Writing a research paper on nursing specialties...

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Apr 18, 2008

I manage the staff dev. dept. Our dept is all about planning ahead. Courses have to be planned, books purchased, supplies found, instructors contracted, food ordered and space reserved ahead of time (sometimes MONTHS ahead). Set up and take down is time consuming and none of this takes into account the program development. Today I have written a request for additional FTE, worked on budget for next month, discussed clinical rotation time slots with area nursing school instructors and outlined a new course on urinary tract infection prevention. All before lunch. Our staff is one BSN, others are MSN with one CNS. Does that help?

jmontgomery4476 · Apr 18, 2008

yes thank you.

jjjoy, LPN · Apr 18, 2008

With the number of specialities out there, you'd need more than 10-12 pages to cover them all! You might want to narrow your focus a bit to a few specific specialities. What kind of research is the instructor expecting you do to for the paper? In other words, what is the objective of the writing assignment? Asking about the daily life of nurses in various specialities doesn't sound like a research paper to me, but I certainly don't know exactly what your assignment is.

jmontgomery4476 · Apr 19, 2008

My focus is limited to 3 specialties, L&D, pediatric, and mental health nursing. The objective is to write a 10-12 page minimum paper on a topic you are interested in. The main topic of my paper is "What nursing specialty is right for me?" Any information on any specialty would be a helpful look into the busy life of a nurse.

I am most interested in finding out what skills are needed, what education is needed, if you must be certified in any special way, and what duties you have as that type of nurse.

CNAinNeb · Apr 19, 2008

The main topic of my paper is "What nursing specialty is right for me?" Any information on any specialty would be a helpful look into the busy life of a nurse.

That doesn't sound like research, that sounds like something you would write for a seminar class. A research paper is something verifiable and objective. I would select a research topic that doesn't require personal opinion if you care about your grade on a research paper.

I'm not trying to be a booger, I'm trying to help a fellow pre-nursing student.

jmontgomery4476 · Apr 19, 2008

this has been appoved by my professor..

but I will look for help somewhere else.

thank you.

crazybusyRN · Apr 19, 2008

Hi, not sure if you're even still looking for replies... I don't often comment on here, I just lurk, but I felt bad, I know how it is to be a student.

I don't think the nurses here are unwilling to help you- they ARE helping you, by letting you know what a research paper usually entails. Personal anecdotes, and information from individuals on the internet is not usually what is meant by "research" for a paper. As someone else pointed out, you need objetive information...

Have you ever used CINAHL? It is a database for nursing articles, and I'm sure a librarian could help you to access it. It would be a good way to start finding sources for your paper. PubMed/Ovid is another health sciences database, but it's less nursing-specific.

You could also search back issues of good nursing journals and magazines. Some that are a little less technical include NursingSpectrum, RN, or Advance for Nurses. They may give you some info in simple English that you can then build on. More technical journals include AJN (American Journal of Nursing), and there are many specialty journals for each of those specialties. MCN (Maternal Child Nursing) may tell you about L and D and peds.

This is just a place to start, and may be a little less frustrating than asking everyone for such broad-based information. Hope it helped!