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Discussion

Need help picking topic!

Hello all!

I am starting my masters program, and have been trying to pick a thesis topic and wanted to see if you guys had any ideas! The topic needs to be one something that I can do a screening tool on. Lots of students have picked Smoking Cessation, to give you an idea of the type of topic I need.

My background: I have been an RN for over 3 years in an Level One Trauma Center in the Critical Care Division. I am intersted in topics that haven't been done to death!

Thank you for any help!!

~Christen

Featured Replies

  • Expert

Although probably done to death, here's a list of some of the possible topics I was looking at:

1. Family presence during resuscitation and invasive line placement in a level one trauma ER. (Ended up choosing this subject and it went over well).

2. Case management of "frequent flyers" in the ER (Had an ER resident do a poster presentation on this with data I collected).

3. Role fulfillment of new grads in level one ER.

4. Parents' perception of pediatric care in a level one ER.

Hope this at least gives you some general ideas. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

  • Author

Thanks for the reply!

I like the one on family presence at the bedside. My hospital is working towards becoming more of a Family-Centered-Care facility, and my unit in specific has been making changes to facilitate family involvement....what sort of "screening tool" or "evaluation method" could I do with that? A simple survey on the effectiveness might work...

What do you mean by "case management of frequent fliers?"

With the new grads...I LOVE teaching (at least, so far), and have precepted many a new grad...maybe I could develop a formalized method of training new grads?

I am really into communication tools (ya know, the JCAHO requirement?) and just communication in general, between staff and senior leadership, between RNs, between PCTs and RNs, etc.

As I don't do Peds or ER, I don't think #4 will work for me. ;)

Thanks for the ideas! They're definitally helping me think. :)

  • Author

Hey, Trauma? Since, ya know, I found the Graduate Students forum, would you mind moving this thread over there so I can see if I can get a few more responses? Pretty please? :) I don't want to start a duplicate thread, that's silly, and that forum is probably more appropriate. ;)

  • Admin

I moved it for you.

Good luck with your thesis, Christen.

  • Author

Thanks! any suggestions for a topic? ;)

  • Admin
Thanks! any suggestions for a topic? ;)

Sorry, I guess I should have at least helped you.

How about?

  1. Nursing Care During Disasters: A Humanitarian Look at the Nurses' Role
  2. Providing Care in Third-World Countries: The American Nurse
  3. The Impact of the HIPAA Rule on Providing Nursing Care: Barriers to Providing Safe, Quality Care
  4. The Pandemic Flu Epidemic: Will Nurses Work and Leave their Families Behind?

What do you mean by "do a screening tool no?" Do you mean develop a measure or use an existing one? A word of caution about the former -- there's a lot that goes into developing a valid psychometric tool, and if you have to create your own survey tool, get some input into the process! If it's the latter, there are "big books of measures" out there -if your school has people doing research, they may (or your reference librarian) may be able to help you look through for something that may be applicable. If your are interested in family centered, you might see about using/modifying the FAMCARE scale (http://www.capc.org/tools-for-palliative-care-programs/clinical-tools/patient-family-needs-assessment/famcare-scale.pdf) it's was designed for families of cancer patients and is considered a palliative care tool, but may be applicable, and it has a lot of communication-related questions!

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