290 Good Nursing Research Topics & Questions
Nursing research is a vital component of the healthcare field, driving advancements in patient care, healthcare policies, and nursing practices. For nursing students and professionals, selecting a research topic that is both meaningful and feasible is crucial for contributing valuable insights to the discipline. With an ever-evolving landscape of medical knowledge and practices, choosing the right research question can be daunting yet rewarding.
This comprehensive guide by topnursingpapers.com presents 290 good nursing research topics and questions, carefully curated to inspire and assist you in your academic and professional journey. Whether you are exploring the effects of new medical treatments, examining healthcare policies, or delving into patient care methodologies, these topics cover a broad spectrum of contemporary issues and timeless themes in nursing. Let’s embark on this journey to uncover new knowledge and improve healthcare outcomes through thoughtful and impactful research.
Top 10 Nursing Research Topics for 2024
- Economic aspects of euthanasia
- Health issues of immigrant women
- Overcoming vaccine hesitancy during pregnancy
- Cancel culture and women’s health
- The social effect of the opioid crisis
- Ethics of artificial hydration and nutrition
- The gender pay gap in nursing
- Ways to improve diversity in nursing
- Nursing adaptation for a digital era
- Should futile medical care be provided?
How to Choose Research Topics in Nursing
BSc students and interns frequently find it challenging to select a nursing research paper topic. Given the vast range of subjects within healthcare, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to choose the most intriguing one.
Firstly, it’s essential to narrow your focus. Tackling a problem that’s too broad can make thorough examination difficult. Remember, making a meaningful contribution to medical science doesn’t require solving global issues. Instead, choose a relevant topic with plenty of existing literature and bring a new perspective to it. Interesting nursing research questions exist in various fields, such as social work, psychology, obstetrics, and clinical nursing.
Your personal experiences can guide your topic choice. Consider issues you’ve observed in your family or factors that initially drew you to the nursing profession. You can also look at healthcare situations in your hometown or city to inspire ideas for evidence-based practice nursing research topics.
Nursing Research Topics
Once you’ve selected your area of interest, you can formulate your thesis and write a research proposal. Below is a list of research question examples for you to choose from.
Pediatric Nursing Research Topics
- Childhood obesity: identification, screening, prevention, and management
- Stem cells and their usage in the treatment of pediatric diseases
- Early-life exposure to air pollution: health effects
- Childhood obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors: epidemiologic research
- Prenatal exposure to nicotine: health effects
- Obesity in children and adolescents: prevention strategies
- Childhood acute leukemia: the use of molecular markers in diagnosis
- Effects of early life stress on metabolic and cognitive development of children
- Asthma in children: diagnosis and management
- Early life exposures that promote heart disease later in life
- The role of early-life exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in childhood obesity
- Taking care of children with congenital heart disease: psychological issues
- Radiation therapy: the response of the hematopoietic system in oncology patients
- Leukemia cells and the immune system: mechanisms of interaction
- Evaluation of pragmatic language patterns in autistic children
- Childhood obesity: a population health issue
- Asthma in children: monitoring techniques
- Ways of enhancing language development for children with developmental disabilities
- Meningitis in children: prevention and vaccination
- Cancer: health service delivery efficiency
- New therapeutic approaches to developmental diseases of the nervous system
- Movement disorders in children: understanding and treatment
- Tourette syndrome in children: causes and treatment
- Effects of early life stress on metabolic and cognitive development of children
- Surfactant replacement therapy for premature infants: beneficial effects
- Understanding Metabolic Syndrome: symptoms and causes
- Neurotrophin and neurotransmitter receptors: a molecular study
- Neuroblastoma in children: understanding racial differences
- Blindness in children receiving oxygen therapy: risk-reducing strategies
- Childhood nephrotic syndrome: nursing care and management
- Acute renal insufficiency: nursing care and treatment
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: development and symptoms
- Cancer: health service delivery efficiency
- Type 1 diabetes in children: genetic and environmental factors
- Children with type 1 diabetes from ethnic minorities: risk factors
- Animal models for respiratory diseases: the investigation of pathogenesis
- Efficacy of mind-body therapy in children with ADHD
- ADHD medication for children: long-term effects
- ADHD in children: efficacy of dance and music therapy
- Childhood cancer treatment optimization: new ways
- Ear infections in children: diagnosis and treatment
- Opportunistic fungal infections: pathogenesis and treatment
- Common measles complications in children
- Infant nutrition: prevention of obesity and eating disorders
- Eating disorders in children: effects on growth and health
- Anorexia and related changes in brain function and behavior
- Hypoplastic left heart syndrome: management strategies
- Cells and molecules in lung health and disease: understanding the function
- Vaccination against influenza in children: reactions and complications
- Autism in children: benefits of meditation techniques
- Role of early-life exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in childhood obesity
- HHV6: pathogenesis, immunology, and treatment
- Movement disorders in children: understanding and treatment
- Obesity in children and adolescents: prevention strategies
- Neuroblastoma in children: understanding racial differences
- Early-life exposure to air pollution: health effects
- Tourette syndrome in children: causes and treatment
- Childhood acute leukemia: the use of molecular markers in diagnosis
- Anorexia and related changes in brain function and behavior
- Children with cancer and their families: psychological issues
Geriatric Nursing Research Topics
- Management of sepsis in critically ill elderly patients
- Cancer surgery in elderly patients: risk assessment
- Alzheimer’s disease: biological mechanisms and preventive measures
- Care of elderly surgical patients: ways of optimization
- Adverse drug effects in elderly patients: interventions and care strategies
- Age-Related Changes in Health: cardiovascular system
- Physiologic changes in the musculoskeletal system in older adults
- Vaccination for older adults: benefits and challenges
- Medication adherence in patients with dementia: development and implementation of interventions
- Cognitive therapy for older patients with Alzheimer’s disease: effectiveness and strategies
- Age-Related Changes in Nervous System and Cognition abilities in older adults
- Later-life depression: cause and risk factors
- Heart failure in older adults: current therapeutic options
- Malnutrition in older adults: consequences and effects on organ systems
- Taking care of seniors with chronic illness: psychological issues
- Bladder cancer in older adults: risk factors and challenges
- Advanced care planning: nurse’s roles and strategies
- Falls and injury risk in older adults: prevention and management
- Risk factors for functional decline in older patients: ways of optimization
- Sensory system changes and impairments in older adults: nursing care strategies
- Assessment of physical function in older adults: effects of regular physical activity
- Pancreatic cancer surgery in older adults: balancing risks and benefits
- The role of diet in reducing the risk of osteoporosis
- Delirium in elderly patients: prevention strategies
- Nursing: long-term care facilities
- Personalized diets for older adults and their role in healthy aging
- The effects of aging on the immune system
- Dehydration in older adults: prevention, recognition, and treatment
- Ethnicity as a risk factor for pressure ulcer development
- Gastrointestinal tract disorders in older age: nursing care strategies
- Massage Therapy vs. Simple Touch to Improve Pain and Mood in Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Randomized Trial
- Diet as a risk factor for dementia
- Handling pressure ulcers in hip fracture patients
- Physical environment as a risk factor for functional decline in older patients
- Use of physical restraints: ethics of the issue
- Family caregiving of older cancer patients: psychological issues
- Transitional care for elderly patients with chronic disease: care strategies
- Oral hydration in older adults: ways of maintaining
- Improving pain management in older patients: care strategies
- Ophthalmic care for older patients: nursing strategies
- Urinary tract infections in older adults: risk factors and diagnosis
- Complications in critically ill patients due to prolonged hospital stay
- Medical emergencies associated with cancer treatment of elderly patients
- Oral health conditions in older adults: effects and treatment
- Use of machine learning in predicting dementia in older adults: effectiveness and accuracy assessment
- Effects of excessive sleepiness as a risk factor of cognitive decline in elderly patients
- Alcohol use disorders in elderly patients: care strategies
- Substance use disorders in older adults: treatment and care options
- Care of older patients in the ED: nursing intervention
- Oral health conditions in older adults: effects and treatment
- The concept of geriatric dehydration
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: development and symptoms
- Cancer surgery in elderly patients: risk assessment
- Childhood obesity: a population health issue
- Effects of early life stress on metabolic and cognitive development of children
- Neuroblastoma in children: understanding racial differences
- Childhood acute leukemia: the use of molecular markers in diagnosis
- Effects of early life stress on metabolic and cognitive development of children
- The social effect of the opioid crisis
- Ways to improve diversity in nursing
- Radiation therapy: the response of the hematopoietic system in oncology patients
- Surfactant replacement therapy for premature infants: beneficial effects
- Childcare for infants: an exploration of maternal nursing
- Prenatal exposure to nicotine: health effects
- Tourette syndrome in children: causes and treatment
- Evaluation of pragmatic language patterns in autistic children
- Adverse drug effects in elderly patients: interventions and care strategies
- Anorexia and related changes in brain function and behavior
- Personalized diets for older adults and their role in healthy aging
- Nursing: long-term care facilities
- Advanced care planning: nurse’s roles and strategies
- The gender pay gap in nursing
- Pediatric Nursing Research Topics
- Surfactant replacement therapy for premature infants: beneficial effects
- Nursing adaptation for a digital era
- Cancer: health service delivery efficiency
- Efficacy of mind-body therapy in children with ADHD
- Childhood acute leukemia: the use of molecular markers in diagnosis
- Cancer: health service delivery efficiency
- Asthma in children: diagnosis and management
- Neuroblastoma in children: understanding racial differences
- Cognitive therapy for older patients with Alzheimer’s disease: effectiveness and strategies
- The role of diet in reducing the risk of osteoporosis
- Diet as a risk factor for dementia
- Effects of excessive sleepiness as a risk factor of cognitive decline in elderly patients
- Use of physical restraints: ethics of the issue
- Later-life depression: cause and risk factors
- Alzheimer’s disease: biological mechanisms and preventive measures
- Adverse drug effects in elderly patients: interventions and care strategies
- Medical emergencies associated with cancer treatment of elderly patients
- Movement disorders in children: understanding and treatment
- Substance use disorders in older adults: treatment and care options
- Obesity in children and adolescents: prevention strategies
- Personalized diets for older adults and their role in healthy aging
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: development and symptoms
- Pediatric Nursing Research Topics
- Sensory system changes and impairments in older adults: nursing care strategies
- Overcoming vaccine hesitancy during pregnancy
- Overcoming vaccine hesitancy during pregnancy
- Diet as a risk factor for dementia
- Pancreatic cancer surgery in older adults: balancing risks and benefits
- Common measles complications in children
- Tourette syndrome in children: causes and treatment
- Evaluation of pragmatic language patterns in autistic children
- Taking care of children with congenital heart disease: psychological issues
- Obesity in children and adolescents: prevention strategies
- Physical environment as a risk factor for functional decline in older patients
- Prenatal exposure to nicotine: health effects
- Autism in children: benefits of meditation techniques
- The social effect of the opioid crisis
- Age-Related Changes in Health: cardiovascular system
- Childhood obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors: epidemiologic research
- Medication adherence in patients with dementia: development and implementation of interventions
Midwifery Nursing Research Topics
- Women with a disability: pregnancy and childbirth
- The effect of midwifery care in pregnancy, labor, birth, and the postnatal period
- Maternal and infant outcomes of caseload care
- Caseload midwifery care in ethnic minorities
- Ways of improving health outcomes for women and babies from ethnic minorities
- Depression and anxiety in new mothers: effects on the health of mothers and infants
- Postnatal depression: risk factors
- Complication of pregnancy: Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH)
- Effectiveness of peer support in preventing postnatal depression
- Telephone support as a means of reducing postnatal depression: a cost-effectiveness analysis
- Diabetes in pregnancy: risk factors and management
- Hypoglycemia in newborns: preventive measures
- Women’s experience of motherhood: attachment and mother-infant bonding
- Stress in midwives and nurses: causes and prevalence
- Group antenatal care: feasibility and acceptability
- The positive impact of early parenting education
- Midwifery continuity of care and its effectiveness.
- The role of community support in maintaining emotional health during pregnancy
- Birth plan and its effects on the birth experience
- Effects of prenatal yoga on women and infants
- Prolonged labor and its effect on birth experience in women
- Childbirth experience for autistic women
- Pain managementin labor: relaxation techniques and therapies
- Cesarean section: risks and long-term effects
- Fear of childbirth: symptoms and treatments
- Parental experiences with premature and low birth weight infants
- Sleep disorders in new mothers: effects on mothers and infants
- Perinatal palliative care: the role of midwives in providing care and support to families
- Childbirth expectations and experience: effect on new mother’s mental health
- Advanced maternal age: risk factors
- Adverse pregnancy outcomes: causes and risk factors
- Periodontitis: effect on preterm birth and low birth weight in babies
- Spirituality in midwifery: effects on labor and delivery
- Obesity and pregnancy: labor intervention and outcomes
- Teamwork in midwifery: key concepts
- Power dynamics in midwifery care: initiating, building, and maintaining relationships
- Domestic violence against women: raising awareness among midwives
- Midwifery care for women of low socioeconomic status: benefits of understanding social context
- Psychological traumatic childbirth: contributing factors
- The role of midwives in the monitoring process of emergency care
- Fetal monitoring, screening, and other tests during pregnancy
- Weight management and physical activity in pregnancy
- Handling physical and emotional changes during pregnancy
- Facilitating and maintaining normal childbirth: strategies and practices
- Decision-making during birth: the role of midwives
- Midwifery care during the immediate postnatal period
- Engaging fathers in perinatal services: ways and strategies
- Skincare and hygiene for newborns and infants
- Immediate care of the newborns
- Infant feeding: methods and techniques
- Common feeding problems: identification and management
Mental Health Research Topics in Nursing
- The connection between social phobia and selective mutism
- Schizophrenia: environmental factors
- Phobias and the ways to deal with them
- Post-traumatic stress disorder: new prevention techniques
- Etiology of anorexia nervosa
- Understanding personal experience and phenomenology in patients with schizophrenia
- The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for panic attack treatment
- Schizotypal personality disorder: neurobiology and symptoms
- Depression in perimenopausal women
- Adjustment disorder: diagnosis and treatment
- The efficacy of mindfulness techniques in patients with social phobia
- Body dysmorphic disorder: diagnosis and treatment
- The mechanisms of body dysmorphic disorder: the use of brain imaging studies
- Borderline personality disorder: brain factors
- Changes in task performance under stress in patients with anxiety disorders
- Dialectical behavior therapy in the treatment of patients with a borderline personality disorder
- Reconstruction of the sense of self in schizophrenia patients
- Schizophrenia: genetic factors
- Bipolar disorder in families: genetic factors
- Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder: brain mechanisms and risk factors
- The connection between panic disorder and maladaptive behavior
- Vitamin D Deficiency and long-term cognitive impairment among older patients
- The efficacy of paroxetine in treating patients with anxiety
- The connection between dopamine levels and autism spectrum disorders
- Seasonal affective disorder: summer and winter patterns
- The connection between serotonin levels and autism spectrum disorders
- The combined effects of TMS and therapy on patients with depression
- Social media: effects on mental health among teenagers
- Effectiveness of deep brain stimulation in patients with depression
- ADHD: prevention strategies
- Conduct disorder in children: ways of increasing awareness
- The connection between brain inflammation and OCD
- Biological processes of generalized anxiety
- Effectiveness of peer support in preventing postnatal depression
- Codependency: ways of raising awareness
- The role of socio-cultural factors in the development of eating disorders
- The connection between air pollution and Alzheimer’s disease
- Effects of meditation on patients with cognitive impairment
- The physical response to a traumatic experience in patients with PTSD
- Ways of diagnosing of psychogenic movement disorders
- Ways of diagnosing autism spectrum disorder in adults
- Treatment of agoraphobia: new ways
- The efficacy of exposure therapy in the treatment of PTSD
- The connection between traumatic events during childhood and the development of borderline personality disorder
- Stimulant treatments of ADHD
- Mood disorders in children: treatment options
- White matter abnormalities in patients with OCD
- Bipolar disorder: early detection and risk factors
- Effects of music therapy for adolescents with autism
- Ways of detecting early-stage dementia
- The connection between screen time and inattention problems in children with ADHD
- Adverse childhood experiences: the long-term effects
- Brain differences in patients with insomnia
- Postnatal depression: risk factors
- Telephone support as a means of reducing postnatal depression: a cost-effectiveness analysis
Health Promotion Research Topics in Nursing
- Workplace wellness programs as ways of supporting healthy behavior
- Workplace health promotion among low-paid workers: new strategies
- Workplace policies: depression management promotion
- The efficacy of school health promotion
- The efficacy of school-based sex education programs
- The role of school-based interventions in preventing childhood mental health problems
- Managing the global epidemic: ways of raising health awareness
- Disease outbreaks: the role of health promotion
- HIV prevention: new ways of health promotion
- Communication of useful health information to lay community: new ways
- Motivation to change inactive behavior in young people
- Involvement of children in various physical activities: promotion strategies
- Physical activity promotion among people of low socioeconomic background: challenges and opportunities
- Physical activity promotion among people with disabilities: challenges and opportunities
- Late-life depression management programs for the elderly
- Planning meaningful activities with older adults as a means of reducing depressive symptoms
- Preventative medicine practices for seniors
- New ways of maintaining a healthy lifestyle in older age
- Communication and sharing of preventative medicine techniques: new ways
- Community-based exercise programs for older adults
- New ways of educating young people about the importance of having a positive body image
- The relationship between a healthy lifestyle promotion and social media: new educational strategies
- Workplace programs for raising awareness of AIDS
- Workplace programs for raising awareness of heart disease
- Workplace programs for raising awareness on the routes of transmitting infectious diseases
- Occupational health and safety programs for people working in dangerous conditions
- Maintenance of healthy work environments: new ways
- New ways of increasing workers’ participation in shaping the working environment
- Non-occupational factors in the general environment: ways of raising awareness
- Award-system as a means of promotion of participation in workplace initiatives
- New ways of reducing exposure to cancer risk factors
- The effects of second-hand smoking: ways of raising awareness
- Healthy eating habits as a means of preventing the development of diet-associated cancers
- The connection between obesity and cancer: ways of raising awareness
- Alcohol use as a risk factor for cancer: ways of raising awareness
- The importance of vaccines for the hepatitis B virus in cancer prevention
- Cancer-causing air pollution: ways of raising awareness
- The connection between air pollution and lung cancer
- UV radiation and skin cancer: ways of raising awareness
- Physical inactivity as a major cause of death in developed countries
- Physical activity promotion among people with disabilities: challenges and opportunities
- Eating habits and behaviors in children: ways of influencing
- Cyberbullying: ways of raising awareness and prevention
- Brain health programs: creating new strategies on a small budget
- Brain exercise: understanding key principles
- New strategies in fostering cancer-preventive behaviors
- Workplace wellness programs as ways of supporting healthy behavior
- Occupational health and safety programs for people working in dangerous conditions
- Maintenance of healthy work environments: new ways
- New ways of increasing workers’ participation in shaping the working environment
Nursing Topics for Discussion
- New technologies in nursing
- Continuing nursing education: a 3-5 year plan
- Nurse-patient interactions and outcomes in clinical practice
- Evidence-based practice & applied nursing research
- Joint Commission: national patient safety goals
- Concept comparison and analysis across nursing theories
- Nursing communication process
- Nurse roles in practice
- Certified nurse assistant preparatory school: business plan
- Undergraduate nursing program and Resnick’s theory
- Self-employed nurses as agents of change in Canada
- Contemporary nursing knowledge components
Top 10 Nursing Research Questions
- How can tweet reminders help teenagers with type 1 diabetes maintain lower blood sugars?
- What’s the connection between psychiatric ward design and aggressive behavior?
- How can computerized nursing records improve the outcomes for patients?
- Is it possible to link veterans’ suicide rates to the timing and location of suicide prevention appointments?
- What are the roles of nurse managers in turnover intervention among nursing staff?
- How can peer support intervention help to prevent suicides among female high school students?
- What are the ways of preventing cachexia in cancer patients receiving radiation and chemotherapy?
- Do changes that occur in the brain due to dementia cause pain?
- What’s the efficacy of yoga as a treatment in reducing lymphedema in cancer patients?
- What can be done to improve the sustainability of operating rooms?
Types of Nursing Research
When conducting nursing research, the choice of research design is crucial and typically hinges on the specific research question. Nursing research encompasses both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Quantitative Research in Nursing
Quantitative research aims to gather empirical evidence through deduction and generalization. This involves collecting data to either support or refute a specific hypothesis and determining the extent to which findings can be applied to a broader population.
Quantitative research can take the form of non-experimental or experimental designs.
Non-experimental designs involve observing natural occurrences without intervention. They are not primarily used to establish causation or predict outcomes. Non-experimental designs include:
- Descriptive: These studies focus on describing under-researched subjects or phenomena. Researchers observe and categorize occurrences to determine their frequency and characteristics.
- Correlational: Correlational studies examine relationships between variables. Researchers measure variables, analyze data, and present statistical findings to identify associations and patterns.
Qualitative Research in Nursing
Qualitative research in nursing focuses on exploring personal experiences through observation and interaction with patients via methods like interviews, notes, and diaries. Unlike quantitative research, qualitative studies aim to provide in-depth understanding and insights without necessarily generalizing findings.
Types of Qualitative Research Designs in Nursing
- Phenomenology: Phenomenological research aims to describe how individuals experience a particular phenomenon. Researchers select participants who have direct experience with the phenomenon and gather rich, detailed information from each participant to develop comprehensive insights.
- Grounded Theory: Grounded theory explores how social processes influence individuals within a specific context. Researchers conduct interviews not only with individuals directly involved but also with their relatives or others connected to the context. Data is systematically analyzed to derive a theoretical framework grounded in empirical evidence.
- Ethnography: Ethnographic research examines the influence of culture on individuals’ behaviors and experiences. Researchers immerse themselves in the cultural setting, observing and documenting unique cultural practices from an insider’s perspective to understand their impact on healthcare and nursing practices.
- Narrative Inquiry: Narrative inquiry involves interpreting personal accounts provided by participants. Researchers invite participants to share their stories and experiences, analyzing the content and structure of narratives to uncover themes and meanings inherent in the stories told.
Nursing students have a wide array of research topics to explore, ranging from qualitative to quantitative approaches. Choosing a suitable topic involves selecting a research design that aligns with the research question and objectives. Whether conducting phenomenological studies or grounded theory research, it’s essential to ensure ethical practices and respect for participants’ rights throughout the research process. Engaging with existing literature helps maintain relevance and rigor in nursing research, contributing to the advancement of medical science and healthcare practices globally.