How to Write a Nursing Research Paper and Why Seek Assistance
Creating a nursing research paper is pretty much like writing any other research paper. You follow similar rules for structure, formatting, and style.
Whether you’re pursuing a BSN, ADN, MSN, or DNP, the chances are high that you’ll be writing this paper during your studies. Therefore, it’s crucial to know how to begin and finish a research paper in nursing in a way that not only earns you an excellent grade but also enhances your understanding. That’s what this section is all about – providing insights on writing a compelling copy and explaining why seeking assistance from reputable nursing writing services can be beneficial. So, let’s get started!
A Research Paper for Nursing: Defining its Essence, Structure & Format
A research paper in nursing is a type of academic writing assignment completed by nursing students. It focuses on a specific topic chosen by the student or assigned in class and showcases a student’s academic writing and research skills. These papers usually rely on evidence from reputable sources like journals and books, typically published in the last five years.
Nurses in clinical practice, education, evaluation, or methodology also write these papers. To create one, they gather evidence to support a particular topic, following a systematic process of research to explore facts, apply theories, and draw conclusions. The length of such a writing assignment can vary, starting from around 5 pages.
Below is a breakdown of how to structure your nursing paper.
- Title Page
The title page is crucial as it gives your professor a quick idea of your paper’s quality. It should typically include the title, your name, course details, university, professor’s name, and submission date.
- Abstract
This section summarizes your paper in about 200-250 words. It’s essential for giving readers a quick overview of your project.
Pro writing tip: Avoid using acronyms and citations here. Follow APA or Harvard guidelines.
Note: It doesn’t count towards the word limit unless specified.
- Introduction
This is the first chapter of your work, comprising about 10% of the word count. It should include a hook, background information, the issue you’re addressing, and your study’s aim or thesis.
Pro writing tip: Make sure to outline the scope and purpose and introduce the PICOT question (if applicable).
- Literature Review
This is where you:
Explore existing literature related to your topic.
Discuss theoretical frameworks, scientific theories, concepts, and other relevant aspects.
Showcase strong research, organization, and writing skills by integrating ideas and critically approaching the content.
- Methodology
In this chapter, your supervisor expects you to detail the methods used for data collection, such as qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods approaches.
Pro writing tip: For statistical papers, explain analyses, including variables and software employed (e.g., R or SPSS). Then, report sampling techniques.
Note: If secondary sources are utilized, specify and outline exclusion and inclusion criteria.
- Results and Discussion
This is where you present your findings and discuss them using information from your literature review.
Pro writing tip: Avoid definitive statements. Discuss any limitations and present data using graphs or tables if needed.
- Conclusions and Recommendations
Conclude by summarizing the research problem, methodology, and findings. Restate the thesis differently from the introduction, keeping this section 10% of the total word count.
Pro writing tip: Make sure to relate findings to the literature review and suggest future research directions.
- References
Format references alphabetically in A-Z order according to APA or Harvard guidelines.
Pro writing tip: Ensure all references used in your work are scholarly. Include links where necessary.