia , Debra A. Hunt

Identifying Patients At Risk For Obstructive Sleep Apnea In Primary Health Care : Can Obesity In Combination With Other High-risk Diagnoses Be Used For Screening Purposes? , Clelia Lima

Clopidogrel Provision For Indigent Patients With St-elevation Myocardial Infarction , Sita S. Price

Comparative Retrospective Analysis Assessment Of Extracellular Volume Excess In Hypertensive Hemodialysis Patients , Amma Serwaah-Bonsu

Spirituality And Expectations Of Care Providers Of Older Patients With Chronic Illnes In North Central Florida , Myra Sherman

Factors Related To Birth Transition Success Of Late-preterm Infants , Karen L. Wright

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

The Experiences Of Health Care Providers Providing Comfort For Nursing Home Patients At The End Of Life , Herma Baker

Comparison Of Arnp And Physician Malpractice In States With And Without Controlled Substance Prescribing Authority , Deborah Chandler

A New Measure Of Parental Self-efficacy For Enacting Healthy Lifestyles In Their Children , Jonathan W. Decker

Effectiveness Of Probiotics In Preventing Antibiotic Associated Diarrhea And Clostridium Difficile In Long Term Care , Marva Edwards-Marshall

The Effect Of Combat Exercises On Cardiovascular Response: An Exploratory Study , MeLisa Gantt

The Impact Of Pre-operative Mupirocin Prophylaxis On Surgical Site Infections In Same-day Admission Open Heart Patients , Joanna Gerry

Evaluation Of A Simulation-enhanced Obstetric Clinical Experience On Learning Outcomes For Knowledge, Self-efficacy, And Transfer , Mary Elizabeth Guimond

The Incidence And Epidemiologic Factors Of Community-acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Skin And Soft Tissue I , Ivonne Johnson

The Impact Of An Interdependent Conferencing Activity In An Online Rn-bsn Practicum Clinical Conference On Psychologocial Sense Of Community , Barbara Lange

Advanced Practice Nursing In The Faith Community Setting: A Case Study , Chianta Lindsey

Prevalence Of And Risk Factors For Intraoperative Non-euglycemia Events In Premature Neonates >2500 Grams , Zulay Ritrosky

Retrospective Analysis Of Screening Patterns In Cirrhotic Patients With Heptocellular Carcinoma , Shelly-Ann Scott-Castell

A Phenomenological Description Of The Lived Experience Of Creating Art For Women With Breast Cancer , Laurie Stark

Assessing Adult Attitudes Toward End-of-life Issues And Advanced Directives After Implementing An Educational Intervention In A , Marchina Tolbert-Jones

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Cohort Study Of Pain Behaviors In The Elderly Residing In Skilled Nursing Care , Allison Burfield

Effects Of An Evidence-based Intervention On Stress And Coping Of Families Of Critically Ill Trauma Patients , Sandra Knapp

Awareness Of Increased Risk For Heart Disease And Cardiovascular Risk Factors In Women With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus , Patricia Weinstein

Consumer Perspectives Of Health During Prenatal Care In The Usa And Iceland: An Exploratory Study , Claudia Wiseman

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

A Comparison Of Computer And Traditional Face-to-face Classroom Orientation For Beginning Critical Care Nurses , Patricia Anzalone

Health-care Seeking Behaviors Of Puerto Ricans With Diabetes Mellitus Who Live In South Florida: An Exploratory Study , Laura Gonzalez

Evaluation Of The Antecedents Of Cultural Competence , Mary Harper

The Impact Of A Nurse-driven Evidence-based Discharge Planning Protocol On Organizational Efficiency And Patient Satisfaction In , Tracey King

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

Resiliency In Adolescent College Students , Nancy Ahern

The Impact Of Music On Postoperative Pain And Anxiety , Kelly Dixon Allred

Evaluation Of An Education Intervention For The Staff On The Head Of The Bed Elevation In The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit , Randall Johnson

Quality Of Life In Older Breast Cancer Survivors , Victoria Loerzel

Evaluating Neonatal Facial Pain Expression: Is There A Primal Face Of Pain? , Martin Schiavenato

Theses/Dissertations from 2003 2003

The Effect of Parent Education on Maternal Self-efficacy and Preference for Pain Control During Labor , Aubrey Willard

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150 Qualitative and Quantitative Nursing Research Topics for Students

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

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

Table of Contents

Selecting the Top Ideas for Your Essays in Healthcare & Medicine

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

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

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

50 Popular Nursing Research Topics

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

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

50 Interesting Nursing Research Topics

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

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

50 Good Nursing Research Topics

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

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

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

Keep in mind that you can always count on the help of our professional essay writers. They will come up with the good nursing research topics and even compose the whole paper for you if you want.

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Discovering Rich Nursing Dissertation Topics

The field of nursing is a vast and expansive realm, offering an array of specialties and research opportunities to be investigated. This article seeks to enlighten readers on some potential dissertation ideas that are related to the practice of nursing.

These topics have been suggested as guides for healthcare professionals, students, or nurses who want to explore various aspects of their discipline. It's essential to note that these are only starting points; there is a wealth of other possibilities available in this area! 

For those looking for insight into how they can approach researching different areas within nursing, this list provides helpful guidance on what could be looked at further. Nevertheless, not just any topic must be chosen - each one should have meaning and purpose behind it if you want your dissertation project to make an impact.

The Importance of Selecting the Right Nursing Dissertation Topic

Selecting the right nursing dissertation topic is an important step in a student's academic career. It allows them to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise in the field of nursing and provides insight into the research methods used in this discipline. 

With so many specialty areas within nursing, it can be difficult for students to choose just one focus issue for their project.

The good thing is that there are numerous possibilities when choosing a topic for your nursing dissertation – each offering exciting avenues for exploration that will allow you to gain greater insights into your chosen field while honing vital research competencies required to succeed professionally.

What Makes a Good Dissertation Topic?

A good nursing dissertation topic should showcase certain essential qualities: relevance, significance, originality, feasibility, interest and passion for the subject matter, and contribution to the field.

• The topic must be current in terms of trends and research gaps.
• It should have practical implications on patient care or healthcare outcomes.
• An innovative approach to the area is crucial.
• Resources available must be taken into account when considering feasibility.
• A personal connection with what you are researching is essential for dedication throughout your project.
• New knowledge or evidence that may fill existing literature gaps can genuinely make an impactful contribution to advancing the discipline of nursing.
• Ethical considerations such as informed consent must also be upheld at all times during research conduct.

Now let us look at the vital nursing research areas and some of the best topics you can select from.

Environmental Health Dissertation Topics

• How can rural primary care be improved during natural disasters?
• Rare diseases: Impact of fundraising campaigns on public awareness
• Poor hygiene standards and public health: Focus on food poisoning
• Addressing environmental hazards through community nursing in disadvantaged areas
• Coping mechanisms for mental illness among refugees in armed conflicts
• Climate change and environmental health: Protecting vulnerable populations
• Exploring strategies for preventing environmental food poisoning
• Workloads' impact on nurses' health: What are the effects?
• Streamlining grant allocation for community infrastructure improvement
• Urban healthcare technology: Remote treatments for chronic illnesses
• Government policies for tuberculosis prevention: preventing major epidemics

COVID-19 Nursing Dissertation Topics

• What are the mental health needs of patients with long-term COVID-19 symptoms?
• Nurses' workflows and duties changed during the pandemic for providing care
• Virtual care use for mental health patient counseling following COVID-19
• Factors influencing adherence rates among newly diagnosed COVID-19 patients
• How can existing mental health services adapt to evolving patient needs?
• Public perceptions of risk and protective behaviors during the pandemic
• Disparities in access to mental health services following COVID-19 restrictions
• Different models for delivering palliative care during high demand
• Impact of increased emotional distress on frontline healthcare workers
• New methods for using technology to educate lay people about mental health issues

Mental Health Dissertation Topics

• How do nurses manage post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients?
• Nurses' perceptions of ethics when caring for mental illnesses patients
• Addressing mental disorders: effective psychiatric treatment interventions
• Supporting family members: nurses' approaches to severe depression
• Promoting patient compliance: nurses and long-term psychiatric treatments
• Burnout syndrome among hospital staff: factors in managing mental illness
• Reducing suicidal behaviors: effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Enhancing communication skills: nurses interacting with Schizophrenia
• Collaboration methods: primary care providers and psychiatrists
• Analyzing mental health services in rural contexts
• Coping with postpartum depression: best practices for mothers

Critical Care Nursing Dissertation Topics

• How effective are simulation exercises in educating Critical Care Nurses?
• What interventions address chronic and acute pain among critically ill patients?
• How nurse staffing levels shape outcomes in critically ill patients
• How do Critical Care Nurses effectively manage complex patient cases?
• How do Critical Care Nurses offer vital support to families in crisis?
• Evidence-based nursing practices for life-threatening illnesses are essential

Occupational Health and Safety Nursing Dissertation Topics

• Occupational health nurses: preventive measures for safe work
• Comprehensive risk assessments: practical guidelines in workplaces
• Workplace safety standards: national and international regulations
• Successful technological solutions in nursing occupational settings
• Ethical issues in healthcare: conflicting stakeholder interests
• Occupational health concerns: work pressure in clinical settings

Child Health Nursing Dissertation Topics

• Nursing theory's impact on pediatric care: what's the connection?
• Improving rural child healthcare: strategies for accessible quality care
• Enhancing rural child healthcare: strategies for quality access
• Community nursing practice: is there impact on child mortality rates?
• Nutrition programs and children's health: examining the impact
• Stressful life events: effects on mental health and birth outcomes
• Technology in pediatric diagnosis: advancing early-onset detection
• Parental involvement in pediatrics: impact on patient outcomes
• Community nursing practice: influences on child mortality rates
• Home visiting programs for high-risk families: evaluating effectiveness

Community Nursing Dissertation Topics

• How can community nursing support elderly patients in their homes?
• Best practices for clinical management models in community nursing
• How can psychiatric mental health be improved in community nursing?
• The impact of technology on community nursing and patient care
• How do health organizations approach preventive measures in community nursing?

Nursing Practices and Clinical Management Dissertation Topics

• Nursing and the clergy: effective coping strategies in collaboration
• Social care models in long-term care: evaluating effectiveness
• Do hospital staff adhere to hygiene and infection control guidelines?
• Gender bias in women's healthcare: impact on quality of care
• Patient education in pediatric hospitals: impact on knowledge retention
• Accessibility challenges for low-income families in rural primary care
• Nursing practice in resource-poor settings: impact on developing countries
• Nurses and medical technologies: implementing innovation in practice
• Holistic nursing for elderly cancer patients: benefits and outcomes
• Pain management strategies in hospitals: addressing acute and chronic pain

Health Organizations' Dissertation Topics

• How effective are nuclear waste disposal strategies in mitigating risk?
• Analyzing the efficacy of critical care courses across different regions
• What challenges do nurses face in adult intensive care units?
• Investigating the impact of environmental hazards on public health outcomes
• Can local sanitation practices reduce infectious diseases in communities?
• Understanding the role of community-based nursing resources in developed nations
• Assessing availability and accessibility of medical supplies in rural versus urban settings
• How effective are critical care courses offered in different regions?
• Examining the effectiveness of nuclear waste disposal strategies in risk mitigation
• What is the impact of environmental hazards on public health?

Palliative Care Nursing Dissertation Topics

• How does patient education impact quality of life in palliative care?
• The impact of patient education on quality of life in palliative care
• What are the outcomes of family interventions in palliative care?
• Family interventions and their outcomes in palliative care
• Do interdisciplinary teams effectively manage pain symptoms in advanced cancer?
• The effectiveness of interdisciplinary teams in managing pain symptoms
• How can evidence-based practice strategies benefit nurses in palliative care?
• The utilization and benefits of evidence-based practice in palliative care
• Cultural competency issues when caring for individuals in palliative treatment
• Cultural competency issues in healthcare professionals caring for palliative patients

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) In Nursing Dissertation Topics

• How do nurses incorporate evidence into clinical practice effectively?
• Understanding nurses' incorporation of evidence into clinical practice
• Can education impact nurses' intention to use evidence-based practices?
• Examining factors influencing patient compliance with nursing interventions
• What factors influence patient compliance with nursing interventions?
• The impact of education on nurses' intention to use evidence-based practices
• Attitudes toward evidence-based practices among healthcare professionals
• Different approaches to the implementation of evidence-based practice
• What are healthcare professionals' attitudes toward evidence-based practices?
• Approaches to effective implementation strategies for evidence-based practice

Nursing Theory and Models Dissertation Topics

• How does Florence Nightingale's environmental adaptation theory apply to modern healthcare?
• What is the impact of social networks on patient outcomes in medical settings?
• How do nurse-to-patient ratios and staff turnover rates affect clinical practices?
• What factors influence patient well-being and access to healthcare services?
• The role of technology, specifically telemedicine applications, in healthcare delivery
• The importance of adherence to evidence-based guidelines in nursing care
• Implementation strategies for evidence-based protocols in healthcare settings
• Investigating approaches to promoting self-care and resilience among nurses and patients

Public Health Dissertation Topics

• How do changes in environmental regulation impact public health outcomes?
• The impact of policy reforms on public health outcomes
• The implications of physical activity on body weight status among adults
• Factors associated with rising rates of obesity among children and adolescents?
• Factors contributing to the rise in obesity among children and adolescents
• The relationship between income disparity and infant mortality rates across countries
• Comparing evidence-based interventions for veterans with PTSD
• The role of economic inequality in infant mortality rates
• Associations between physical activity levels and body weight status among adults
• Which mental health treatments are most effective for veterans with PTSD?

Holistic Nursing Dissertation Topics

• Holistic nursing practices in conventional healthcare settings
• What are the benefits of aromatherapy and its impact on patient outcomes?
• How effective is yoga as an intervention for disease prevention?
• What is the role of massage therapy in pain management and reduction?
• Is acupuncture a useful primary treatment option in healthcare?
• The impact of meditation in stress management programs for nurses
• Comparing alternative medicine therapies in mental health care delivery
• The impact of Reiki on physical well-being for patients with chronic illnesses
• Herbal remedies used in palliative care and end-of-life support services
• The importance of nutritional counseling in overall quality care

Nursing Education Dissertation Topics

• How can community nurses empower vulnerable populations through education?
• Strategies to improve healthcare professionals' training in public hospitals
• What strategies enhance knowledge acquisition in marginalized communities?
• Investigating student learning needs during clinical placements
• Improving training practices among professionals in public hospitals
• The impact of reflective practice on clinical decision making
• How does technology impact the delivery of nursing education?
• Comparative analysis of healthcare system reform approaches in different countries
• Exploring how technology impacts nursing education delivery
• What challenges do nursing students face during clinical placements?

Midwifery Nursing Dissertation Topics

• What is the role of mental health counseling during pregnancy?
• How does depression in expectant mothers impact fetal development?
• Can private healthcare providers effectively provide antenatal care?
• What are the barriers to accessing maternity services for low-income families?
• How community midwives support at-risk pregnant women in pregnancy
• Enhancing communication between primary care physicians and community midwives

Geriatric Nursing Dissertation Topics

• How do nursing practices impact mental health issues among elderly patients?
• What are the health risks associated with delirium among older adults?
• What barriers do frail elderly people face when accessing healthcare services?
• How can quality indicators be assessed for gerontological care programs?
• Postoperative pain management strategies among elderly surgical patients
• What are the risk factors contributing to social isolation in old age?
• Pain management in elderly surgical patients to improve recovery
• End-of-life care preferences of solitary senior citizens
• Innovative interventions for enhancing cognitive functioning in older adults
• Fall prevention protocols for seniors living at home
• Comparing nutritional needs of vulnerable elders across countries

Maternal Health Nursing Dissertation Topics

• How does evidence-based nursing practice enhance maternal and child health?
• Factors impacting access to quality care for mothers in rural areas
• How does trauma during pregnancy or delivery affect postpartum depression?
• Cultural influences on parental decision-making in childbirth practices
• Optimizing mental health patients care for mothers with postpartum depression
• Barriers when treating maternal illnesses in low-income populations
• Investigating connections between environmental factors and mental health problems
• Social policy's impact on infant mortality due to poor nutrition and hygiene
• Innovative strategies by nurses for high-risk pregnancy and birth care
• Trends in nurse training for safer labor and delivery processes
• Cost-effective telemedicine for remote monitoring of mother-child bonding after birth

Nursing Ethics and Law Dissertation Topics

• How does mental illness intersect with healthcare and law?
• Current practices in developing evidence-based nursing theories
• How do critical care courses impact nurses' perception of professionalism?
• The effect of community nursing services on quality improvement
• Consequences for nurse practitioners in urban settings regarding environmental health
• The influence of recent changes in nursing legislation on ethical decision-making
• Enhancing clinical governance strategies within hospitals through innovation.
• Healthcare workers' moral development and its impact on patient behavior
• Prevalence and causes of medication errors among hospital staff for improved safety
• Adherence to legal regulations when treating pediatric clients with special needs

How You Can Choose a Dissertation Topic

Exploring nursing dissertation topics starts with identifying your own interests and strengths. Countries that are more developed offer a wide range of research options in different specialties. Nurse practitioners may focus on health promotion or primary care delivery, while clinical nurses can explore pain management or end-of-life care.

Additionally, you can assess how these concepts apply to developing countries' unique needs. Educators might study curriculum development or new teaching techniques for varying settings too. 

Note: Before deciding on the topic, perform an extensive literature review to ensure relevance and feasibility; this will give insight into what's already been done in the field about it. Asking experts questions could also help refine hypotheses before writing up a proposal for approval from a university panel or other governing body. 

How To Write a Nursing Dissertation Proposal

Now that you have a dissertation topic, it is time to write your nursing dissertation proposal.

If you do not know how, read on.

Step One of Crafting a Nursing Dissertation Proposal

Take a deep dive into potential topics for your nursing dissertation by exploring specialties like adult health care, pediatric medicine, geriatric care, and mental health. 

Compare treatments between developed and developing countries.

Probe innovative patient management techniques or investigate strategies used to introduce new technologies in healthcare settings.

Step Two of Crafting a Nursing Dissertation Proposal

The next step involves writing the proposal itself. Creating an effective proposal requires careful attention to detail. To start, it's essential to provide a thorough background on the topic and any related research performed in the past.

Include clear methodology details regarding data collection and analysis, along with projected timelines for each project phase. 

Thirdly, crafting concise yet comprehensive content is critical for giving your proposal structure and providing guidance throughout its duration.

The Last Step of Crafting a Nursing Dissertation Proposal

In order to create a successful nursing dissertation proposal, it's important to adhere to established conventions while crafting something unique and original.

To ensure this is achieved: establish a structure for the document; use precise language that avoids jargon; make sure arguments are based on evidence from reliable sources; include references as necessary; and check details when proofreading/editing prior to submission.

Finally, ethical and safety considerations must be considered throughout the investigation process to guarantee participant safety at all stages of research.

Should You Select a Qualitative or Quantitative Research Approach for Your Nursing Dissertation?

Choosing between a qualitative or quantitative research approach for nursing dissertation depends on several factors.

When deciding which to use, you must consider the following:

• The nature of your research question and objectives.
• The type of data needed.
• The sample size and feasibility of recruiting participants.
• The context and setting of the study.
• Available resources like time, funding and expertise.

For questions exploring experiences, perceptions or meanings related to a phenomenon - opt for qualitative methods such as interviews or observations. On the other hand, if you’re aiming to measure variables or test hypotheses - go with quantitative approaches that involve numerical data from surveys or experiments.

It is vital to note that qualitative studies usually require more time while quantitative ones may need statistical software for analysis but may also be done on larger samples sizes enabling better generalizability in results.

In short: decide based not just on topic but also availability and technical proficiency required.

Get Reliable Help With Nursing Dissertation From Us

As a nurse researcher, selecting the right research topic can be difficult. You must explore your specialty and consider up-to-date issues in developed and developing countries' healthcare systems.

The good thing is that we can use various resources and techniques, such as journals, books on nursing practice, and dissertations from former students, to help you stay informed about global health trends and come up with proper research.

At My Custom Essays , we specialize in providing expertly tailored documents – assisting you with generating ideas for potential questions or hypotheses while taking into consideration existing knowledge related to chosen areas of inquiry.

Buy dissertation chapters online or get in touch today to learn more!

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250+ Nursing  Dissertations Topics and Ideas

Table of Contents

A nursing dissertation is a crucial step toward academic success. It helps in contributing valuable insights to the healthcare field. However, selecting the right topic for your nursing dissertation is challenging and daunting for almost every student.

In this blog, we will delve into 450+ nursing dissertation topics . The topics include mental health dissertations, critical care nursing dissertation topics for college and high school nursing students, and many more. They will help resonate with your interests and contribute to the broader healthcare discourse.

An Overview of Nursing Dissertation Topics

A dissertation allows you to present your findings in response to a question or topic that they choose for themselves. So, it is a matter of in-depth research and time. In the case of a nursing dissertation, students get less time to research nursing dissertation slants, which leads to an unsuccessful dissertation. There is a huge importance in choosing the right nursing dissertation topic.

Let’s have a look at the importance of choosing the right nursing dissertation topics in nursing:

A dissertation showcases your research prowess in the nursing profession. It reflects your expertise, interests, and commitment to advancing healthcare practices. A well-chosen topic helps you make meaningful contributions to the nursing field. Here is the reason why choosing the right research paper topics is important:

• Enhance Personal Interest :

Select a topic that resonates with your interest and passion throughout the research process. If you genuinely like a topic, you will be interested in researching it in depth.

• A Contribution to the Field

A well-chosen dissertation topic has the potential to advance nursing knowledge and practice significantly. It develops knowledge about health and the promotion of health over the full lifespan, Care of persons with health problems and disabilities, and nursing actions to enhance the ability of individuals to respond effectively to actual or potential health problems. When you understand the gap, you can research more based on theoretical knowledge. A dissertation is the practical knowledge of a nursing career.

• Innovative Opportunities:

Exploring novel research questions, methodologies, and interventions can contribute to the development of innovative practices and solutions within the healthcare industry. Working on dissertations can also provide knowledge of innovation and creativity.

• The Impact on Patient Care:

Nursing is related to the quality of patient care. While working on nursing dissertation topics, you will be able to address real-world challenges. Nursing is more of a contribution to evidence-based practice to enhance the delivery of patient-centered care.

• Reflection on Your Career Goals:

Dissertation topics are mostly related to specialization. So, choosing the right topic that aligns with your career goals reflects your expertise. You will be able to develop a deeper understanding of concepts and emerging trends that align with your chosen field of study.

Know more about it from this dissertation writing guide . 

How to Choose a Nursing Dissertation Topic?

A dissertation is a crucial step in the nursing journey. It provides hands-on experience while researching it. So, selecting the right topic for your dissertation is important. There are a few factors to consider when choosing a topic:

• Focus on your interest.
• Choose a topic that is relevant to your career goals.
• The topic which is relevant to your field of study
• Sufficient literature and reviews available related to the topic 
• Try to contribute knowledge to the nursing industry through the dissertation.

Empower Your Research with Our Intriguing Nursing Dissertation Topics

Scour through our remarkable archive of nursing dissertation topics for inspiration, or select your own effectively. Ranging from healthcare policy analysis to patient care methodologies, our interesting and excellent topics cover diverse aspects of nursing research to ignite your academic curiosity and drive.

Check This Nursing Dissertation Example

A List of Nursing Dissertation Topics and Ideas 

Technology in Nursing

• Artificial intelligence in decision-making and resource allocation in healthcare management
• Implementation of blockchain in the healthcare industry
• The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) in the Healthcare industry
• The Impact of Breastfeeding on Infant and Maternal well being
•  How nurses are securing health care management by utilizing tools
• The usage of surgical tools through 3D printing technologies in pediatric nursing
• Medical imaging analysis in community nursing services
• The Effect of evidence-based recommendations on the healthcare industry
• The contribution of 3D printing in personalized nursing solutions
• Write an in-depth research paper on technological intervention systems.

Current Nursing Topics

• How technological intervention is promoting the well-being and mental illness of a patient
• The importance of medical records in community nursing practice
•  Evaluation of the impact of clinical records during COVID-19
•  Research on the difference between healthcare data analytics and healthcare informatics
• The extended picture of green human resources management
• The impact of leadership management of nurses in rural and sub-city areas
• The training of nurses in the primary health care service delivery
• A case study on acute and chronic pain management
• The effects of workplace stress on nurse
• How to take care of nurse well-being and performance?
• The effect of psychotropic medications on chronic pain management

Management in Nursing

•  How nurses are handling chronic pain management
• The treatment and interventions required to manage chronic pain
• An interpersonal model of pain management of pregnant women
• Is there any link between chronic pain and music therapy? Justify it
• Research paper on different dementia patients in the USA
• The role of nurses in decision-making with dementia patients
• The impact of various stakeholders -patients, providers, and organizations
• Research on the return of community nursing in the modern era
• Description of the importance of spiritual awareness with adult nurses

Mental Health & Nursing

• Why extra care is needed for adult patients who are suffering from traumatic factors
• Identify the stress level of nurses in traumatic care.
• Do nurses also face traumas?
• Research on the different nursing models and their implementations
• The cultural competencies that USA nurses are facing
• The Impact of evidence-based practice in nursing patients suffering from AIDS
• The effect of nurse and patient communication on the patient’s mind
• The connection between technology and nursing
• The result of technology-based practices and patient satisfaction
• An in-detail comparison of different public health policies

Pregnancy Care and Nursing

• The emerging situation of labor pain
• How to take care of the diet of a pregnant woman?
• Why pregnant women’s mental health is important, and how to take care of their mental health during pregnancy?
• The impact of staffing practice of adult nurses in the USA
• The challenges of clergy mental health
• Bureaucracy, poor administrative support, and difficult work conditions- how nurses are supporting them through health care?
• Research paper on preventive Care and its popularity
• Visitors’ permission in the critical care unit- justify your opinion.
• Nurses’ critical judgment on the cardiac attack of patients in the USA
• Post-traumatic patient treatment with effective treatment strategy

Adult Care Nursing

• The best strategies for adult patients in the critical care unit
• Research on the management of older patient management difficulties
• The role of community nurses in the USA
• Suicide among farmers is getting common- why
• Write a dissertation on the services provided by US nurses for cancer patients.
• How nurses control their stress level in the emergency room
• The analysis of healthcare risk for a better future
• Patients with dementia- Role of the nurses working in dementia unit

Nursing and the Various Roles

• The effect of taking medication at the proper time every day- nurses’ role in it
• Professional Behaviour in the Critical Care Unit
• Does music therapy really work for drug abuse?
•  Is it possible to balance work-life in nursing?
• How do nurses care caring patients in relieving pain?
•  How can you evaluate diversity in health care?
• Role of nurses in patient care education
• Nurses role on cerebrovascular accidents that harm adult brain cells
• Community nursing practice in the USA for older patients
• Holistic nursing process to increase clinical reasoning

Pediatric Nursing Dissertation Paper Topics

• The oral health of children and a nurses’ contribution to it
• How can nurses take care of those children suffering from gum pain?
• Research on STEM cell solutions for pediatric nursing
• What is the emotional stage of those nurses while they are in critical situations in their personal lives?
• Strategies to maintain a good emotional stage in nurses
• Proper treatment of skincare for newborn babies
• How to maintain hygiene for newborn babies
• The role of nurses while patients are suffering from pregnancy-induced hypertension
• Research on the role of nurses in case of malnutrition in older adults

Good Nursing Topics

• How should nurses treat Alzheimer’s patients?
• Is there any gap between male and female healthcare professionals?
• Research on ADHD management strategies
• Thesis paper on mirror therapy post-surgery
• The evaluation of chemical and non-chemical pain treatment for post-surgery patients
• Research on the pain management strategies in cancer patients
• Nursing role in ER management
• Why skill development like leadership is required in nursing?
•  Effective Remote Care in the Future of Nursing
• Is it possible to be a physician after doing nursing?
• How nurses can work on enhancing staff relations in healthcare
• Sleep Disorder in the Life Cycle of Nurses
•  Immediate decision-making for a sudden accidental injury

Nursing Dissertation Topics to Get Started

• Pain Management and Its Clinical Practice
• Spirituality and religion in pain and the major aspects of pain management into it
• The detailed analysis of burn pain management and the routines with its protocols
• The strategies of nurses in management
• Understanding the issues and risks in the clinical management of patients with prostate cancer
• What is the contribution of clinical management and psychosocial treatment of drug dependence in prison settings?
• The Importance of Alzheimer’s Patients’ Palliative Care
• Focus on the aspects that are lacking for occupational health concerns in developing countries’ hospitals.
• The role of environmental health nurses in breast cancer screening in the USA
• Write an essay on the health risks of health workers.

Community Nursing Dissertation Topics

• Nurses involvement in community nursing with the challenges and culturally sensitive approaches
• The role of community health nursing in caring for refugees and immigrants
• The contribution of community health nursing to global health initiatives
• Effective strategies for addressing the health needs of LGBTQ+ communities
• The impact of community nursing in caring for individuals with disabilities.
• Nurses and health promotion in case of healthy workplace, burnout, stress
• The significance of community health nursing in community-based interventions for occupational health.
• What is the impact of community-based interventions on environmental health outcomes?
• Explain the role of community nursing in addressing global health disparities.
• How community nursing is controlling infectious diseases in low-income communities
• In-depth analysis of the project of addressing the global health needs of vulnerable populations
• Effective nursing strategies for community nursing in community-based interventions for elder Care

Nursing Dissertation Topics Critical Care

• Examine the impact of nurse-led practices on accidental cases.
• Research on the significance of timing and decision-making in critical Care unit
• A literary overview of the last five years’ critical nursing analysis
• The role of nurses working in a critical care unit for an individual older than 60 years
• How should a nurse handle the situation of child patient death?
• Research on different pain assessment tools for critically ill patients
• Male vs. female Patient care in ICU
• Do pain management strategies work for heart patients?
• Research on the nursing strategies for preventing ventilator-associated incidents in the intensive care unit
• Explain the challenges and difficulties nurses face in critical care.

COVID-19 Medicine and Nursing Research Topics

• Proper assessment of the impact of covid 19 on pediatric patients and identifying the roles of pediatric nursing education for mental support of those children
• Nurses and medical staff worked as ‘angles’ and ‘heroes’- A critical investigation on it.
• Scars of COVID-19- An In-depth Analysis of Nursing Practices
• What was the contribution of nurses during the time of COVID-19?
• Nurses play a significant role in hospitals. How did they balance their personal life?
• Australian nurses under investigation are appealing for an end to violence, sanitizer theft, and mask theft-why?
• An essay on USA elderly homes and the coronavirus
• Explore and evaluate emergency Coronavirus recommendations for nurses and medical staff globally.
• Nurses and medical experts help parents and children overcome their mental health issues during a COVID crisis- How?
• An Investigation of USA healthcare professionals’ experiences of working during coronavirus
• The psychological approach of child inpatients suffering from COVID-19
• Exploring the ethical dilemmas faced by healthcare professionals during COVID-19: Establishing policies for best practice.

Evidence-Based Practice Nursing Dissertation Topics

• The leadership roles of nurses in an emergency department
• Evidence-based guidelines in emergency pregnant women
• Nursing leadership in providing medical services in the intensive care unit
• Emergency decision-making on utilizing oxygen for palliative Care: nasal cannula vs. masks
• Prepare research papers on how to treat drunk patients
• The proper nursing practice on heart failure discharge and readmission rates
• The effectiveness of stress reduction for those patients who are suffering from mental health problems
• Nursing practice on aromatherapy to manage agitation in patients with dementia patients
• Nurses’ contribution to the reconciliation of medication errors and adverse drug events
• What are the obstacles to Evidence-based practice for New Nurses?
• The effectiveness of music therapy to manage pain in post-operative patients
• Step-by-step guide on SNAP participation linked to dietary patients

Elderly Patients Nursing Dissertation Topics

• The effectiveness of nurses for elderly patients
•  How to analyse patient outcomes in this fast-paced environment?
• What is the mental health condition of senior citizens staying in old age homes?
• Developing effective nursing strategies for geriatric healthcare decision-making
• The effectiveness of social Interaction on the cognitive Function of Older Adults
• Depression in senior citizens was the most common mental health problem in almost all developing countries- why?
•  What is the mental health service provision for nurses who are working in senior patients’ intensive care units?
• Researching the causes of older patients’ non-adherence to their treatment regimens
• Essay on the educational programs that affect the health of older individuals’ family carers
• Depression, substance abuse, dementia, anxiety, frequent mental distress, and suicide- how mental health nurses are working on it?
• Research paper on mental health counseling on the senior citizens in the USA who stay alone
• Essay on the examination of the incidence and treatment of delirium in elderly hospital patients

Children’s Health Nursing Dissertation Topics

•  Understanding of social cognitive theory and the promotion of health-related behaviors among child
• The significance of taking Care of the mental health of a child
• Let them fly through tech support- A in-depth research analysis for the special child
• Diagnosis and Medication for those special children having mental health problems
• How should the world treat especially disabled children?
• A nurse’s guidance to a new mother on how to take Care of an infant
• What is separation anxiety? How is it affecting a child’s mental health?
• Heavy breathing, shaking, and high level of heart rate- explain panic disorders in your own words
• Children’s Mental Disorders
• Why is basic nursing education required while taking Care of a child?
• Exploring the application of health promotion and palliative care in children.
• How are mental health nurses contributing to child health nursing?

Nursing Dissertation Topics for College

• The impact of antibiotics on childhood
• Pollution and its effects on children
• The ethical consideration of nursing practice
• How to maintain authenticity and integrity in nursing practices
• How should a nurse treat patients suffering from mental illness?
• What is pain management and its impact?
• Factors affecting nurses in taking Care of public health
• Vaccination and its importance
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion in nursing- explain,
• Challenges of public health nursing education
• What are the occupational health concerns? explain in detail
• The power of nurses in managing palliative and end-of-life care in the ICU

Nursing Dissertation Topics for High School Students

• What are the basic considerations of being a nurse?
• How would to like to work on promoting mental health?
• Important nursing aspects to keep in mind while working for public health
• The Future of Nursing
•  Eligibility criteria to consider to be a hard-working nurse
• What is pediatric nursing?
• If you get a nursing job, how would you like to treat mental health patients?
• Essay on Child Health Nursing and its impact on rural areas
• Why mental health counselling is required for depressed individuals?

50+ Nursing Dissertation Topic Ideas for Smooth Writing

• How to provide a quality of life to mother and newborn
• A logical explanation of how dopamine levels relate to autism
• Developing the leadership potential in nurses- Involve in skill development.
• The role of nurses in post-traumatic stress disorder prevention
• The contribution of nurses who are supporting young starts for their positive mental health
• The difficulties nurses in the USA encounter when working with female sexual abuse victims
•  How to care for mental health patients softly and gently?
• Which are the programs to teach nurses about combating the coronavirus pandemic
• How do nursing staff handle mental illness? What is their state of mind to handle them?
• Private and national healthcare systems in the USA
• Challenges nurses are facing in dementia care
• Overview of critical care nursing practices
• A comparative study of community nursing and health care needs in addressing health disparities.
• Why patient satisfaction is needed for the nursing journey?
• The value of patient safety in the medical industry
•  How nurses and hospital staff maintain the quality of life
• Critical access hospital legislation and its impact on developed and developing countries
• The value of nurses in the USA for intensive Care
• Describe the roles of nurses for a heart failure patient in the primary healthcare setting.
• Nurses’ long-term support for the blind young stars
•  Why do older adults need extra care?
• The future of the health care industry
• How do health workers balance their personal lives through working 24*7?
• Government nursing training for pediatric patients
• The challenges nurses are facing due to wrong diagnoses of pediatric patients
• Describe the barriers to doctor and nurse communication in the mental health unit.
• Nephrotic syndrome in children – how nurses treat such matters?
• Hemodialysis and children- pediatric nurses’ role
• Research on the education of pediatric nurses in managing the pain of those children receiving chemotherapy
• Chemotherapy of a child and his mental state- how to take care of it?
• The duty of nursing staff to understand the mothers of those children released from the neonatal incubation phase
• Child health nursing care of children post-surgery
• Trauma care unit in the emergency department
•  The knowledge of pediatric nursing care for post-operative nursing care for kids
• An analysis of child health nursing facing Issues with intestinal blockage
• Examine the mental effects of those children facing neurological problems.
• A critical examination of the strategies and protocols that nursing staff are following in the burn unit
• Why teamwork is required in the emergency department?
• Research on the roles of nurses in reducing childhood obesity
• The different perspective of managing older patients and young stars – the contribution of nursing staff
• The role of supply chain management in the emergency rooms in hospitals
• How nurses, doctors, and medical staff died to provide care to the patients
• Is the quality of staff important while a heavy patient load is there in the emergency unit?
• How will nurses take care of a patient who is suffering from unexplained fever?
• The need to reduce emergency department usage for primary Care
• Pain management methods in the pediatric department
• Is it true that overcrowding the emergency department affects heart patients? Justify
• Smell loss happened in Covid-19. Does the same thing happen with normal fever? justify
• Healthcare Service Providers contribution during COVID-19
• The major role of midwife in the current healthcare system
• The impact of empathy in critical care nursing
• Write on the ethical considerations of nursing practice.
• Communication between nurse and patient in the surgical unit
• Why patient satisfaction is required after every surgery?
• How should a nurse communicate with the family members of the patient who’s dead?
• A study of different approaches to the different perceptions of birth control
• The roles of midwives in maternal Care after delivery
•  How nurses can promote sexual and reproductive health for women in the USA
•  Write different perspectives on registered nurses’ education, experience, and job satisfaction.
• How is evidence-based nursing going to affect our Future?
• Nurses roles in the evaluation while giving painkillers to patients
• What are the misconceptions nurses have about evidence-based practice?
• Write the concept of the commitment to patient advocacy in nursing.
• How should nurses handle cultural sensitivity and awareness?
• The competencies of nurses and medical staff in different emergencies
• How do nurses handle the complaints from adult patients?

Conclusion,

Selecting the right nursing dissertation topic is a crucial step toward academic and professional development. Choose a topic according to your interest, available resources, and field of study so that you can showcase your passion for nursing. Nursing contributes to the advancement of healthcare practices. With the right guidance and support from Myassignmenmthelp.com , you will definitely be able to achieve a good score.

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Outstanding PhD Dissertations and DNP Project Awards

AACN created this awards program to recognize and showcase outstanding dissertations and DNP projects completed by students in research- and practice-focused doctoral programs. Many doctoral students are advancing ground-breaking research and practice innovations that are worthy of national recognition and could serve as exemplars for other students to emulate.

Two awards will be presented each year, with one award presented in each of the following categories:

Excellence in Advancing Nursing Science Award for an outstanding dissertation from a student in a PhD in nursing (or DNS program). A dissertation is an original research project that focuses on advancing nursing science and developing new evidence with the potential to guide nursing practice. To apply, please fill out the online application .

Download PhD Nomination Information

Excellence in Advancing Nursing Practice Award for an outstanding final project from a student in a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. A DNP project demonstrates high-level mastery of an area of advanced nursing practice and focuses on the translation of evidence into practice. To apply, please fill out the online application .

Download DNP Nomination Information

Nominations for these awards are due June 7, 2024.

Selection of Award Winners

A selection committee will review all complete nominations received and select award finalists. This committee reserves the right to decide not to recommend an award in any given year. Award finalists must be approved by the AACN Board of Directors.

Submission Process

Excellence in Advancing Nursing Science Award

Call for applications for this award is now open. To apply, please fill out the online application . The deadline is May 15, 2024.

Excellence in Advancing Nursing Practice Award

Award Presentation & Promotion

• The doctoral student/graduate receiving an award must attend AACN’s Doctoral Education Conference . The conference registration fee for the winners will be waived.
• The award will be presented by the AACN Chair at the start of conference.
• Award winners will present their abstracts on the second day of the Doctoral Education Conference.
• The award includes a “symbol” of appreciation and a $1,000 check. Winners will be announced via AACN publications and on its Website.

Past Award Recipients

2023 winners.

Background and Significance: Up to a million or more Americans live while traveling full-time in recreational vehicles (RVs). Many health policies are based on assumptions of stationary residency. Little study has been devoted to the healthcare experiences of Americans who are geographically mobile.

Purpose/Objective(s) and/or Specific Aims: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of RV-dwelling full-time American nomads when seeking healthcare in the U.S. and to identify barriers and facilitators of access to care. Levesque’s Conceptual Model of Access to Healthcare was used to generate questions for the interview guide. The principal investigator lived in an RV and traveled to a variety of campgrounds in several states to post recruitment  flyers.

Methods: The exploratory, qualitative design was informed by interpretive description. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was conducted with a phronetic iterative approach using Atlas.ti software.

Results/Findings: Participants included American adults who lived for more than six months of the year in an RV while traveling to different regions of the U.S. Participants were located in a variety of campgrounds in several states including Oregon, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. Twenty-five RV-dwelling nomads participated in semi-structured interviews. Three overarching themes described the experiences of RVers: overwhelming logistics, don’t need healthcare, and orchestrating a web of care. Some of the barriers identified included difficulty vetting healthcare resources in unfamiliar locations, caregivers’ lack of understanding of the nomadic lifestyle, limited resources in rural areas, and rules limiting care and payment for care by state. Some of the facilitators identified included caregiver collaboration, telehealth, national chains with shared records, information and support from other RVers, and self-advocacy.

Conclusion(s): RV-dwelling nomads are an understudied population that face complexity and barriers to healthcare access related to seeking care in unfamiliar locations, misunderstandings about their lifestyle, and policies that prevent the portability of healthcare across state lines.

Background and Problem Statement: Adolescent mental health disorders are a growing public health issue globally. Though symptoms of mental health disorders were worsening before COVID-19, the pandemic exacerbated this crisis. Because adolescents spend most of their time in school, interventions focusing on mental health education and skill-building, reducing stigma, and increasing helping-seeking behaviors should be prioritized here. In a suburban Arizona school district, high school social workers and counselors are seeing increased social and emotional referrals and are looking for solutions. In 2021, the state of Arizona passed SB1376, mandating mental health education in public schools.

Purpose/Objective(s): This project aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of tMHFA (teen Mental Health First Aid) on high school students’ mental health literacy (MHL), mental health first-aid skills, and stigma perception. The project also qualitatively evaluated students’ opinions of tMHFA education and instruction. The implementation design included a phase two expansion and program sustainability by stakeholders within the existing district curriculum.

Procedures: Partnering with a large urban school district’s social work department, a teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) pilot program was developed. Using the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice (IMEBP) as a guide, the organizational priorities of teen mental health provided the trigger specific to this pilot project implementation. This model is fitting for working with a large public school organization and promoted expansion in the sustainability plan. tMHFA is a classroom-based mental health literacy and skill-building program for students aged 15-18 to promote mental health literacy, help-seeking behaviors, and attempts to reduce stigma while teaching adolescents to help a peer or friend through a mental health crisis. A "train the trainer" program was developed with key stakeholders (school district social workers) and the initial pilot project included eleventh-grade students who received three 90-minute classroom workshop sessions. The district chose one high school within the system for the pilot and provided class instruction time for the intervention. Parental consent and student assent were required to participate. tMHFA was delivered in three 90-minute classes on non-consecutive days. The initial pilot group included a class of nine (n = 9) adolescent students aged 17-18 years old. Using the Mental Health Literacy questionnaire (MHLq), a pre and post-test design was used to evaluate the program quantitatively and qualitatively. Descriptive statistics, two-tailed paired samples t-test, Shapiro-Wilk, and qualitative data were collected by student participants and project stakeholders.

Outcomes: Using the Mental Health Literacy questionnaire (MHLq), a pre and post-test design revealed a significant increase in the students’ mental health literacy, help-seeking behaviors, and decreased stigma (p<0.05). Students reported overall positive experiences based on a subjective question at the end of the survey. One student wrote, “I think all students should get a class like this.”  Project stakeholders will continue the tMHFA using project trained staff who are school district employed social workers to offer the program to all eleventh grade students in the project school. The district plans to expand the program to three additional schools in the next academic school year.  The tMHFA is now integrated into the district curriculum.

Conclusion(s): This pilot project using tMHFA significantly improved mental health literacy, mental health first-aid, and stigma perception. Students enjoyed and valued the programming, which is crucial when providing education to teenagers. The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice provided implementation support to engage stakeholders, start the project with a small pilot, and develop a plan for expansion district-wide. After the original nine-student pilot, the district expanded to all junior-level students in one high school (800 students). It is now planning to deliver tMHFA to 2400 junior-level students in three of its high schools.

Background and Problem Statement: Unanticipated and adverse events are inevitable in healthcare. Second victim phenomenon (SVP), which happens when a clinician experiences personal or professional negative effects after a clinical event, can impact the psychological and physical health of the clinician and compromise subsequent care. One in five UTMB Department of Anesthesiology clinicians surveyed reported experiencing an emotionally distressing clinical event in the preceding 30 days. An alarming 88% knew of a colleague emotionally affected by a work event; only 20% felt these individuals had been adequately supported. Prior to the DNP project, no formal process was in place to facilitate peer support.

Purpose/Objective(s): This project served to implement evidence-informed strategies for emotional peer support and foster clinician resilience within the department of anesthesiology. A needs assessment survey indicated that over 90% of clinicians would likely look to a trusted colleague for support after an emotionally challenging clinical event. The project aim was that at least five UTMB Health Anesthesiology clinicians would participate in the emotional peer support process each week between September 26 – December 19, 2022.

Procedures: A diverse group of peer-nominated clinicians, led by the DNP project coordinator, completed specialized training to learn formal peer support. The pilot team, forU Peer Support, comprised all levels of anesthesia professionals, including physicians, APRNs, and residents. Trained peer supporters (TPS) collected de-identified information from interactions, including the precipitating event, provider type, and satisfaction. Encounter forms included an area for open-ended feedback for ideas to help improve the process, such as adding a badge-buddy with additional identification and tips. The department webmaster and project lead collaborated to add a Peer Support Resource hub to the intranet. Resources, including SVP awareness, coping strategies, emotional first-aid tips, a team roster, and professional mental health services contacts, were made available for 24-7 access. The project was promoted via multiple channels including grand rounds, email communications, and the use of branded badges and brochures. The proactive process included a standardized outreach email from forU to any provider involved with an internal morbidity and mortality (M&M) report. Data were collected and analyzed using a multi-pronged approach via surveys, training evaluations, website analytics, and encounter forms. The project coordinator followed encounter forms and monitored participation using a run chart which included the frequency of encounters and intranet resource access. The continuous quality improvement process utilized a rapid cycle Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) approach to determine whether changes and additional interventions were necessary to achieve the project aim.

Outcomes: Fifteen percent of anesthesia providers at UTMB Health completed the formal training and continue to serve as support champions. Over three months, supporters recorded 33 encounters, with an average satisfaction rate of 4.76/5 stars. The intranet site, intended to destigmatize mental health resources and normalize SVP, was accessed over 100 times with high ratings. Before implementation, only 21% of clinicians agreed that adequate and timely emotional peer support resources were available, and post-implementation agreement increased to 77%. Many incidents warranting support were related to patient care and adverse events, but some were related to individual issues, such as work-life balance and workplace bullying. Survey results showed that awareness of the term second victim (advocated as the primary intervention in mitigating its negative effects) doubled. The project continues to have a strong team champion presence, with 25 clinicians being trained and identifiable by branded badges in the clinical setting.

Conclusion(s): This DNP-driven project was a leap forward in safeguarding clinician well-being and efforts have shown to be impactful and meaningful to clinicians. The project was collaborative and inclusive and used translational methods to improve outcomes for the healthcare team and enhance patient safety. While the incidence of challenging clinical events remain constant, the forU program models strategies to encourage substantial improvements in levels of perceived support. A thriving workforce is a necessary prerequisite to advancing patient safety and care, and the forU program helps ensure a culture of care that puts workforce well-being as a high priority.

2022 Winners

Background and Significance: Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) are associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity, intensive care admission, hospital length of stay, and resource utilization. PPCs are attributable to both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors associated with characteristics of patients, surgery, and anesthesia. Although many PPC risks are not modifiable, intraoperative ventilation parameters can be adjusted to reduce risk. Lung protective ventilation (LPV) has been adapted for intraoperative use to protect pulmonary parenchyma against ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Questions remain regarding “how”, “when”, and for “whom” LPV can be used to minimize VILI leading to PPCs.

Purpose/Objective(s) and/or Specific Aims: The overarching goal of the dissertation was to identify personalized care strategies that optimize ventilation parameters in order to reduce PPCs for adult patients undergoing a non-cardiothoracic non-obstetric surgery with general anesthesia and mechanical ventilation. The specific aims were to identify: (Aim 1) phenotypes based on preoperative patient and surgical nonmodifiable risk factors to understand the risk of PPC; and (Aim 2) optimal intraoperative ventilator parameters associated with the most desirable outcome for each phenotype.

Methods: A retrospective cohort observational study leveraging electronic health records (EHRs) was conducted. The study included 34,910 adult surgical patients (≥ 18 years of age) who underwent general anesthesia with mechanical ventilation for non-cardiothoracic non-obstetric procedures between 1/1/2018 and 8/31/2019 at a health system in the Southeast of the United States. The PPC outcome in this study was composed of two properties: PPC diagnosis and postoperative respiratory status (PRS) severity. The International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision diagnosis codes (e.g., acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia) were used to identify patients who developed PPCs. PRS severity was rated by the level of postoperative requirement for supplemental oxygen and ventilatory support.

For Aim 1, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was first employed to select variables. Then, the classification and regression tree (CART) was conducted for PPC diagnosis and PRS severity to identify phenotypes. For Aim 2, the stratified logistic regression of PPC diagnosis and multinomial logistic regressions of PRS severity with stepwise selection and forced inclusion of tidal volume (VT) and positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) were performed within each phenotype. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was computed to identify the optimal values of VT and PEEP.

Results/Findings: CART identified 14 subgroups for PPC diagnosis (Phenotype 0 though 6) and PRS severity (Phenotype A thought G). The optimal PEEP and VT values ranged from 4 to 12 cmH2O and from 5.98 to 9.39 ml/kg predicted body weight across phenotypes, respectively. The parameters for Phenotype 0, which associated with the lowest PPC incidence (3.9%), 6.25 ml/kg and 5 cmH2O. Phenotype 5 had the highest likelihood of developing PPCs (71.4%), and their optimal parameters were 7.35 ml/kg and 5 cmH2O. Phenotypes A and C had the highest likelihood of having the most severe PRS level; the optimal parameters for Phenotype A were identified as 7.44 ml/kg and 6 cmH2O, and those for Phenotype C were 7.73 ml/kg and 6 cmH2O. In contrast, Phenotype E was associated with the lowest likelihood (3.3%) of having the most severe PRS, and the optimal parameters were 5.98 ml/kg and PEEP of 8 cmH2O.

Conclusion(s): This dissertation was the first to use CART to classify phenotypic subgroups based on risks for PPCs and classified the adult surgical patients into 14 phenotypes based on non-modifiable preoperative risks. The intraoperative mechanical ventilator parameters should be adjusted based on a patient phenotype to optimize the postoperative outcomes. This dissertation (a) offered a foundation for individualized care to optimize patients’ outcomes, and (b) identified several directions for future research to advance our understanding of care individualization aimed at reducing incidence of PPCs and alleviating PRS severity.

Background and Problem Statement: Patients older than age 65 seeking UCSF Health Emergency Department (ED) services represent 32-34% of total visits, contrasting the 20% national average. Published return to care data in this population (recidivism) at 30 days accounts for 6-28% of visits. Addressing medication management challenges, in real-time, can impact self-efficacy and recidivism during ED medication reconciliation thus improving the patient experience. Contributing to the challenge was 50% of older adults reporting medication non-adherence. As part of the institutional motivation California state law SB1254 required hospitals to complete medication reconciliation for all high-risk patients at any point in the continuum of care. The emergency department, as portal of entry to the health system, was a logical starting point. Published patient awareness of their plan of care, after discharge, across 4 domains varies from 24-64%.

Purpose/Objective(s):  The aim of the project was to determine the impact of a structured medication reconciliation workflow on older adult medication self-efficacy as the primary outcome. As secondary outcomes, recidivism, and awareness of plan of care in the Emergency Department were also examined during data collection for a concordant period. As part of an evidenced-based study there is value in collecting qualitative data regarding interprofessional stakeholder experience. Post study lessons-learned was an opportunity for professional participants to share their insights.

Procedures:  Following a pilot of the Medication Management Deficiencies in the Elderly (MedMalDE) a modified version was utilized during medication reconciliation. This was a convenience sample of 21 older adult patients assessed over four contiguous weeks in an academic 35-bed emergency department (ED) with 10 additional observation beds. Concurrently the Self-Efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use (SEAMS) confidence survey instrument was used as the outcome instrument applied prior to medication history or reconciliation in coordination with the pharmacy technicians. Additionally, 164 patients were assessed with only the MedMalDE over the same period without self-efficacy measurement due to a variety of factors. All patients were age 65 or older and primarily responsible for their medication management in this pre- and post- design. Primary language was not a barrier with video translation services at the bedside. Reconciliation interventions occurred at the index ED visit and the SEAMS was repeated via telephone at seven to fourteen days following their return to home whether discharged from the ED or post-hospitalization. A secondary outcome measure included a survey of 56 patient’s awareness of ED plan of care collected concurrently and during a pre-intervention period for comparison. Aggregate 30-day recidivism for study patients was another secondary outcome. It was assessed at 39 days prior to, during, and after the pre/post intervention to match the SEAMS four-week data collection and 7–14-day follow-up periods.  Descriptive, Wilcoxon Signed Rank, and Mann-Whitney U Tests were used for statistical analysis where appropriate.

Outcomes: Descriptive statistics revealed patient demographics were similar for intervention and aggregate ED patients. Mean SEAMS scores were significantly improved following MedMalDE guided interventions using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test (Z=-2.6989, p=.0077). 30-day ED recidivism for intervention patients was 9.5% versus aggregate patients at 12.3% but not significantly different using Mann Whitney U. The qualitative data from 7-14-day SEAMS follow-up highlight the continued gaps in health system support for the post-discharge experience. The thematic qualitative findings from interviewing the Department of Pharmacy professionals highlighted their satisfaction with improvement study, insights into common medication self-management challenges, and value of caregiver participation.

Conclusion(s): A structured medication reconciliation for older adult ED patients can be incorporated in standard pharmacy workflows, identify common medication challenges addressed in real time, and improve self-efficacy. The qualitative findings collected during the post SEAMS telephone follow-up revealed the lack of uniformity of post-discharge problem-solving with patients and caregivers despite existing professional discharge support. Health systems need to adopt best practices to mitigate health care return to care by addressing gaps in the plan of care communication, assessment of functional, access, and knowledge deficits in medication management, and ensure patient discharge transitions are better supported.

2021 Winners

Raymond Romano, III, PhD University of Tennessee Health Science Center Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease in the Primary Care Setting Program Director - Carolyn Graff

Purpose/Objective(s) and/or Specific Aims: The overall aims of this program of research were to understand factors contributing to AD diagnosis variability in primary care practice settings and to find ways to improve early AD diagnosis by primary care providers. Four projects were undertaken to meet the aims and each resulted in a published manuscript.

Methods: Four studies were undertaken to achieve the aims. The first study reported the results of an integrated review estimating the prevalence of missed diagnosis in primary care when compared to trained raters’ diagnoses. The findings call to attention the difficulty primary care providers face to detect and diagnose AD at all levels of the healthcare system.

In order to understand the pain experience in those with worsening cognition, the second study was a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional age- and sex-matched two group cohort study and found that the experience of pain differs between males and females as a measure of cognition worsened suggesting a possible role of pain as a tool to distinguish those at risk for AD.

This finding led to the third study, which was a narrative review conducted to describe how alterations in senses have been associated with the diagnosis of AD. The results suggested differences in smell, taste, vision, hearing, and proprioception were associated with different levels of the AD continuum but points out an obvious gap in the literature concerning other senses. This led to the fourth study examining evidence that the e4 allele of Apolipoprotein E modifies the experience of pain in those individuals carrying the allele such that greater temperatures are required to elicit pain and the experience of that pain is more unpleasant.

Results/Findings: The first published manuscript, an integrative review, highlights the complexity of barriers that exist at each level of the health care system contributing to limit diagnoses of AD by PCPs. One study suggested that the complexity of the patients’ presenting problems makes it difficult to diagnose AD. The results of the second study demonstrate that the experience of pain, a common comorbidity seen in AD, differs between males and females as a measure of cognition worsens suggesting pain may be a useful marker of AD. The third study, a narrative review demonstrates differences in senses have been associated with the different diagnostic categories of AD.The fourth study found individuals at increased risk of AD experience pain based on their APOE4 status at a greater temperature and found that pain was more unpleasant when compared to those without the increased risk of AD.

Conclusion(s): The search to identify non invasive preclinical markers of AD would allow for earlier interventions and the potential use of disease modifying medications once approved in the primary care setting. Older adults and their loved ones often seek care from their primary care providers with initial concerns for memory. However, primary care providers’ diagnostic accuracy is poor and it takes about 17 years for research to catch up to in clinical practice (“2020 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures” 2020). The evidence of this research suggests pain as a possible early marker of AD.

Bridget A. Chandler, DNP University of Washington Case Study: Seattle Public Schools' (SPS) 2019-20 Immunization Campaign to Protect Health and Prevent School Exclusion Program Director - Tatiana Sadak

Purpose/Objective(s):

• Develop and disseminate a nurse survey on use frequency and effectiveness of campaign tools, capture nurse expert opinion, and glean insight for improvements.
• Characterize nurse ratings of tools and strategies, summarize observations of campaign and risk factors for non-adherence, and summarize insights for improvement.
• Create a demographic and immunization database for two years following state vaccine law implementation.
• Analyze student data, using descriptive statistics and tests for differences.
• Characterize differences in non-adherence compared to all students and describe traits that may predispose students to non-adherence.
• Recommend improvements to protect health and prevent school exclusion.
• Disseminate findings to support vaccination efforts.

Procedures: The Knowledge To Action and Phenomenological frameworks guided evaluation of the SPS 2019-20 immunization campaign. Since this campaign was conducted primarily by school nurses as end-users, their voices are needed to improve ongoing immunization efforts. The Phenomenological framework guided the search for nurses’ meaning about the campaign. Project objectives were met through the following process:

• Problem Identification: Impetus was SPS’ desire to evaluate the immunization compliance campaign, seek nurses’ wisdom, analyze non-adherent cohorts for inequity-driven barriers, inform future SPS improvements, and share findings with the broader community.
• Reviewed literature and studied 17 articles and RCTs
• Catalogued tools and strategies used in the SPS campaign
• Created Excel database of de-identified SPS demographic and Washington State Immunization Information System (WAIIS) immunization data for all non-adherent students
• Sought guidance and expert opinion from local, state, and national vaccine experts
• Surveyed SPS nurses about tool use/effectiveness and observed risk factors for non-adherence. Open narrative option captured anything nurses wished to convey. 
• Analyzed and characterized qualitative nurse survey data with REDCap
• District-wide data were compared with non-adherent student data before and after 2019 laws.
• Data: gender, grade, ethnicity, primary/home language, birth country, English language learner, disability, advanced learner, Running Start, foster, homeless, immigrant, equity tier, and adherence for DTaP, Tdap, Polio, HepB, MMR, and Varicella.
• Created and disseminated communication tools collaboratively with SPS

Outcomes: School Nurse Survey (60% response rate): Most frequent strategies: nurse outreach (families, students, providers). Most effective strategies: Head Start collaboration, conversations with families, Instructional Assistant outreach. Risk factors for non-adherence: family beliefs, low/high incomes, non-English home language, person of color, immigrant, homeless, distrusting health care. Non-adherence often result of barriers to access.

Student Data: Non-adherence decreased across time for all groups. Traits significant for non-adherence: Grade Level, immigrant, English Language Learner, Homeless, Ethnicity, Primary/home language, Equity Tier. Hispanic, African American/Black, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students not coming into adherence as quickly as White, Asian, Multiracial, and Alaska Native/Native American peers.

Conclusion(s): Practice inquiry shows nurses employed evidence-based practices to reach 97% immunization adherence. A variety of tools were used in a strategy of tailored outreach with increased intensity to prevent school exclusion. Nurse perceptions of risk factors for non-adherence were supported by data. Nurses express concern that enforcing laws requiring adherence to remain in school may have damaged relationships with students and families. Data support that many non-adherent students come from communities with historic and current experiences justifying distrust in health care systems. Non-adherence may be more a result of barriers to access than negative beliefs about vaccines.

2020 Winners

Jewel Scott, PhD, MSN Duke University Social Contributors to the Cardiovascular Health of Young Adult Black Females Program Director - Sharron Docherty

Background and Significance: Black females experience disparate rates of hypertension and earlier decline in cardiovascular health (CVH) than other females in the U.S. Most research on CVH in Black women has focused on deficit models of middle and older adults’ CVH behaviors as compared to women from other racial/ethnic groups. This approach has significantly limited our understanding of lifelong social exposures on Black women’s CVH. Importantly, few studies have examined how early life stress and social adversity contribute to premature decline in CVH, strengths that buffer against them, or within-group variations in exposures and outcomes to contextualize Black women’s CVH to mitigate disparities.

Purpose/Objective(s) and/or Specific Aims: The purpose of this dissertation was to fill a critical gap in Black women’s CVH research and refocus the field on earlier mitigation and strengths-based approaches. The aims were to: (1) examine the contribution of social contexts including adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and racism, to the CVH of young adult Black women: and (2) determine the extent to which positive social determinants (e.g. spirituality, maternal relationship) in adolescence and young adulthood may promote CVH.

Methods: This study was a descriptive, secondary analysis of data from Black females who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). A population representative sample of adolescents were enrolled in 1994 and followed prospectively with periodic, in-person data collection, and cardiovascular data was obtained in 2006 when the cohort were ages 24-32. The outcome for the first analysis was hypertension status and the outcome for the 2nd and 3rd analyses was ideal CVH, a summed score created by the American Heart Association consisting of self-reported health behaviors (e.g., smoking, diet) and objectively measured cardiovascular-associated biomarkers (e.g., glucose, cholesterol) that correlate with cardiovascular outcomes (e.g. myocardial infarction). All analyses were conducted using sampling weights to account for the complex survey design.

Analysis 1 was conducted with the publicly available data and used multivariable logistic regression to determine whether self-reported social adversities (social isolation, discrimination, perceived stress, subjective social status, child abuse) and sleep characteristics (delayed sleep onset, frequent awakening, short sleep, long sleep, and snoring) increased risk for hypertension. Analysis 2 used latent class analysis to examine patterns of social adversities (listed above plus food insecurity, housing insecurity, witnessing violence, victimization) on ideal CVH overall and for subgroups. Analyses 3 used principal components analysis to develop positive SDOH subscale scores (maternal relationship, spirituality) during adolescence and young adulthood. Multivariable regression was used to examine the influence of positive SDOH during adolescence and young adulthood, severity of ACEs, and their interactions on ideal CVH at young adulthood.

Results/Findings: In the first analysis (N=608), discrimination and frequent awakening were associated with higher odds of hypertension. The second analysis (N=1318) revealed three latent classes: low stress, high violence, and high stress. Although subclasses did not predict overall CVH, Black women who experienced high stress had a higher probability of being physically active and normotensive, while those with low stress had a higher probability of meeting dietary goals. The final analysis (N =1203) determined that greater spirituality in adolescence or young adulthood may promote CVH, but its influence diminished after accounting for factors such as mental health. The interaction of ACEs and spirituality showed that greater spirituality in adolescence or young adulthood buffered CVH regardless of ACEs level. Maternal relationship did not significantly predict CVH, but the interaction of ACEs and maternal relationship in young adulthood showed that ACEs scores were associated with worse CVH when the maternal relationship was stronger.

Conclusion: This study may be the first to explore CVH using a strengths-based approach and data from a within-group, population-representative sample of young adult Black women. Findings suggest that there are critical differences in how social contributors influence health, and, while many social constructs analyzed had little influence on health, they may not accurately reflect the underlying construct for different subpopulations. Importantly, there likely are other social factors that affect the health of Black women that are not well-captured in existing scientific research (e.g., frequency/type of microaggressions, racial identity, social connections) and require further research to advance CVH equity.

Team Award (Names listed below) Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Battlefield Acupuncture in the Management of Non-Traumatic Low Back Pain in Service Members Program Director - Heather Johnson

Background and Problem Statement: Low back pain (LBP) among US active-duty service members (ADSMs) is a leading cause of permanent disability in the Army (Rhon & Fritz, 2015). The extraordinary pace of work, deployment cycles combined with heavy equipment operations, airborne maneuvers, and extensive physical demands increase the likelihood that ADSMs will incur lower back pain and injury (Roy, Fish, Lopez, & Piva, 2014; Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center [AFHSC], 2010). The high prevalence of LBP in ADSMs places significant burden on the overall strength and capability of the force. Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA), a form of auricular acupuncture, is a safe, effective, non-pharmacologic treatment for LBP and aligns with Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA)/Department of Defense (DoD) Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) recommendations. However, recent literature reveals numerous provider reported barriers such as lack of knowledge and training which pointedly limits the use of effective BFA treatments.

Purpose/Objective: The purpose of this DNP Team project was to increase provider knowledge of VA/DoD guidelines for the BFA treatment of LBP, and to mitigate perceived barriers to offering BFA in the primary care setting. The main objective of this project was to increase BFA intervention rates and explore patient self-reports of treatment effectiveness, as well as examine numbers of pain medication prescriptions, and duty-limiting profiles (activity restrictions) that impact individual Soldier readiness.

Procedures: A team of five Doctor of Nursing Practice family nurse practitioner students conducted an evidence-based practice project to increase use of BFA with ADSMs presenting with LBP at two large Army installations in North Carolina and in Texas. Using Rosswurm and Larrabee’s Model for Evidence-Based Practice Change (1999) as the organizing framework, a multifaceted program of BFA in the treatment of non-traumatic LBP was presented to primary care providers. Providers received a 30-minute in-service to review the 2017 VA/DoD LBP CPG, followed by a knowledge questionnaire related to BFA utilization perceived barriers related to use with LBP in the clinic. A retrospective record review was conducted for a three month timeframe to analyze rates of BFA being offered and administered, central nervous system (CNS) depressant medication prescriptions, and activity limiting temporary and permanent LBP profiles using ICD-10 diagnosis code M54.5 (low back pain). The DNP Team designed, operationalized and evaluated two supervised BFA walk-in clinics for 8 full weeks. Patient demographic data, and pre and post pain ratings using the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS) were collected on all patients who accessed the walk-in BFA clinic.

Outcomes: Nearly all providers were trained and certified in BFA in two walk-in clinics, resulting in 231 patient encounters. At Ft Bragg, BFA treatments increased 212% with 82% of patients reporting immediate pain relief (2.1 reduction on 10-point scale). Patients were 93% less likely to obtain a new profile, 44% less likely to have a pre-existing profile, and 46% less likely to be prescribed a CNS depressant. Patients at Fort Hood saw 1.9 point decrease in pain with 43% reporting relief. They were also 30% less likely to obtain a new profile and 52% less likely to have a pre-existing profile.

Conclusion: The pervasiveness of LBP among ADSMs imposes substantial burden on military readiness. DNP Team project data suggests BFA is an effective, safe treatment for LBP. Increasing rates of BFA as a non-pharmacologic integrative therapy for LBP may improve soldier readiness in the form of decreased pain, fewer CNS depressant medication prescriptions, and fewer activity limiting profiles.

Background and Problem Statement: Mechanical ventilation (MV) is commonly used to support breathing and pulmonary gas exchange in critically ill patients who experience respiratory failure. More than 1/3 of intensive care unit (ICU) patients in the United States require MV (CDC, 2018). Aging patients with multiple comorbidities and hospital-acquired complications are at high risk of requiring prolonged MV. Prolonged MV puts patients at risk for MV associated complications such as barotrauma, diaphragmatic muscle atrophy, pneumonia, decreased cardiac output, and muscle weakness, and can increase the ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS), as well as mortality (CDC, 2018; Devlin et al, 2006; Wang et al, 2013). Paired spontaneous awakening trial (SAT) and spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) can significantly reduce the duration of MV and ICU LOS (Marelich et al., 2000; Roh et al., 2012; Dankers et al., 2013). Studies show that a nurse-driven SAT and SBT can have a positive impact on ventilator-associated outcomes.

Purpose/Objective: The purpose of this evidence-based (EBP) quality improvement project was to decrease the duration MV by implementing a registered nurse (RN) and respiratory therapist (RT) driven SAT and SBT protocol with intubated adults in a general ICU. Prior to the project, providers (MDs) used no standardized protocol to evaluate patient readiness for liberation from MV.

Procedures: This project was implemented in a16-bed medical-surgical ICU in a community hospital in a medium sized midwestern city. All stable adults (except cardiac surgery patients) undergoing MV were screened daily for participation. A patient safety screen was used to determine whether the SAT and SBT could be initiated by the RN and RT. Additional safety criteria were used by the RN and RT to determine whether the SAT or SBT should be stopped due to patient intolerance.

Duration of MV (hours), ICU LOS (hours), and number of 24-hour failed extubations (24hrFE) were measured to compare outcomes before implementation to post implementation. Measures of staff self-reported confidence in performing the SAT and SBT, and evidence of staff protocol adherence, from the electronic health record, were also recorded.

Evaluation goals were established prior to implementation. A goal of 15 % improvement was set for both duration of MV and ICU LOS. For 24hrFE the goal was no increase in 24hrFE. This outcome was included to determine if any reduction in duration of MV was associated with an increased need for re-intubation. The goal for staff self-reported confidence in protocol implementation was set as an improvement on a 1 – 5 scale. The goal for staff adherence with daily performance of the SAT and SBT protocol was set at 50 %. Implementation of the project began July 1, 2019 and was completed November 1, 2019.

Outcomes: Duration of MV decreased by 27 hours (38.6%) (Wilcoxon Rank-Sum Test, p=0.000802). ICU LOS decreased by 32 hours (27.9%) (Wilcoxon Rank-Sum Test, p=0.01248). 24-hour failed extubations decreased from 4 to 2 (Fischer’s Exact test, p=0.419). Pre- and post-survey of staff confidence utilizing the protocol yielded a 20% increase in confidence. Staff adherance with SAT and SBT protocol, measured using EMR data, revealed initial RN and RT adherance was 49% but increased to 90 % at the end of the project. Provider adherence to writing protocol orders increased from 70 % to 90 %. All project goals were met.

Conclusion: This project demonstrated the feasibility and positive impacts of implementing an RN and RT-driven MV liberation protocol in a community hospital ICU. Patient outcomes associated with MV were improved. Incidental findings support additional impact of this project. Sedation scores on the Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale rose from -3 (moderately sedated) to -2 (lightly sedated) and hospital LOS decreased from 243 hours to 204 hours (1.65 days). Successfully improving patient outcomes and increasing staff confidence in use of the protocol also supports RN and RT autonomy, thereby advancing the impact of their professional contributions.

2019 Winners

Marliese Nist, PhD, RNC The Ohio State University Inflammatory Mediators of Stress Exposure and Neurodevelopment in Very Preterm Infants Program Director - Rita Pickler

Background and Significance: Preterm infants experience chronic stress exposure during their extended hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit as a result of the medical procedures and nursing care required for their survival. The Neonatal Stress Embedding (NSE) Model theorizes that chronic stress exposure affects multiple biological systems in preterm infants, including functioning of the immune system, autonomic nervous system, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and causes changes in gene expression that result in abnormal brain development and neurodevelopmental impairments. Specifically, the NSE Model posits that chronic stress exposure causes systemic inflammation that damages the immature brain. Purpose/Objective(s) and/or Specific Aims: The specific aims were to (1) determine the relationships among stress exposure, inflammation, and neurodevelopment in very preterm infants and determine the mediated effect of inflammation on the relationship between stress exposure and neurodevelopment, (2) describe cytokine trajectories in the weeks following birth and determine the effect of stress exposure on these trajectories, and (3) examine the relationship between chronic stress responses and stress exposure in preterm infants. Methods: This was a non-experimental, repeated measures study of very preterm infants born between 28-31 weeks post-menstrual age (PMA). Infants were enrolled from four neonatal intensive care units in a large Midwest metropolitan area. The Institutional Review Board approved the study, and mothers of eligible infants provided written informed consent prior to the initiation of any study procedures. Cumulative stress exposure was measured using the Neonatal Infant Stressor Scale (NISS) over the first 14 days of life. The NISS provides a count of acute (e.g. intubation, lab draw) and chronic (e.g. mechanical ventilation, sepsis) stressors that is weighted by stressor intensity. Data to complete the NISS were retroactively extracted from the electronic health record. Blood was collected weekly with a clinically-indicated lab draw until 35 weeks PMA to measure inflammation. Inflammation was operationalized as a panel of cytokines and chemokines, quantified by multiplex assay. Average levels of individual cytokines/chemokines and average composite z-scores that included all detectable cytokines/chemokines were used. Neurodevelopment was assessed at 35 weeks PMA using the cluster scores for motor development and vigor (MDV) and alertness/orientation (AO) from the Neurobehavioral Assessment of the Preterm Infant. Hair for the measurement of hair cortisol concentration was collected by shaving at the nape of the infant’s neck at 35 weeks PMA. Multiple linear regression models, conditional process analysis, and linear mixed models were used to analyze the data. Statistical models included interactions with PMA at birth and infant sex and controlled for overall illness acuity. Results/Findings: Seventy-three infants were enrolled in the study. We quantified plasma interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), IL-8, and IL-1 receptor antagonist (RA) but were unable to measure IL-1β, IL-4, IL-10, and IL-17 in the majority of plasma samples. Although stress exposure did not significantly predict neurodevelopment, some measures of inflammation predicted MDV and AO. TNF-α and IL-1RA were associated with MDV scores. Composite scores of inflammation (i.e. average composite z-scores) were associated with MDV and AO scores. There were significant interactions with PMA and infant sex. In the mediation models, only IL-1RA mediated the effect of stress exposure on neurodevelopment. Linear mixed models revealed significant trends in postnatal cytokines/chemokines that were not affected by stress exposure. Cumulative NISS scores, a measures of stress exposure, did not correlate with hair cortisol concentrations, a measure of chronic stress responses. Conclusion: While we could not confirm a relationship between stress exposure and neurodevelopment, inflammation may be an important predictor of short-term neurodevelopment. IL-1RA is an important cytokine for studies of preterm infant neurodevelopment. Moreover, composite z-scores may be a better measure of inflammation than individual cytokines/chemokines. Inflammation can be damaging to the immature brain and is a potential mechanism through which early life stress affects long-term outcomes. Stress does not appear to affect cytokine/chemokine trajectories. Cytokine/chemokine levels, most of which decrease over time, may be developmentally regulated or the result of resolving inflammation following preterm birth.

Background and Problem Statement: The prevalence of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are increasing in the pediatric population (Alberti et al., 2004). In addition to milestones that accompany normal growth and development, children diagnosed with diabetes incur an additional set of challenges, physiologically as well as psychologically. Among youth with diabetes, death is more likely to occur due to an acute complication, such as DKA or hypoglycemia (Saydah et al., 2012). According to a report generated from Epic, the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) electronic health record, from November 2014 to November 2015 there were 195 hospital encounters including the ICD-10 code for DKA (this includes ER visits and hospital admissions), 141 of which resulted in hospital admissions. Of these 195 encounters, approximately 40% were repeat admissions (University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2019). Purpose/Objective: The purpose of this scholarly project was to determine the effect of the telehealth RPM system initiative on HbA1c and diabetes-related ER visits and hospital admissions in the pediatric diabetes population at UMMC. The goal of the RPM program was to reduce HbA1c levels, to prevent unnecessary hospital encounters, and to allow the provider to make insulin adjustments between visits, as the pediatric population requires frequent insulin adjustments during periods of growth. Procedures: UMMC Center for Telehealth, in collaboration with Children’s of Mississippi, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, began to enroll pediatric patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes into an RPM (remote patient monitoring) program in November of 2015. Patients receive a blue-tooth glucose meter and an iPad, and blood glucoses are transmitted via cellular service in real-time to the telehealth center, where nurses are monitoring the patients. The setting for the implementation of RPM was outpatient, UMMC, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology. Participants were patients aged 0-18 years with type 1 or 2 diabetes. Outcome data for participants was collected via retrospective chart review, for the 12 months prior to enrollment, and up to 12 months following enrollment. Outcome data collected included: HbA1c levels and diabetes related ER visits and hospital visits. Using SPSS, version 25, descriptive statistics were calculated and the paired t-test was conducted (using a level of significance of ≤ 0.05) to determine whether there was statistical evidence that the mean difference between standard care versus RPM for the outcomes of HbA1c, ER visits, and hospital admissions was significantly significant. Outcomes: Hemoglobin A1c levels decreased from baseline for patients enrolled for up to 3 months (p=0.146), 9 months (p=0.142), and 12 months (p=0.007), and increased for those enrolled for up to 6 months (p=0.743). Emergency room visits decreased for those enrolled for up to 3 months (p=0.037), 6 months (p=0.388), and 9 months (0.054); however an increase was noted for patients enrolled for up to 12 months (p=0.822). Finally, for hospital admissions, a decrease was found in those enrolled for up to 3 months (p=0.138), 6 months (p=0.005), 9 months (p=0.021), and 12 months (p=0.819). Conclusion: Consistent with the findings of other meta-analyses focusing on the use of outpatient telehealth, this study’s intervention also resulted in a more substantial decrease in HbA1c than with standard care alone. This may be due to the fact that there was increased contact with the telehealth RPM staff. Additionally, patients in this study received goal-specific education modules via the iPad, which may have also attributed to an overall increase in compliance with diabetes self-management. The ability of the healthcare provider to make insulin adjustments as necessary between visits likely contributed to a decrease in HbA1c levels as well.

2018 Winners

Marik Moen, PhD, RN University of Maryland Baltimore, MD Social Stability as a Consistent Measure of Social Context in a Low-Income Population PhD Program director - Dr. Mary Johantgen

Background and Significance: While researchers are modeling the social contexts in which people are living in studying health and disease, these social determinants of health (SDH) are often conceptualized and measured very differently. Both of these applications of SDH require reliable and valid measures. The construct of Social Stability (SS) developed by German and colleagues (2009) had several advantages: 1) more than one SS domain is necessary to create stability; 2) the inter-connectedness of domains; and 3) the importance of using a defined period of time in measurement. The six domains include: housing, residential/moving, income, employment, legal, and relationship stability over 12 months.

Purpose/Objective(s) and/or Specific Aims: The overall aim of this dissertation was to develop evidence for the use of SS in research and clinical practice. To examine reliability and validity, German’s SS measure was examined in a new population. In addition to overall stability, the prevalence and covariates of individual indicators were explored. Lastly, the relationship of SS to syndemic (co-occurring, interacting) risk behaviors (sexual, substance use, violence) was examined.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted from a population (n=503) of heterosexuals at high-risk for HIV infection from the 2013 Baltimore site of National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Study. Data collection occurred via respondent driven sampling (RDS) where study seeds give coupons to potentially eligible participants and refer recruits to study site. This “weighted snowball” approach facilitates recruitment of often hidden populations. The final sample was predominantly African American, half male, with a median age of 37. The SS measure is a self-reported assessment of the six domains over the past year. Outcome variables include sexual risk, violence exposure, and alcohol and drug use variables. Sexual risk indicators include sexually transmitted infection (STI) or HIV diagnosis, multiple partners (2 or more sexual partners in the past year), concurrent partners (having sex with 2 or more partners during same time period), and exchange sex (receiving or giving drugs, money other goods for sex). Violence variables include experiencing threat by weapon, being in physical fight, experiencing physical violence from a partner, or forced sexual encounters. Both SS domain indicators and outcomes were analyzed for individual prevalence and in combination. A syndemic outcome was the co-occurrence of 2 or more of the risk indicators. Descriptive and latent class analyses (LCA) were used to characterize the prevalence and patterns of SS and risk behaviors and to identify SS subgroups. Logistic and latent class regression was applied to model the relationships of SS to risk behaviors and demographic covariates.

Results/Findings: Co-occurrence of SS indicators was common, with an average of 3.4 (SD=1.2) out of 6 indicators of stability. LCA showed evidence for 3 sub-classes: Class 1: overall high stability; Class 2: residential instability (moved in past year); and Class 3: low stability (income, employment instability). Perception or history of stability did not contribute to any improvement in identifying latent classes. Education was an influential covariate in LCA. Those with high school education/GED were nine times more likely to be in “high” vs. “low” SS class (OR=9.37; 95%CI: 2.75-31.82). The most common syndemic risk behaviors were sex-violence-drug, occurring in 18% of the sample. Ordinal and latent measurements of SS reliably predicted individual and combinations of sexual-substance use and violence risks. The latent approach showed higher odds of co-occurring risk for low vs. high SS class (OR= 6.25; 95%CI=2.46, 15.96) compared to using categories for low vs. high SS (OR=2.69; 95%CI=1.29, 5.59).

Conclusion: German’s measure of social stability captures inter-related social conditions across populations and identifies distinct subgroups of in/stability. Each domain of SS should be included and examined, with specific consideration for moving residence which was found to be important in the population studied. Further, ordinal and latent measurements of SS were reliably associated with risk in this population, demonstrating that as SS accumulates, co-occurring (or syndemic) risk diminishes. Furthermore, latent class analysis, which develops classes based on patterns of answers to a set of categorical variables, is a good approach to examine co-occurring predictors.

Background and Problem Statement: Sleep and epilepsy have a complex reciprocal relationship. Sleep-related breathing disorders that can occur in epilepsy are well recognized and a potentially dangerous risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, perioperative morbidities, increase in body mass index, cognitive impairment, unintentional injuries, changes in neuroendocrine, immune and inflammatory systems, depression, sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, increased frequency of seizures, and overall decreased quality of life (Faraut et al, 2012; Panossian et al., 2013). Undiagnosed and untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is also a potential dangerous risk factor for increased seizure frequency, particularly nocturnally, for adult patients with epilepsy. The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in their clinical quality measures, indicate a need for provider’s to address safety issues and to intervene to reduce seizure frequency to zero. Patients can easily be screened for OSA with established markers that are strategically placed in the electronic health record (EHR) platform as a reminder to complete.

Purpose/Objective: The DNP student developed, implemented, and evaluated the effectiveness of adding an EHR alert with Assessment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (AOSA) for assessment of patients with epilepsy by determining the percentage of patients referred for polysomnography (PSG). A 3-month retrospective chart review of adults with epilepsy was conducted to determine the percentage of patients screened for OSA and referred for PSG. The AOSA was added to the EHR to cue neurology providers to screen for OSA for 3 months. Percentages of referrals of patients with epilepsy for PSG before and after adding the AOSA EHR alert were compared.

Procedures: An urban university hospital was the setting for this study. Adult patients 18 years of age and older with epilepsy from the hospital’s seizure and neurology clinics were included. Children were excluded due to their sleep/wake cycle continuing to mature, changing body mass index (BMI), genetics, mandible, airway, tonsils and adenoid growth, and the behavioral factor of sleep-onset association disorder. After approval by the institutional review board, a review of the literature was conducted and an assessment tool was developed with 12 primary and 9 secondary risk factors with subsequent ordering of a PSG if >2 risk factors were present. The board-certified sleep medicine physician provided content validity. The AOSA tool was embedded in the EHR after approval by the institution’s EPIC steering committee. A 3-month retrospective chart review was conducted with the collection of sex, age, and data from OSA screening performed and referral for PSG. A second set of 3-month data were collected after inclusion and implementation of the AOSA in the EHR. The percentage of adult patients screened and referred for a PSG before and after integration of the AOSA in the EHR was determined. Pearson’s Chi Squared test (x2) was used for data analysis. The GraphPad Prism 7 program was used to calculate the Chi-Squared test for the quantitative data to determine if an increased proportion of patients were screened as positive for OSA with an EHR alert and referred for a PSG.

Outcomes: The three-month retrospective chart review indicated that no patients were formally screened for OSA prior to introduction of the EHR alert, yet 25 (7.2%) of the 346 subjects were sent for a PSG, presumably based on patient report, history and exam findings. Following the addition of a simple AOSA tool in the neurology section of the EHR, 405/414 patients (97.8%) of patients were screened for OSA and 134/405 (33.1%) were referred for a PSG. There was a significantly increased number of patients identified with OSA after the implementation of the AOSA (x2 value = 74.7, df = 1, p<0.001).

Conclusion: The results of this quality improvement project supported the assessment of adult patients with epilepsy for OSA with a prompt in the EHR. The added prompt increased the percentage of patients receiving a referral for a PSG to objectively determine OSA. In view of the clinical and public health implications of untreated OSA, screening in high-risk populations, such as patients with epilepsy, warrants implementation. Adoption of screening tools into the EHR may help to facilitate practice transformation and identify OSA as a potential risk factor for the proliferation of seizures in patients with epilepsy.

2017 Winners

Kristen Weaver, PhD, RN New York University New York, NY Brain-gut Axis Dysregulation in Patients with IBS; An Exploratory Investigation for Markers of Stress. PHD Program director - Dr. Allison Vorderstrasse

This three-part investigation analyzed participant data from a parent investigation at the National Institutes of Health. Participants included males and females who identified either as HC or patients with IBS. The first investigation (N=101) revealed differential findings in psychological stress markers by IBS diagnosis, as well as sex, race and subtype differences in the stress response of IBS participants. These findings were used to optimize the second investigation, which analyzed expression levels of genes that may affect psychological and gastrointestinal processes, through the creation of a custom PCR array. IBS participants were found to differ from HC (N=48) in expression levels of six genes associated with immune activation, stress, psychological and antimicrobial processes. Additional analyses within female IBS participants, revealed a significant difference between subtypes in gene expression levels related to pain sensation. The third dissertation study harnessed the power of shotgun proteomic analysis, to identify circulating serum proteins that differentiate a homogenous set of IBS participants from well-matched HC (N=6). Analysis of 1,317 proteins revealed a significant difference in 12 proteins between IBS and HC participants, with biological associations including platelet activation/degranulation, platelet alpha granule lumen, secretion by cell and extracellular region.

This dissertation investigation revealed preliminary though promising findings of psychological, physiological, genomic and proteomic differences between IBS participants and HC, and within IBS participants. By exploring downstream effects of noted sex and subtype differences, this study may foster insight on physiological underpinnings of IBS and promote understanding of BGA dysregulation. By illustrating the heterogeneity of the IBS patient population, this study highlights the importance of an individualized approach to patient care, thus working to improve clinical outcomes of patients living with the disorder.

Honorable Mention went to:

Latefa Dardas , PhD, RN, CDE; Duke University A Nationally Representative Survey of Depression Symptoms among Jordanian Adolescents: Associations with Depression Stigma, Depression Etiological Beliefs, and Likelihood to Seek Help for Depression.

Purposes/Aims: This project was designed to identify and evaluate key challenges a rural hospital has in providing a reliable best practice response for an Emergency Cesarean Section (ECS). Decision to Incision times (DIT) when confronted with an ECS along with newborn outcomes were studied. The study also conducted and analyzed staff questionnaires to evaluate staff attitudes, perceptions, role clarifications, driving and restraining forces in an ECS.

Rationale/Background: American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) recommend that obstetrical services be able to reliably perform an ECS DIT in 30 minutes or less. Seventy percent of neonatal brain injury may occur in the intrapartum period (AWHONN, 2015). Rural hospitals often perform all cesarean sections in the operating room domain with experienced operating room staff rather than obstetrical nurses trained in circulation and scrub. Rural hospitals are fraught with challenges around 24/7- hour/day availability of skilled anesthesia and surgical staff needed for an ECS. The Institute of Medicine, (2005) remarked that rural hospitals do not regularly have the census to finance operating rooms and anesthesia to be in house always. Rural multidisciplinary staff often feel unsupported and feel incompetent with oversaturated responsibilities. Night shifts (PM) and weekends are left vulnerable to prolonged DIT’s for an ECS.

Methods: Five years of Emergency Cesarean Section outcomes were analyzed (records review) to evaluate a rural hospital system in providing a reliable “best practice” response as recommended by ACOG. Outcomes (DIT’s and newborn) evaluated, included pre-intervention and post-intervention quality improvement(QI) project initiated by this author. Statistical tests include: t-Test for independent groups and mean scores, 5-minute Apgar mean scores, with nominal data for infant respiratory distress and hospital transfer. Staff questionnaires included a Likert scale that involved questions about staff encounters when an ECS was performed. The questionnaire also employed a ranking section about the staff’s personal perceptions about restraining and driving forces as described by the Kurt Lewin theory.

Outcomes achieved: Decision to Incision t-Test for independent groups analyzed, not statistically significant, (n=19, t=.88, alpha .05, two tailed, critical value,211, df17). Clinical significant ascertained that mean DIT scores were improved post-intervention by 7 minutes. Pre-intervention=DIT @ 37.2 minutes and Post-intervention=DIT @ 30.2 minutes. Evening shift (PM) and weekend, overall scores, demonstrated prolonged DIT mean scores, AM (n=8) =26 minute, PM/weekend (n=11) =42.3 minutes. Pre-implementation DIT AM=37.2-minute, Post implementation=25.6 minutes. Pre-implementation DIT PM/Weekend=41.2 minutes, Post=41.8 minutes. Staff questionnaires revealed that the staff believes that “best practices” are attainable for an ECS in this facility. The staff questionnaires also ranked that there was a lack of training surrounding an ECS, rural skill oversaturation requirements, and unity resistance between the Operating Room staff and Labor and Delivery staff when an ECS was called. The staff ranked the chief driving force as the importance of good newborn outcomes.

2016 Winners

Erin Downey, DNP Duke University Durham, NC Implementation of a Patient Agreement for Opioids and Stimulants in a Primary Care Practice Chair - Paula Tanabe, PhD

The dramatic increase in the consumption of controlled substances in North Carolina and across the nation has created a public health crisis with epidemic levels of medication diversion, misuse, abuse, unintentional overdose and death. Primary care providers are the principal prescribers of controlled substances and therefore at greatest risk of encountering patients that abuse medications. Guidelines recommend patient agreements with specific monitoring requirements when prescribing Schedule II medications (opioids and stimulants). Studies have focused solely on opioids and excluded stimulants and adherence to all recommended monitoring requirements has not been fully evaluated in the literature. Patient agreements were not previously used in the project practice site.

Implement a Schedule II controlled substance patient agreement and measure fidelity to components of the agreement.

A quality improvement framework using Plan-Do-Check-Act was used to design and implement the project. An opioid and stimulant prescribing policy and patient agreement was developed from sample agreements and based upon existing evidence with input from the practice partners. The policy applied to all patients aged 19 and over prescribed a long-term Schedule II medication for the chronic conditions of pain and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Examples of Schedule II narcotics include: hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, fentanyl and methadone. Stimulants include: amphetamine, methamphetamine, and methylphenidate. All providers in the clinic received education about the policy. Adherence to the following outcome measures (elements of the protocol) were evaluated monthly: patient signed Schedule II agreement on file, prescription monitoring program (pmp) checked prior to writing a Schedule II prescription, urine toxicology screens, and prescriptions written without a mandatory visit. Monthly feedback was given to the providers over the course of the project. Modifications to improve adherence were made as needed. Outcomes were compared seven months pre- to seven months post-implementation of the patient agreement. Wilcoxon signed rank test and McNemar test were used to analyze differences in adherence between the pre and post implementation time period.

Fifty patients met study criteria and were included in the analysis. The mean (SD) age was 50.7 (16.3). The majority of patients were white (96.0%) and female (62.0%). An almost equal proportion of patients received medication for chronic pain (50%) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (46%). Four percent of participants received medication for both diagnoses. The percent of guideline adherence to each outcome improved from pre to post implementation: Signed agreement in chart (0%, 94%); urine screen guideline (5.3%, 71.1%); pmp checks (11.3%, 99.0%); prescriptions written without a visit guideline deviation, (20.6%, 0). All changes were significant (p < .001).

Implementation of a Schedule II controlled substance patient agreement and prescribing policy in a small primary care practice was feasible and adherence to the policy was excellent over a 7-month period.

Dissemination: The manuscript is under review for publication in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. The journal audience is family practice providers who frequently struggle with the complexity of prescribing chronic opioids. The project results will be shared at an evidence-based research conference scheduled for September 2016 at UCLA.

Continued implementation: All providers in the practice continue to follow the policy and are initiating patient agreements for new patients as well as following all aspects of the protocol. Monitoring for adherence is ongoing.

Sustainability and cost: The cost of implementation was not measured directly, but has proven to be minimal. In North Carolina, the prescription-monitoring program is state funded with free access to registered users. All project-associated tasks such as presentation and explanation of the patient agreement and urine collection were completed within the normal workday and did not require additional man-hours. In March 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the Guideline for Prescribing Opioids, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/rr/rr6501e1.htm.

The protocol we implemented included almost all aspects of the guideline, which should increase the probability of associated costs being covered by insurance. All of these factors enhance the project’s sustainability.

Sarah Farabi, PhD University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL Sleep, Glucose Variability and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes Chair - Mariann Piano, PhD

People with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) experience high glucose variability and frequent hyperglycemia. Poor glucose control is known to contribute to accelerated cardiovascular disease (CVD), a leading cause of death in people with T1DM; however poor glucose control does not completely explain the increased risk. Good sleep also has been shown to play an important role in maintaining cardiovascular and metabolic health. Sleep quality is reduced in people with T1DM, but the reasons for poor sleep quality are not known. There has been minimal research into the relationship between glucose variability and sleep disruption in young adults with T1DM.

Hypotheses and Specific Aims: To test the hypotheses that glucose variations are causally related to sleep disruption and that sleep disruption mediates inflammation and CVD risk in individuals with T1DM, two aims were proposed: 1) to quantify sleep disturbances and to determine their relationship to glucose variability and 2) to define the relationship between sleep disruption and markers of CVD risk in young adults with T1DM.

A prospective, cross-sectional design was used. Young adults, age 18-30, who had diabetes for at least 5 years, wore an insulin pump and had a normal sleep schedule were enrolled. Subjects wore a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and a sleep/activity monitor in home for three days and two nights and underwent a formal sleep study, polysomnography (PSG), while wearing the CGM in the laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago on the third night. The CGM is a validated tool that provides an updated glucose value every five minutes. Total time in bed was between 7-8 hours; blood was drawn just before lights out (pre-sleep); at lights on (awakening) and one hour after lights on(1-hr post awakening) to measure amounts of CVD risk markers, inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). The amount of power in five electroencephalogram (EEG) Bands – Delta and Theta (characteristic of sleep); Alpha, Beta and Gamma (characteristic of wakefulness) – was tracked throughout the PSG study night. Wavelet coherence analysis was applied to determine time varying and frequency specific relationship between glucose levels and the five EEG bands. Granger causality analysis along with vector coefficient analysis was applied to the glucose and five EEG bands to determine if potential causal interactions between glucose and EEG during sleep. Levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were determined using Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and one-way ANOVA (Scheffe’s test for multiple comparisons) was applied to compare between the pre-sleep, awakening and 1-hour post awakening time points.

27 subjects (11 males, average age 23.9±4.1 years) were included in the analysis. Wavelet Coherence Analysis revealed a strong time-varying and frequency specific coupling between glucose and EEG, rapid fluctuations were more strongly coupled and exhibited more instances of strong coupling through the night (p<0.0001). 96.2% of subjects exhibited at least one instance of significant Granger causality between Glucose and EEG bands. Increasing glucose was causally related to increasing Alpha and decreasing Theta and Delta power, changes in the EEG signal which are consistent with an arousal or sleep disturbance (p=0.01). Increases in Delta (increases during deep sleep) consistently caused increasing glucose levels while increasing Theta (increases during rapid eye movement sleep) caused decreasing glucose. TNF-α was higher on awakening (1.44±0.66 pg/ml [SD]) and 1-hour post awakening (1.6±0.62 pg/ml) compared to pre-sleep (0.96±0.48pg/ml) (p<0.0001 for each). Subjects with good glycemic control exhibited a normal pattern of decreased IL-6 upon awakening.

Findings from the present study support a potential bi-directional causal relationship between glucose and brain activity during sleep. Increasing glucose led to changes associated with a sleep disturbance (increasing arousals and awakenings). Further, normal changes in the sleep process, were causally related to changes in glucose. The current findings also support that the sleep period may play an important role in increasing inflammation, a key mechanism in development of cardiovascular disease in people with T1DM. Collectively, findings from this study highlight the importance of the sleep period for glycemic control and inflammation in people with T1DM.

Sleep is a potentially modifiable behavior is increasingly recognized as playing an important role in maintenance of health. The findings from this study highlight that glucose variability during sleep may play an important role in disturbance of sleep, but also that sleep may influence glycemic control. This foundational evidence provide motivation for future interventional studies aimed to determine the mechanisms underlying the relationship between glucose variability and sleep disruption as well as the role of this relationship in development of CVD. Understanding how glucose variability and sleep disruption accelerates CVD may allow for improved diabetes nursing management strategies. Nursing interventions aimed at improving glycemic variability or minimizing sleep disturbances may help to improve glycemic control, decrease CVD development and ultimately improve quality of life in people with T1DM.

2015 Winners

Jennifer Dine, PhD University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri Characterization of a Novel Regulator and Predictors of Sensitivity to TRAIL-induced Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells Chair - Dr. Jane M. Armer

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a protein that selectively induces apoptotic cell death via TRAIL receptor (TRAIL-R) activation in cancer cells. TRAIL-R agonists have been well-tolerated but demonstrated very little activity in patients. Interestingly, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells were found to be sensitive to TRAIL-induced apoptosis while breast cancer cells representative of the other subtypes (estrogen/progesterone receptor positive or HER2 amplified) were comparatively resistant in vitro. Characterizing regulators and predictive biomarkers of TRAIL-R agonist sensitivity may help identify TRAIL-R sensitizing combinatorial therapies and TNBC-affected patients who might benefit the most from a TRAIL-R agonist therapy.

The first objective was to characterize the protein, gp78, as a negative regulator of TRAIL-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells. The second objective was to evaluate the sensitivity of different subtypes of breast cancer cells in vitro to drozitumab, a TRAIL-R agonist that was well-tolerated in patients. The third objective was to identify potentially predictive biomarkers of TRAIL-R agonist sensitivity. The fourth objective was to evaluate expression of the potentially predictive biomarkers in patient samples. To address the first objective in evaluating the negative regulatory effects of gp78 on TRAIL pathway sensitivity, gp78 function was transiently inhibited using 10 gp78-targeting siRNAs in the TNBC cell lines MB231. gp78 function was also chronically inhibited by generating MB231 cells with stable gp78 knockdown. Cells with and without gp78 knockdown were then treated with and without TRAIL, and loss in cell viability and caspases-3/7 activity, which is a direct measure of TRAIL pathway activation, were assessed. To address the second objective, a panel of breast cancer cell lines representative of the different subtypes of disease (estrogen/progesterone receptor positive, HER2 amplified, and TNBC) were treated with and without drozitumab and evaluated for loss in viability. To address the third objective, immunoblot analyses were used to assess for potentially predictive protein markers of drozitumab sensitivity in the cell lines used in the second objective. Finally, to address the fourth objective, 177 TNBC tumor samples from a publically available cDNA microarray dataset were evaluated for the differential transcriptional regulation of genes whose protein products were identified as potentially predictive biomarkers of drozitumab sensitivity in the third objective. Additionally, 53 TNBC tumor samples were evaluated using immunohistochemistry to assess the protein expression of the identified potentially predictive biomarkers using a clinically relevant assay system.

The results from the first objective indicated that gp78 inhibited TRAIL-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells in a mechanism that was dependent on the cell death-mediating proteins, caspases. The findings from the second objective demonstrated that TNBC cells, but not breast cancer cells representative of the other subtypes of breast cancer, were sensitive to drozitumab-induced cell death. In the third objective, the proteins Axl and vimentin were expressed only in the breast cancer cells that were sensitive to drozitumab-induced cell death. Axl and vimentin were thus selected as candidate predictive biomarkers of TRAIL-R sensitivity. Finally, in the fourth objective, Axl and imentin were found to be highly transcriptionally co-expressed (p<0.0001) in the cDNA microarray datasets of 177 TNBC tumors and were also highly co-expressed in the top quartile of Axl and vimentin-expressing tumor samples in the 53 TNBC tumor samples characterized by immunohistochemistry.

The findings from this study demonstrate that gp78 negatively regulates TRAIL-induced apoptosis in a caspase-dependent manner. TNBC cells were also determined to be sensitive to drozitumab, a TRAIL-R agonist, and those cells also expressed the proteins Axl and vimentin. Axl and vimentin were identified as candidate predictive biomarkers of drozitumab sensitivity and were determined to be expressed in human TNBC tumors at the transcriptional and protein levels. Therefore, Axl and vimentin expression in tumors may be utilized to aid in the selection of TNBC-affected patients who might benefit from a TRAIL-R agonist therapy.)

The findings from this study characterize the protein gp78 as a novel negative regulator of TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Little is known about the regulatory mechanisms that govern TRAIL sensitivity in cancer cells. Therefore, these findings contribute significantly to an area of TRAIL-related research that has been poorly described. The gp78 protein may also provide information about targetable pathways in cancer cells that could be inhibited or enhanced pharmacologically to promote TRAIL-R agonist activity in patients. The identification of the potentially predictive biomarkers of TRAIL-R agonist sensitivity, Axl and vimentin, may also aid in promoting TRAIL-R agonist activity in patients by helping identify those individuals whose TNBC tumors would most likely respond to a TRAIL-R agonist. In light of the limited success of TRAIL-R agonist strategies tested in clinical trials to date, using predictive biomarkers is a novel but potentially highly useful system for selecting patients for TRAIL-R agonist treatment. Collectively, these findings reflect elements from across the translational spectrum with respect to describing the fundamental regulatory processes of a biological system to the application of clinically relevant strategies for improving therapeutic effectiveness in patients.

Veronica Brady, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, BC-ADM, CDE; University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Prevalence of Steroid Induced Hyperglycemia in Patients with Mantle Cell Carcinoma Receiving High Dose Steroid

Ariana Chao, PhD, FNP; Yale University Obesity-Related Eating Phenotypes and the Relationships with Food Cravings, Stress, and Metabolic Abnormalities

Michelle Davis, DNP, NNP, RNC-OB Arizona State University Implementing Skin-to-Skin Contact in the Operating Room Following a Cesarean Delivery DNP Program Advisor- Dr. Heather Ross

Cesarean delivery is the most common major surgical procedure in the United States, representing 38.2% of live births in 2012 (Boyle et al., 2013). Infants delivered by cesarean section may face a more difficult transition to extrauterine life due to retained fluid within the alveoli (Blake & Murray, 2006). Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) and breastfeeding have been shown to help these newborns. However, one large urban medical center in the Southwest US did not have a policy to support immediate SSC and breastfeeding after cesarean delivery. This was a barrier to obtaining “Baby-Friendly Hospital” status (Baby-Friendly USA, Inc., 2012), despite being a Magnet hospital credited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for excellence in patient care – with a level III perinatal and neonatal unit. The medical center is a busy urban academic hospital with 5,847 infant deliveries in 2013.

An evidence-based pilot protocol for SSC in the operating room (OR) immediately following a cesarean delivery was implemented in order to provide clinical impact data. Immediate SSC in the OR helps newborns adapt to extrauterine life and assists with infant-parent bonding and breastfeeding success. SSC can decrease the amount of time the infant spends in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), resulting in fewer nursing hours and overall cost savings for both hospital and patients.

The EBP project was conducted with approval from the Institutional Review Board at Arizona State University with reciprocal hospital agreement. The 7-step Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) guided the EBP project. Step 1: topic selection (discussed above). Step 2: EBP team was formed and met biweekly, with members including project lead (L&D nurse and DNP student), L&D nurse manager, surgical scrub technician, obstetrician, nursing representative from the nursery team, and anesthesiologist. Step 3: systematic evidence retrieval to support the “triggering" question. Step 4: EBP team critically appraised the evidence to build obstetric section stakeholder buy-in. Step 5: development of standards for the pilot SSC protocol. Step 6: 3-month implementation of the pilot SSC protocol for all mother-infant dyads admitted for scheduled or repeat cesarean delivery with a live, singleton fetus greater than 37 weeks gestation, with no pre-existing medical complications or fetal anomaly (n=193). Nursery staff tracked neonatal outcomes including temperature, respirations, glucose, and disposition during the two-hour transition after birth. These data were compared to historical data for mother-infant dyads meeting protocol inclusion criteria in the 3 months prior to protocol implementation (n=302). A double-entry process was used to verify the data. Data were analyzed using chi-square test to compare rates of SSC application and infant disposition, and paired t-test to compare pre- and post-protocol neonatal outcomes including temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood glucose. Step 7: evaluation of the overall SSC procedure, including process review, outcomes data, and staff feedback for protocol evaluation and modification.

There were no baseline demographic differences between pre- and post-intervention groups. Neonatal outcomes were significantly different for infant temperature (SSC = lower), heart rate (SSC = lower), respiratory rate (SSC = lower), and blood glucose (SSC = higher) between pre- and post-intervention groups. Notably, SSC resulted in statistically and clinically significant reduction in hypoglycemia (p = .002). Additional outcomes included an increase in exclusive breastfeeding by 38.3% (p=0.000) in the intervention group, and an 84% decrease in NICU admissions (p=0.000) in the intervention group. SSC in the OR is a valuable and feasible intervention following a cesarean delivery, with no additional expense to the facility, and potential for significant cost savings due to deceased NICU admissions. This EBP outcome supports the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) recommendation for SSC in the first hour after birth (AAP, 2005) and promotes exclusive breastfeeding, one of the Joint Commission’s mandated initiatives (United States Breastfeeding Committee [USBC], 2010) and Healthy People 2020 goal ((Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2015). The average cost of NICU admission for a normal term infant for hypoglycemia and hypothermia is $76,164 (March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center, 2011). This EBP SSC intervention reduced NICU admissions by 84% for normal term cesarean section births, representing $2 million cost savings to the hospital over 3 months.

The results of this EBP study led to the medical center including the SSC intervention in all new hire training and required annual skills competency training for seasoned employees. This training addition required minimal resources and additional costs or staffing.

The SSC intervention is included in the existing charting system. This EBP project has been disseminated at the following events:

• Arizona Nurses Association Conference, October 2014 – poster
• Highlighted in the Chief Nursing Officer’s Weekly Journal - October 2014
• Medical Center’s Poster Walk Showcase, November 2014
• Voted as the “Best Practice” Innovation for the medical center
• Systemwide Shared Governance Conference April 2015 - podium
• Advance Practice Neonatal Forum in Washington, D.C., May 2015 – podium and poster
• Highlighted as part of the medical center’s Magnet Documentation and presented to Magnet recertification evaluators, July 2015
• Invited podium presentation at the National Phoenix Perinatal Associate Challenges in Obstetric Care Conference, April 2016

Susan Klein, DNP, FNP-C, OCN; University of San Diego Transition After Breast Cancer Treatment: Implementing Survivorship Care Plans

2014 Winners

Kathryn (Kim) Friddle, PhD, APRN, NNC-BC University of Utah College of Nursing Retinopathy of Prematurity: The Effects of Oxygen Saturation Targets in At-Risk Neonates PhD Program Chair - Dr. Patricia Aikins Murphy

Background and Significance:  Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a potentially blinding disorder estimated to affect 14,000 to 16,000 infants with 500-700 becoming legally blind annually. It is known to be associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, and the use of oxygen. An optimal oxygen saturation range of 85-93% is often targeted to minimize the risk of either hypoxia or hyperoxia. Maintaining premature infants within the targeted range can be difficult with many infants spending significant amounts of time both above 93% and below 85%.

Purpose/Objective(s) and/or Specific Aims : The purpose of this research was to evaluate whether the development of ROP can be explained by the average percentage of time in a 24-hour period that the infant spends out of the targeted oxygen saturation range in the weeks prior to the development of ROP or retinal maturity. Additionally, the effect of higher oxygen saturation targets while an infant is receiving 21% oxygen was evaluated to determine whether this increases the risk of developing ROP.  Finally, the study addressed whether death before discharge can be explained using the average percentage of time during 24-hours that the infant spends out of the targeted oxygen saturation range.

Methodology/Procedures: The study used an observational, retrospective, and longitudinal design, tracking standard practice in a level IV referral center NICU. Weekly 24-hour histogram reports, generated from the Phillips IntelliVue™ Monitor detailing individual patient oxygen saturation levels, were collected and evaluated for the percentage of time the infant spent above and/or below a targeted saturation of 85% and 93%. Multinomial logistic regression was used to evaluate nested patient data of at-risk infants cared for at Primary Children’s Hospital, a free-standing children’s hospital, over a 3-year period. Data were entered longitudinally until retinal maturity/ROP occurred (N=241ROP study) or until death/discharge (N=250 survival study). Infants were excluded from both studies if ROP was present prior to admission, or death/discharge occurred without an eye exam or data collection.  Survival analysis using a discrete-time hazard model was used to explain the risk of developing ROP (stage 1 or ≥ stage 2) or death, associated with the time above and below the targeted range, controlling for the effects of gestational age and birth weight using logistic regression. The ROP model included a cubic time trend to reflect the average change in probability of developing ROP, and the survival model used a quadratic time trend for the risk of death.

Results/Findings: The total time the infant was out of targeted saturation range had no effect on the development of ROP. However, for every 2.7% of the time the infant spent ≤ 85%, the risk for ROP increased by 48% (p<0.038), and the risk of death increased by 11% (p<.001). The percentage of time an infant spent >93% decreased their risk of ROP and death. For every 10% of time spend >93%, the risk of ROP decreased 21%, and the risk of death decreased 11%. The time breathing 21% oxygen was added into the regression equation at all levels, it was not found to be significant for the prediction of ROP.

Conclusion(s): The optimal saturation range for infants at risk for ROP is not known. These data raise concerns about the appropriateness of the current saturation targets of 85%-93%. This supports the current recommendation of many that the targeted saturation range for this population should be higher. A low saturation level of 85% cannot be recommended as safe given the results of this study.  The upper limit of time for saturations >93% to be beneficial remains unknown and needs further research.

Implications/Recommendations for the Profession and/or Science: This is the first study to report the impact of the time a premature infant spends out of the targeted saturation range of 85-93%. It is also the first study to report the effects of high saturations while the infant is breathing 21% oxygen on the development of ROP.  The current research study provides important information on the effects of time spent with both low and high oxygen saturations on the development of ROP and death.  Infants in this study population largely represent infants in phase 2 ROP (31-44 weeks). It has shown that low saturations (≤ 85%) are detrimental, with increased risk for the outcomes of both ROP and/or death, while  high saturations (> 93%) improves the risk of both of these outcomes. This study also supports the use of oxygen saturation histogram data in clinical practice to evaluate an infant’s ability to maintain a given saturation target to help guide respiratory management decision-making within this high risk population. These monitoring tools can help answer important clinical questions about the impact and management of low and/or high saturations.

Honorable mention went to:

Qiaohong Guo , PhD, RN, University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Nursing A Preliminary Model of Dignity Management in Hospice

Angela Smith Lillehei , PhD, MPH, RN, University of Minnesota School of Nursing Effects of Lavender Aromatherapy via Inhalation and Sleep Hygiene on Sleep in College Students with Self-reported Sleep Issues

Jessica Kozlowski, DNP, CPNP-PC Brandman University School of Nursing and Health Professions Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Management of Child Anxiety in the Rural Primary Care Clinic DNP Project Chair - Dr. Pamela Lusk

Background and Problem: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) encounter children with concerns for a mental health disorder in their clinical practice, with only 20 percent of these children having any treatment often due to barriers to care such as poor mental health care access, social stigma, or other parental factors.  Anxiety disorders are the most common pediatric mental health disorder an estimated prevalence of 5 to 18 percent.  An estimated $247 billion is spent each year on childhood mental disorders including anxiety with 75 percent of these children presenting to the primary care setting for diagnosis and management. Because of the impact on children, families, and communities, children's mental disorders are an important public health issue in the States.

Purpose/Objective(s): The purpose of this capstone project was to offer evidence-based treatment option for PNP in the primary care setting for children with an anxiety disorder.  The primary care setting in the model of care discussed by the Substance Abuse and Mental health Services Administration (SAMHSA –HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions) can be a location for screening (S) and brief intervention (B-I) before referral to subspecialty if needed.  The brief intervention, Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment (COPE), is a manualized 7 –session program, that can be delivered by a trained PNP to offer skills similar to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.  

Procedures: This was a pilot study completed at a Federally Qualified Health Clinic in the rural Northwest area of Florida.  A convenience sample of 14 children ages 8 to 13 years was utilized once they met the criteria of having an anxiety disorder based on DSM 5 criteria.  Exclusion criteria included any mental retardation, psychosis, or current suicidal thoughts.  The intervention, COPE appointments were 30 minutes in length and scheduled at the families preferred time.  The core concept which is a subset of techniques in CBT was presented to the child; then reinforced through games, interactive activities, and finally real life application of these concepts.

Anxiety symptom reduction has been considered the gold standard of improvement after intervention which was measured utilizing the reliable SCARED symptom checklist with a score less than 25 equaling no anxiety symptoms. Level of functioning was assessed using the Clinical Global Impressions Scale.  Children assess their improvement in functioning by answering the question “After the COPE program, how is your home and school life?”  Improvement is seen with a score of 2 or higher (much improved to very much improved) which is consistently used in the literature with pediatric anxiety.  Cognitive - behavioral skills learned through the COPE program were assessed through a 15 question content quiz given before and after all 7 sessions were complete. Finally, program satisfaction was measured through open-ended questions for both the parent and child.

Outcome(s): Children who participated had significant decreases in anxiety symptoms (13.88 points, SD = 17.96, 95% CI -1.13, 28.89) and on post assessment 50 percent of the participants no longer met criteria for an anxiety diagnosis.   They also had increases in knowledge of cognitive – behavioral coping skills (M=11.38, CI 5.99, 8.26, p = 0.00) and 100% showed improved functioning at both school and home on self-evaluation.  Evaluations by parents and children were positive with 100 % of participants and parents preferring delivery of COPE in the primary care setting and recommending the program to another child.

Conclusion(s): COPE visits fit into the fast - paced pediatric practice in 20 - 30 minute sessions.  COPE sessions were billed and all were reimbursed by the insurance providers at the higher CPT code for time of over 50% of the visit in counseling (99214) indicating this is a cost effective intervention in primary care.  Post COPE evaluations indicated improved patient outcomes. There was one child who had a worsening of anxiety score on SCARED after COPE delivery.  This child was dealing with social changes that were identified during individual sessions.  With the S-B-I-R-T treatment model in mind after COPE sessions were completed then the patient was referred to a mental health provider for a longer intervention.

Implications for Practice or System Change(s) : With the call to arms across both psychiatric and pediatric organizations to offer effective, evidence-based mental health treatment no matter the treatment location, the PNP is in a unique opportunity to intervene early in the child’s anxiety diagnosis.  With early, effective interventions this anxiety diagnosis will be less likely to follow the child into adulthood.

The Triple Aim of Healthcare views successful interventions that are cost effective, patient centered and improve patient outcomes.  The COPE program meets these three criteria, which was disseminated at the DNP Convention (Fa    ll of 2014).  PNPs continue to practice in the front lines in rural areas, with the largest need for mental health support.  To offer this program to other PNPs this project will be presented at the National Association for Pediatric Nurse Practitioners conference in March.  Journal submission has also been completed for consideration for the Journal of Pediatric Healthcare.  The lead researcher continues to perform COPE in her daily practice, with 10 children completing since the project ended.

Kathryn Evans Kreider , DNP, FNP-BC, Duke University School of Nursing

2013 Winners

Nancy Crego, PhD, RN, CCRN University of Virginia Pediatric Sedation Safety Dissertation chair, Dr. Elizabeth I. Merwin

Background: Every year, thousands of children require sedation for diagnostic and interventional procedures. Despite regulations by accreditors and guidelines by professional organizations, adverse sedation events and variations in how sedation care is delivered continue to occur.

Purpose: This study presents a review of sedation standards shaping RN practice and exemplars of state Boards of Nursing sedation regulations in the United States.

Methods: The Pediatric Sedation Research Consortium (PSRC) database was used to learn more about RN sedation practices in diagnostic radiology; findings revealed that RNs often plan to achieve deep levels of sedation and administer combinations of two or more sedative medications for diagnostic procedures. Outcomes of sedation for cases where RNs monitored and delivered sedation alone were compared to outcomes of RN and physician teams and physicians working alone to deliver sedation. Cases in which RNs alone provided sedation had similar American Society of Anesthesiologists risk scores compared to cases with physicians alone and RN and physician sedation teams.

Results: Adverse event rates in sedated children range from 0.4% to 20.1% in the U.S., and include cases of desaturation, inadequate sedation, and respiratory depression requiring bag valve mask ventilation. The rate of sedation adverse events when RNs provide sedation is unknown due to small sample sizes and few RNs participating in reported studies. Limitations of most investigations regarding pediatric sedation include frequent use of single site samples, reporting on only one type of procedure, and using sample sizes that are underpowered to detect sedation adverse events that are estimated to occur once in many thousands of cases. Many studies of RN sedation practice have examined a particular aspect of sedation care, such as determining differences in outcomes of sedation using different sedative medication regimens or the number of failed sedations; these outcomes are not compared to other sedation provider outcomes. As a result, these studies provide limited information on the safety of RN administered procedural sedation, the factors that increase the likelihood of adverse sedation events, and the differences in sedation administered by RNs compared to other sedation providers. Findings revealed that cases in which RNs alone or physicians alone monitored and delivered sedation had lower odds of experiencing adverse events than when sedation was administered by RN and physician teams.

Conclusion: This study revealed inconsistencies in state Board of Nursing regulations and in RN sedation care standards in the U.S. Data from this study could be used to improve RN sedation care processes, and guide the development of consistent nursing sedation licensing regulations, hospital standards, and policies. The lack of data on RN sedation practice and safety hinders the development of evidence-based regulations. Differences in sedation care may be related to the type of specialist providing sedation, their scope of sedation practice, and methods used to induce sedation. Sedation is performed by a variety of health care providers including registered nurses (RNs), but there are limited data on current regulations governing RN sedation, descriptions of RN sedation practice, or comparisons of outcomes of sedation by different types of providers.

Erica Schorr , University of Minnesota

Yafen Wang , Case Western Reserve University

Jennifer L. Titzer, DNP, RN, RT(R), RCIS University of Southern Indiana Nurse Manager Succession Planning: Strengthening Health Systems for the Future Capstone Chair, Dr. Maria R. Shirey

Background: Traditional nurse manager selection methods usually result in promoting excellent clinicians lacking formal education and mentoring. Ineffective nurse manager selection increases role stress, unhealthy work environments, poor patient outcomes and turnover rates. Inconsistent leadership results in a loss of community and employee confidence. Competent and effective nurse managers contribute to a healthy work environment, improved employee morale and favorable outcomes. Succession planning increases nursing leadership competence and continuity. Ensuring a competent nurse manager pipeline demands deliberate and strategic succession planning methods. Healthcare lags behind other business industries in strategic succession planning threatening the future nursing leadership pipeline. Evidence regarding succession planning outcomes is limited and hinders implementation efforts. Deliberate and strategic implementation and evaluation of successful planning is critical.

Purpose: The purpose of the capstone was to develop, implement, and evaluate a nurse manager succession plan at an acute care hospital. The primary project objective was to create a strategic method for identifying and developing intellectual talent creating an internal leadership pipeline. Development of an internal leadership pipeline with the intent of reducing recruitment and replacement costs, decreasing nurse manager turnover, and increasing nurse satisfaction was the end goal.

Methods: Nurses working in an acute care hospital were recruited for participation in a 12 month leadership program. Recruitment included completion of a formal and systematic application process. A quasi-experimental one-group pre-test/post-test design evaluated program outcomes. The measurement tools included the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) and the Nurse Manager Skills Inventory (NMSI).

Results: A strategic succession planning process was developed at St. Mary’s Medical Center targeting the nursing director position. All staff nurses not formally in leadership roles were invited to apply. Selection was based on an objective scoring worksheet and interview process. There were a total of 12 participants selected and invited into a 12 month leadership development program. Six months into the program, one participant transferred to another facility due to re-location. The remaining 11 participants completed the program. Monthly, six-month, and final program evaluations were overwhelmingly positive and the pre/post leadership and management surveys indicated statistically significant increases in participants’ competency perceptions (p < 0.05). Five nurses from the leadership pool were promoted either during or after program completion (three nursing director and two unit coordinators). In addition, three participants transitioned into quality analyst, staff development specialist, and informatics roles.

Conclusion: The model created for the inaugural program provided a pilot that can be evaluated and adapted accordingly. Ongoing evaluation beyond the initial customer satisfaction and learning and growth metrics will provide a cost benefit analysis and determine a return on investment as well as the impact on the overall nursing satisfaction. Additional recommendations included offering similar programs to professional staff outside of nursing ensuring an organization wide leadership pipeline.

Joelle Hargraves , Chatham University

Rebecca Russo-Hill , Duke University

2012 Winners

Oleg Zaslavsy, PhD University of Washington Longitudinal Dynamics in Indicators of Frailty: Predictors and Long-Term Outcomes Dissertation chair, Dr. Barbara B. Cochrane

Background: Frailty is a common geriatric condition with a wide array of sequelae, including increased risks of mortality, morbidity and disability. Despite its long conceptual and operational history in research and publications, frailty and mechanisms of frailty development are still poorly understood. A detailed description of trajectories of frailty indicators was needed to provide vital insights on unfolding longitudinal dynamics involved in the development of frailty.

Purpose: The specific aims of this study were to: (I) Describe longitudinal (-10 years) trajectories of change in musculoskeletal and neuro-cognitive indicators of frailty in older (>/=65 years) women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Clinical Trial; (2) Estimate the extent to which baseline factors (e.g., demographic characteristics, health status and behaviors) are associated with a likelihood of membership in the derived longitudinal clusters; and (3) determine the extent to which membership in longitudinal trajectories predicts the incidence of clinically relevant geriatric health outcomes (i.e., mortality and hospitalization) over 5-years of follow up in a model adjusted for all other baseline predictors.

Methods: Data for these analyses came from the WI-II, which included three randomized controlled clinical trials (CTs). Details of the design, recruitment strategies, data collection methods, and tabulations of baseline data are published elsewhere (Anderson eta!. (2003). Implementation of the Women's Health Initiative study design. Annals of Epidemiology, 13, S5-17.). In the present stud y we focused on data from \Vomen ages 65 years and older (at baseline) who emolled in one or more of the CTs and also consented to participate in 2005-2010 Extension Study. The final sample included 19,891 women. Measures of frailty indicators (e.g., physical performance-based tests), demographic, health behavior and status, comorbidity, personality and social factors were collected using well-established objective and self-report measures. Study outcomes of hospitali zat ion and mortality were based on mmual medical history update questionnaires from participants in the 2005-2010 WHI Extension Study. These self-reported outcomes were then used to obtain medical records for adjudication both locally and by a panel of central adjudicators. Latent class growth models were used to identify relatively homogeneous clusters of individuals following similar longitudinal trajectories of change. Trajectory parameters were estimated using maximum likelihood methods. A high-order polynomial function (i.e., quadratic) was fitted to the data, and parameters were estimated to define the shape of the trajectories and the probability of trajectory group membership. The number of clusters were chosen based on standard statistical selection criteria. Partial propmtional odds models were used to fit the data and test the effect of predictors on trajectory group membership. Cox proportional hazard models were used to predict mortality and first-incident overnight hospitalization in sequentially-fitted models.

Results: Study findings demonstrated a high degree of heterogeneity in longitudinal dynamics of individual frailty criteria. In addition, results showed that age, soda-demographic variables, health status, health behavior, environmental factors and personality traits are important determinants of individual frailty criteria, but their effect on frailty phenotype is complex, presumably due to the multidimensional nature offrailty phenomenon. Thirdly, the magnitude of risk carried by a membership in a certain longitudinal group for each of the defining elements of frailty is closely linked to the distance of that trajectory estimates from the one that represents the most optimal criterion-specific functioning over time. The futher the distance between trajectory estimates of an individual who maintained the highest level of performance (specific to that indicator) and those who demonstrated less optimal functioning, the higher the risk of incidence of adverse health events.

Conclusion: The study provided an empirical determination that distribution-based cross sectional partitioning of frailty criteria seems to be a valid method for defining frailty, given that elderly women maintained approximately similar levels of functioning over time without demonstrating clear accelerated or decelerated longitudinal patterns.

Tiffany Moore , University of Nebraska Medical Center

Erin Harnett, DNP New York University Integrating Preventive Dental Care in a Pediatric Oncology Center Capstone Project Advisor, Dr. Barbara Krainovich-Miller

Background: Dental caries is an infectious process, which may cause serious problems for children both during and after cancer treatment (Haytac, Dogan, & Antmen, 2004; Yeazel et al., 2004). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, 2009, 2010) and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD, 2008, 2010) recent policies have recommended that primary care providers perform oral assessment, provide preventive dental care during routine well child visits, and refer children to the dentist by age one year. The Surgeon General mandated that the evidence-base about the oral-systemic connection be used to improve the health of all by implementing it in the curricula of all health care practitioners and that a comprehensive oral assessment be a gold standard of practice (IOM, 2011) for the public. The needs assessment of this project uncovered the glaring gap between existing extensive evidence and recommendations regarding the need for oral health assessment and current practice. Although children being treated for cancer are seeing the pediatric oncology team on a regular basis, they are not receiving expected normal pediatric or dental preventive care prior to or during cancer treatment. This issue is of paramount concern as the development of oral problems during childhood cancer care results in pain, fever, delay in treatment, additional hospitalizations, and increased cost to families/significant others and the health care system which, in turn, impacts the public at large (Carrillo, Vizeu, Soares-Junior, Fava, & Filho, 2010; da Fonesca, 2004).

Methods: A Clinical Microsystems approach was used to ensure successful implementation of the project conducted by the DNP (PNP) student. She collaborated with members of a university dental school and the leadership of the major urban outpatient pediatric oncology cancer center and IRB to gain approval to implement her educational project for the pediatric oncology providers (pediatric oncology MDs, NPs, RNs) at the cancer center. The participants: (a) completed a pre-survey assessing their oral systemic health knowledge, current oral health practice, perceived barriers to dental referral and attitudes toward incorporating preventive oral health care into their oncology practice, and (b) attended an oral health educational intervention and fluoride varnish skills lab conducted by the DNP candidate (PNP), dental residents and dental fellows where they learned how to perform an oral assessment to detect the existence of carries, make a referral for caries if identified, and how to apply fluoride varnish on children who were to be treated for cancer. Participant knowledge and skills were assessed after the educational program and chart data indicated whether these new competencies were used with the pediatric population. A one year follow-up survey was instituted.

Results: The results of this innovative capstone project indicated that pediatric oncology providers were in a unique position to provide preventive oral health care and improve oral health outcomes in pediatric cancer patients. The educational program increased their oral health knowledge of the providers; a review of chart data indicated that children who came to the cancer center were now receiving oral health assessments, had fluoride varnish as needed, and referrals were being made as needed. In this center only children who were seen by a dental resident once a week had ever received this standard of care. Prior to this project none of the oncology providers (MDs, NPs, RNs) had included this in their practice. At the end of the projects, data indicated that children being treated by oncology providers, who participated in this project, had increased from zero to 100%. This educational program was adopted as a standard of practice at the center and all providers complete this oral health program. Fluoride varnish is now on the standard formulary; all pediatric patients receive this gold standard of oral health care prior to treatment. One-year follow up survey data indicate that this practice continues to be implemented by all providers. The improvement on care delivery demonstrated in this project may be replicated in other settings and serves as a model for pediatric oncology clinics across the country. Feedback from invited as well as competitive presentations at local, regional, and national interprofessional conferences, as well as quality improvement data provide evidence that this clinical project is realistic and can be easily replicated in other settings. Currently, it is being implemented on the in-patient unit at this major medical center.

Implications for Practice, Education, and Policy: The project has several implications for practice. DNP prepared advanced nursing practice NPs need to assume a clinical leadership role and instruct other providers regarding evidence-based standards of care that need to be instituted. Specifically DNP prepared PNPs must assume the role of educating health care providers who care for both well and chronically ill children to include oral health care in acute and chronic healthcare settings and schools. This project also has important implications for pediatric cancer survivors who may develop late effects from their cancer treatment that will require dental care. Interprofessional education and practice collaboration between medical, nursing, and dental providers must become an integral part of health care delivery systems. The implications for education of DNP programs that prepare NPs is that DNP graduates must obtain clinical leadership competencies that include: (a) use of an appropriate implementation framework, (b) the ability to critically appraise and synthesize the best available evidence in order to change the practice of health care providers, (b) making recommendations and creating policies based on the best appraised evidence, and (d) teaching oral health competencies and best practices as part of the standard of care regardless of the population. It further highlights the need for all health care provides to receive oral-systemic health care knowledge and related competencies during their education. The specific implications for policy are at the institutional practice setting level. When successful results are obtained from evidence-based clinical improvement projects, such as Dr. Hartnett’s, these practices will be sustained when they demonstrate positive clinical outcomes and become the expected gold standard policy.

Vicky Grossman , Duke University

Carrie Kairys , Johns Hopkins University

Contact Information

Please direct any questions related to this awards program to [email protected] .

Congratulations to the 2023 Award Recipients!

Ruth Tretter , PhD, RN Idaho State University (PhD  Exploring RV-dwelling American Nomads’ Experiences When Seeking Healthcare Program Director - Mary A. Nies

Christina Jones , DNP, PMHNP Arizona State University  Teen Mental Health Literacy: A School District’s Post-Pandemic Response Program Director - Diane Nunez

Amber High , DNP, CRNA University of Texas Medical Branch  A Novel Peer Support Project: Quality Improvement for Workforce Well-being Program Director - Sharron Forest