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Discussion

help picking a topic for research proposal!

I am starting my final assignment for my research module and we are doing a research proposal and i am currently stuck on choosing a topic to do.

I want to look into something with regards to theatre nursing in the operating room but I am not sure what I could research with this. I wanted to look at something to do with aseptic technique and non touch technique but i don't know again what i would research in this and what question i could use to research.

If anyone has an idea on what topic i could choose for this research proposal or if theatres are even a good topic to look into and to research. I would be very grateful for any help or tips.

Thank you

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    • Experts

    The best way to find a good topic is to:

    1. Choose a general area that you are interested in (It sounds like you have already done that). Don't be too specific at this point. Just identify a "general area" to consider

    2. Browse the literature in that specialty to see what is already known and what is not yet known about that general topic. What are the key issues, questions, and problems that people would like to see answered?

    3. The literature search also enables you to identify resources that you can use for your school project. You may find things like survey tools that you could use ... or an approach to a topic that would work well for you to use. You may find articles that suggest what further research is needed on that topic, etc.

    4. Combine the following things (that you should now already have) to select a good topic that would be "do-able" for your school project: --- (a) your interest (b) articles to serve as a foundation for your project, and © a topic that the literature supports as being one of interest and importance to the specialty

    Too many students pick projects "out of thin air" or just on the recommendation of staff nurses in the field who have little idea as to whether or not the resources the student will need to complete the project will be readily available. They then get frustrated when they start because they can't find the things they need to do a good job on the project. By following the above steps, you can be sure to pick a topic that not only interests you, but that also can be reasonably completed for school with the resouces you have available.

    Good luck!

  • Quote

    Excellent post llg! May I add that all research begins with a question. A question for which there is no 'yes' or 'no' answer. The BEST research is based on the question that you are always asking yourself.

    I have never been in an operating room (except as a patient) - so I'm going to give you an example from my own research. I work nights, and I am interested in the situation all night nurses find themselves in- working against their own circadian rhythm.

    So my research question was not - "Do nurses working night shift have trouble adapting to circadian disruption?" Because that question can be answered yes or no. (The answer, of course, is YES!)

    My question instead was "How do nurses learn to cope with circadian disruption"?

    Half the battle in research is asking the right question. Good luck to you.

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    • Author

    as i am a student nurse i had a placement in the operating room and i enjoyed it. im just wondering about the aseptic technique not just used in theatres but on wards too. maybe there is something surrounding that, that i could research. just thinking of a question for than and even finding literature on that topic is quite hard.

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    I can't see as you should have a hard time finding things. Googling just "aseptic technique" just got me this*. I'm sure you could fool around with "aseptic technique surgery" or "aseptic technique education" or any of a number of other threads. Get going!

    *About 665,000 results (0.20 seconds)

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