How to Write Your Nursing Dissertation (eBook)

Alan Glasper, Diane Carpenter (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: EPUB

2021 | 2. Auflage
John Wiley & Sons (Verlag)
978-1-119-75775-7 (ISBN)

Infos

how to write your nursing dissertation

How to Write Your Nursing Dissertation provides nursing and healthcare students with authoritative information on developing, writing, and presenting an evidence-based practice healthcare dissertation, project or evidence-informed decision-making assignment. Written by experienced healthcare professionals, this comprehensive textbook offers clear and straightforward guidance on sourcing, accessing, and critically appraising evidence, helping students develop their clinical research and writing skills. The authors address the common difficulties encountered throughout the process of writing a dissertation, project or evidence-informed decision-making assignment, and offer expert tips and practical advice for managing time, developing study skills, interpreting statistics, publishing aspects of the work in a journal or at a conference, and more.

Now in its second edition, this bestselling guide presents relatable and engaging scenarios to illustrate the setting of standards, explore legal and ethical frameworks, examine auditing and benchmarking, and demonstrate how evidence is applied to real-world problems. Covering the entire dissertation, project or evidence-informed decision-making assignment process from a nursing and healthcare perspective, this innovative textbook:

Helps students develop and appropriately answer a clear dissertation, project or evidence-informed decision-making assignment

Addresses the fundamental aspects of evidence-based practice in an accessible and readable style

Features new and updated content on mini dissertations, final assessments, and evidence-informed decision-making projects that many healthcare institutions now require

Presents up-to-date information that meets the needs of new healthcare roles, such as the Nursing Associate and Healthcare Assistant

Includes access to a companion website containing downloadable information, an unabridged dissertation sample, and links to additional resources

How to Write Your Nursing Dissertation is a must-have guide for nursing and healthcare students, trainees, other healthcare students required to complete an evidence-based practice project, and anyone looking to strengthen their critical appraisal and assignment writing skills.

ALAN GLASPER is Emeritus Professor of Nursing Studies, University of Southampton, UK. He is also the editor-in-chief of the international journal Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Nursing.

DIANE CARPENTER is Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, UK.

Inhalt

Section 1 Starting your dissertation journey

1 Starting the Journey of Your Final Year Project

2 Introduction to writing your evidence-based practice dissertation/project

3 Clinical effectiveness and evidence-based practice: background and history

4 What is evidence-based practice and clinical effectiveness?

5 The challenges of delivering practice based on best evidence (in primary, secondary and tertiary settings)

Section 2 Sourcing and accessing evidence for your dissertation

6 Sourcing the best evidence

7 What is grey literature and where can it be found?

8 Harvard or Vancouver - getting it right all the time

9 Posing an evidence-based practice question: Using the PICO and SPICE models

Section 3 Developing your healthcare/evidence-based practice dissertation

10 Managing your time wisely

11 Developing your study skills

12 Getting the most from your personal tutor

Section 4 -Preparing to use research evidence in your dissertation

13 Clinical standards, audit and inspection

14 Understanding quantitative research

15 Understanding qualitative research

16 Using historical literature

Section 5 Critically appraising evidence

17 Selecting and using appraisal tools: How to interrogate research papers

18 Critically reviewing qualitative papers using a CASP critiquing tool

19 Critically reviewing quantitative papers using a CASP critiquing tool

20 Critically reviewing a journal paper using the Parahoo model

Section 6 - Taking your dissertation further: disseminating evidence, knowledge transfer; writing as a professional skill

21 Publishing your dissertation: In a journal or at a conference

22 Reflecting on your dissertation/ project /evidence informed decision-making project/ assignment journey

23 Building the architecture of your dissertation

Section 7 Bonus chapters (Website only)

24 Public Health: writing a Master's level Dissertation

25 Critically reviewing a journal paper using the Rees model

26 Managing a learning difference

27 Research governance in practice

28 Using evidence in practice

Textauszug

Chapter 1
Starting the journey of your final‐year project

Megan Bonner‐Janes

University of Southampton, UK

What is a final‐year project?

The landscape of nurse training is evolving to become more flexible and accessible. Whether you have embarked on an apprenticeship leading to a degree in nursing or a foundation degree nursing associate qualification, are attending a higher education institution and undertaking a full‐time direct entry degree in nursing, or perhaps you were awarded your nursing registration before the profession became all‐graduate in 2013 and have now chosen to ‘top‐up’ to a BSc or BN, you will be required to complete a final year project.

There are variations in the names awarded to these projects between education providers; dissertation, research project, evidenced‐based practice project or portfolio for example. The form, structure and expected content of this project will also vary between institutions, with some requiring a ‘traditional’ 10 000‐word evidence‐based practice enquiry, while others may request a significantly shorter literature review, aimed at writing for a specific relevant journal with a view to publication. This might sound unfairly disparate, but often it is easier to work with a larger word count than it is a restricted one. Perhaps you will be required to critique the literature underpinning a specific piece of healthcare guidance, and then design an audit to test whether the recommendations are happening in practice.

Although there are many potential methodologies (research word for recipe) that you could be asked to follow, there are nevertheless commonalities between them all which remain constant, and so for the purposes of this book, we will refer to this polynymous piece of work as a ‘final year project’ or ‘dissertation’.

It is unlikely at undergraduate level that you would be asked to generate any new empirical evidence, meaning you will not be conducting research to generate new evidence yourself; rather you will be required to focus on a specific topic by systematically reviewing the literature in relation to that topic.

Other potential common features of a final‐year project include:

• larger word count than other essays in the same programme;
• a requirement for you to show understanding of research methods and methodologies;
• a requirement for you to demonstrate your ability to be analytical and critical in your thinking and writing
• more credits than other essays (generally double the credit weighting compared with other assignments in the same programme).

A final‐year project is often viewed as the culmination of a programme of learning which helps consolidate the student’s knowledge, skills and understanding of the research base of the discipline.

Whether you are accessing a foundation degree to become a Nursing Associate, or are a fully registered nurse undertaking postgraduate study, it is essential to understand the task required of you.

Scenario

Alisha left school without taking A‐levels; she sought employment as a healthcare assistant at her local NHS Trust. Her ward managers recognised that Alisha had potential and when the new Nursing Associate Foundation Degree by the local university was launched in 2018 they sponsored her to undertake this new course. Alisha is now in her second and final year and is looking forward to registering with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a qualified Nursing Associate. However, Alisha must successfully complete an evidence‐based practice project of 4000 words before completing the course. She and her friend Charlotte, who is a third‐year student nurse, often meet in the library.

Charlotte is a third‐year undergraduate student nurse and has been recently assessed as having a learning difference. She has been having regular support meetings with the faculty learning support manager. She has to write a 7000‐word evidence‐based practice assignment.

Sue, a senior staff nurse, has an Advanced Diploma in Nursing and is aware of the move to an all‐graduate profession for new applicants to nursing. This has prompted her to embark on a ‘top‐up degree’ programme at a nearby university to enable her to achieve graduate status. To meet the programme requirements she will need to complete a 10 000‐word evidence‐based practice final‐year project (dissertation).

Sam, a friend of Sue, is a ward manager and graduated with a Bachelor in Nursing degree 10 years earlier and now wants to study for an MSc in Nursing. For the MSc evidence‐based practice final‐year project he will have to write a thesis of 20 000 words in length.

SUE:

‘Why do we have to write such a long final year project?’

SAM:

‘That is a good question Sue. We should first explore what an evidence‐based practice final‐year project is so we can understand why it is a significant aspect of our degree programmes and what we need to achieve. This article I have been reading indicates some key aspects of a final‐year project.’

Activity 1.1

Before reading further it will be helpful for you to consider exactly what the module requirements are for your final‐year project. What is the task that you have been set?

Talk to other people who have undertaken the task previously, or who are currently undertaking the same project, to determine how they have approached or intend to approach the task. It is likely that your course will provide a number of exemplars of previous projects.

Note that the website that accompanies this book also has exemplar projects available, take a look to see which most closely resembles the project you are undertaking.

Why do nurses need to do a research‐based project?

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the regulatory body for registered nurses and nurses in training across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. They provide the standards of competence which underpin nursing practice and education. In Future Nurse: Standards for Proficiency for Registered Nurses it states:

The confidence and ability to think critically, apply knowledge and skills, and provide expert, evidence‐based, direct nursing care therefore lies at the centre of all registered nursing practice.

(NMC 2018:3)

Healthcare practitioners need to be able to ask questions about practice, access healthcare research and evidence, and report the key ideas and findings effectively and accurately to others. Preparing a final‐year project will provide you with the skills that you need to be able to search for, and critically evaluate, relevant theoretical knowledge and literature, which will underpin your practice, improve your knowledge, inform your practice, and therefore improve outcomes for patients and service users.

It is therefore the process of writing a final‐year project that is arguably more important than the final project document itself. Production of a final‐year evidence‐based project is the primary means to achieving an honours or a master’s degree.

Undergraduate versus postgraduate projects

Normally an undergraduate project will be based on a critique of a small selection of evidence and be applied to one focused aspect of practice. It will provide insight and hands‐on experience of the process of engaging in evidence‐based practice and should inform individual or local professional clinical practice.

The requirement of a master’s programme is that the evidence‐based project demonstrates how the student has ‘mastered’ a core aspect of healthcare practice, related research knowledge and discipline‐related content.

There is a qualitative difference between the master’s final‐year project and the undergraduate final‐year project as well as the quantitative difference recognised by the word allowance. This normally relates to the depth, breadth and analysis demonstrated in the written work. A master’s final‐year project will systematically critique a greater amount of evidence from a range of different sources, demonstrating a significant appreciation of underlying issues, application, and impact of the findings for the wider practice context.

Undergraduate evidence‐based practice projects tend to focus on ‘what’ and ‘where’ questions related to practice, while master’s level work will move on to asking more analytical questions that focus on the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of practice.

The UK Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Subject Benchmark Statement provides a means of describing standards for the award of qualifications at a given level. The capabilities and attributes of those who undertake final‐year projects for particular qualifications should demonstrate the appropriate level of study. This is always indicated in the programme final‐year project assignment guidelines and the learning outcomes made available to students. More detail on this can be found in Chapter 2.

What are the features of a degree education?

Increasingly, degree...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 9.3.2021
• Reihe/Serie: HOW - How To
• Reihe/Serie: HOW - How To
• Reihe/Serie: How To
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Sprach- / Literaturwissenschaft ► Literaturwissenschaft
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Sprach- / Literaturwissenschaft ► Sprachwissenschaft
• Themenwelt: Medizin / Pharmazie ► Pflege
• Themenwelt: Technik
• Schlagworte: Ausbildung u. Perspektiven i. d. Krankenpflege • Evidence-based Health Care • Evidenzbasierte Forschung im Gesundheitswesen • Krankenpflege • Krankenpflegeforschung • Medical Science • Medizin • nursing • Nursing Education & Professional Development • Nursing Research • Wissenschaftliche Arbeit
• ISBN-10: 1-119-75775-4 / 1119757754
• ISBN-13: 978-1-119-75775-7 / 9781119757757