13 min

Updated: December 29th, 2023

290 Good Nursing Research Topics & Questions

Florence Nightingale is called “the mother of modern nursing.” She was the first one who started incorporating research into her practice. While providing patients with health care and support, nurses observe things that may need further investigation. This way, they become not only caretakers but also scientists.

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Research topics in nursing are a way to gain valuable evidence-based knowledge while providing patient care. Moreover, they offer an opportunity to help other nurses by contributing to global healthcare. Some of the most pressing nursing research questions concern medical surgery, midwifery, and geriatrics, as well as the issues of leadership and management.

Need some inspiring topics for nursing students? Look no further! This article by Custom-writing.org experts contains 290 hot nursing research topics, as well as useful additional information and writing tips.

🔝 Top 10 Topics
☑️ How to Choose a Topic?
📜 List of Topics in Nursing
🔝 10 Research Questions
📑 Types of Nursing Research
1. 🔢 Quantitative Research
2. 🔬 Qualitative Research
👋 Conclusion
🤔 FAQs

🔝 Top 10 Nursing Research Topics 2024

The social effect of the opioid crisis.
Cancel culture and women’s health.
Economic aspects of euthanasia.
Nursing adaptation for a digital era.
The gender pay gap in nursing.
Health issues of immigrant women.
Should futile medical care be provided?
Ways to improve diversity in nursing.
Ethics of artificial hydration and nutrition.
Overcoming vaccine hesitancy during pregnancy.

☑️ Research Topics in Nursing: How to Choose?

BSc students and interns often find it challenging to come up with a nursing research paper topic. Healthcare covers a lot of very diverse topics. It’s easy to get confused while trying to choose the most interesting one.

First of all, t is very important to narrow your focus. If the problem you’ve chosen is too large, it can be impossible to examine it properly. Remember: you don’t have to solve world problems in order to contribute to medical science. Choose a current topic which already has plenty of literature studies, and add something new to it. There are interesting nursing research questions in any area, be it social work, psychology, obstetrics, or clinical nursing.

Narrow your focus when choosing a research topic.

You can choose a topic based on your personal experience. It can be something you observe in your family or an issue that made you interested in the nursing profession in the first place. You can look at the situation in your hometown or city to help you come up with an idea for evidence-based practice nursing research topics.

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📜 Nursing Research Topics

Once you’ve chosen your area of interest, you are ready to formulate your thesis and write a research proposal. Below is a list of research questions examples for you to choose from.

🐥 Pediatric Nursing Research Topics

Ways of enhancing language development for children with developmental disabilities

Evaluation of pragmatic language patterns in autistic children
Taking care of children with congenital heart disease: psychological issues
Childhood cancer treatment optimization: new ways
Children with cancer and their families: psychological issues
Cancer: health service delivery efficiency
Childhood obesity: a population health issue
Radiation therapy: the response of the hematopoietic system in oncology patients
Leukemia cells and the immune system: mechanisms of interaction
Childhood acute leukemia: the use of molecular markers in diagnosis
Blindness in children receiving oxygen therapy: risk-reducing strategies

Early life exposures that promote heart disease later in life
Role of early-life exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in childhood obesity
Obesity in children and adolescents: prevention strategies
Childhood obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors: epidemiologic research
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
Prenatal exposure to nicotine: health effects
Effects of early life stress on metabolic and cognitive development of children
Asthma in children: diagnosis and management
Asthma in children: monitoring techniques
Opportunistic fungal infections: pathogenesis and treatment
HHV6: pathogenesis, immunology, and treatment
Meningitis in children: prevention and vaccination
Vaccination against influenza in children: reactions and complications
Common measles complications in children
Surfactant replacement therapy for premature infants: beneficial effects
Animal models for respiratory diseases: the investigation of pathogenesis
Cells and molecules in lung health and disease: understanding the function
Neurotrophin and neurotransmitter receptors: a molecular study
New therapeutic approaches to developmental diseases of the nervous system
Movement disorders in children: understanding and treatment
Tourette syndrome in children: causes and treatment
Neuroblastoma in children: understanding racial differences
Understanding Metabolic Syndrome: symptoms and causes
Anorexia and related changes in brain function and behavior
Eating disorders in children: effects on growth and health
Infant nutrition: prevention of obesity and eating disorders
ADHD medication for children: long-term effects
ADHD in children: efficacy of dance and music therapy
Efficacy of mind-body therapy in children with ADHD
Autism in children: benefits of meditation techniques
Ear infections in children: diagnosis and treatment
Acute renal insufficiency: nursing care and treatment
Childhood nephrotic syndrome: nursing care and management
Kidney stones in children: preventive strategies
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: development and symptoms
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome: management strategies
Type 1 diabetes in children: genetic and environmental factors
Children with type 1 diabetes from ethnic minorities: risk factors

👴 Geriatric Nursing Research Topics

Age-Related Changes in Health: cardiovascular system
Age-Related Changes in Nervous System and Cognition abilities in older adults
Physiologic changes in the musculoskeletal system in older adults
The effects of aging on the immune system
Vaccination for older adults: benefits and challenges
Urinary tract infections in older adults: risk factors and diagnosis
Malnutrition in older adults: consequences and effects on organ systems
Gastrointestinal tract disorders in older age: nursing care strategies
Nursing: long-term care facilities
Sensory system changes and impairments in older adults: nursing care strategies
Assessment of physical function in older adults: effects of regular physical activity
Oral health conditions in older adults: effects and treatment
Ways of improving oral care for older people
Oral hydration in older adults: ways of maintaining
Dehydration in older adults: prevention, recognition, and treatment
Diet as a risk factor for dementia

Personalized diets for older adults and their role in healthy aging
The role of diet in reducing the risk of osteoporosis
Family caregiving of older cancer patients: psychological issues
Taking care for seniors with chronic illness: psychological issues
Risk factors for functional decline in older patients: ways of optimization
Physical environment as a risk factor for functional decline in older patients
Later-life depression: cause and risk factors
Ophthalmic care for older patients: nursing strategies
Medication adherence in patients with dementia: development and implementation of interventions
Use of machine learning in predicting dementia in older adults: effectiveness and accuracy assessment
Alzheimer’s disease: biological mechanisms and preventive measures
Cognitive therapy for older patients with Alzheimer’s disease: effectiveness and strategies
Delirium in elderly patients: prevention strategies
Massage Therapy vs. Simple Touch to Improve Pain and Mood in Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Randomized Trial
Improving pain management in older patients: care strategies
Falls and injury risk in older adults: prevention and management
Adverse drug effects in elderly patients: interventions and care strategies
Use of physical restraints: ethics of the issue
Ethnicity as a risk factor for pressure ulcer development
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
Management of sepsis in critically ill elderly patients
Complications in critically ill patients due to prolonged hospital stay
Heart failure in older adults: current therapeutic options
Care of elderly surgical patients: ways of optimization
The concept of geriatric dehydration
Perioperative care of older adults: nursing strategies
Medical emergencies associated with cancer treatment of elderly patients
Cancer surgery in elderly patients: risk assessment
Pancreatic cancer surgery in older adults: balancing risks and benefits
Bladder cancer in older adults: risk factors and challenges
Older patients with fragility hip fracture: care strategies
Handling pressure ulcers in hip fracture patients
Care of the older patients in the ED: nursing intervention
Transitional care for elderly patients with chronic disease: care strategies
Advanced care planning: nurse’s roles and strategies

🍼 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 management in 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 air pollution and Alzheimer’s disease
Vitamin D Deficiency and long-term cognitive impairment among older patients
Effects of meditation on patients with cognitive impairment
The connection between social phobia and selective mutism
Post-traumatic stress disorder: new prevention techniques
Social media: effects on mental health among teenagers
Stimulant treatments of ADHD
Bipolar disorder: early detection and risk factors
Bipolar disorder in families: genetic factors
Effectiveness of deep brain stimulation in patients with depression

Reconstruction of the sense of self in schizophrenia patients
Understanding personal experience and phenomenology in patients with schizophrenia
The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for panic attack treatment
The connection between panic disorder and maladaptive behavior
The connection between brain inflammation and OCD
White matter abnormalities in patients with OCD
The combined effects of TMS and therapy on patients with depression
Changes in task performance under stress in patients with anxiety disorders
Biological processes of generalized anxiety
Depression in perimenopausal women
Schizophrenia: genetic factors
Schizophrenia: environmental factors
Ways of diagnosing autism spectrum disorder in adults
Ways of detecting early-stage dementia
The connection between dopamine levels and autism spectrum disorders
The connection between serotonin levels and autism spectrum disorders
The connection between screen time and inattention problems in children with ADHD
ADHD: prevention strategies
The efficacy of mindfulness techniques in patients with social phobia
The efficacy of paroxetine in treating patients with anxiety
Etiology of anorexia nervosa
The role of socio-cultural factors in the development of eating disorders
Treatment of agoraphobia: new ways
Phobias and the ways to deal with them
Seasonal affective disorder: summer and winter patterns
Brain differences in patients with insomnia
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder: brain mechanisms and risk factors
The physical response to a traumatic experience in patients with PTSD
Borderline personality disorder: brain factors
Effects of music therapy for adolescents with autism
The connection between traumatic events during childhood and the development of borderline personality disorder
Dialectical behavior therapy in the treatment of patients with a borderline personality disorder
Ways of diagnosing of psychogenic movement disorders
Conduct disorder in children: ways of increasing awareness
Adverse childhood experiences: the long-term effects
Body dysmorphic disorder: diagnosis and treatment
The mechanisms of body dysmorphic disorder: the use of brain imaging studies
Adjustment disorder: diagnosis and treatment
Schizotypal personality disorder: neurobiology and symptoms
The efficacy of exposure therapy in the treatment of PTSD
Codependency: ways of raising awareness
Mood disorders in children: treatment options

🏊 Health Promotion Research Topics in Nursing

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
Late-life depression management programs for the elderly
Planning meaningful activities with older adults as a means of reducing depressive symptoms
Smoking cessation: the study of obstacles
Ideas for quitting smoking: new techniques
Youth inactivity: ways of raising awareness
Health promotion strategies for obesity
Motivation to change inactive behavior in young people
Involvement of children in various physical activities: promotion strategies
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
Improving diabetes lifestyle
New ways of increasing cancer screening rates
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
Workplace programs for raising awareness of AIDS
Workplace programs for raising awareness of heart disease
Workplace health promotion among low-paid workers: new strategies
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 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 of low socioeconomic background: challenges and opportunities
Physical activity promotion among people with disabilities: challenges and opportunities
Eating habits and behaviors in children: ways of influencing
The efficacy of school-based sex education programs
Cyberbullying: ways of raising awareness and prevention
Workplace policies: depression management promotion
The efficacy of school health promotion
The role of school-based interventions in preventing childhood mental health problems
Brain health programs: creating new strategies on a small budget
Brain exercise: understanding key principles
Communication of useful health information to lay community: new ways
Managing the global epidemic: ways of raising health awareness
Disease outbreaks: the role of health promotion
HIV prevention: new ways of health promotion
Ways of raising awareness on the routes of transmitting infectious diseases
Healthy childhood development: health education for children

💡 Nursing Topics for Discussion

🔝 Top 10 Nursing Research Questions

What’s the connection between psychiatric ward design and aggressive behavior?
How can computerized nursing records improve the outcomes for patients?
Do changes that occur in the brain due to dementia cause pain?
How can tweet reminders help teenagers with type 1 diabetes maintain lower blood sugars?
What’s the efficacy of yoga as a treatment in reducing lymphedema in cancer patients?
How can peer support intervention help to prevent suicides among female high school students?
Is it possible to link veterans’ suicide rates to the timing and location of suicide prevention appointments?
What can be done to improve the sustainability of operating rooms?
What are the roles of nurse managers in turnover intervention among nursing staff?
What are the ways of preventing cachexia in cancer patients receiving radiation and chemotherapy?

📑 Types of Nursing Research

When writing nursing research, you need to use a particular research design. Typically, the choice of design depends on your research question. There can be qualitative and quantitative nursing research topics.

🔢 Quantitative Research In Nursing

Quantitative research is aimed at gaining empirical evidence using deduction and generalization. This means gathering evidence to support or refute a particular theory and deciding to what extent the results can be generalized to a larger population.

Quantitative research can be non-experimental and experimental in design.

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Non-experimental designs imply a description of what happens naturally, without intervention. They are usually not used to detect causes and effects and are not effective for making predictions. Non-experimental designs are classified as follows:

Descriptive. Descriptive studies are centered on under-researched subjects and phenomena. You describe it, see how often it occurs, and categorize the information you’ve gained.
Correlational. Correlational studies are aimed at the examination of relationships between the variables. You must measure the variables, analyze the results, and present statistics.

Types of quantitative research in nursing.

Experimental designs imply strict control from the researcher. They can be used for establishing cause-and-effect relationships, as well as predictions. The experiments are usually blind, which helps to avoid bias. Experimental designs are classified in the following way:

True-experimental designs, in which cause-and-effect relationships are examined in a controlled environment. It includes studying two groups of people who receive different treatments, assigned randomly.
Quasi-experimental designs, which differ from true experiments by the absence of random assignments.

🔬 Qualitative Research In Nursing

Qualitative research studies are focused on one’s personal experience. It is conducted through observation and interaction with patients via interviews, notes, and diaries. Induction is often used, by which you gain evidence to support a theory without generalizing the results.

Qualitative research designs in nursing.

Qualitative research study designs include four types:

Phenomenology. Phenomenological research is aimed at describing the phenomena as it is experienced by an individual. In this study, you need to select people who are familiar with the particular phenomenon. You gain information from each participant and make a conclusion.
Grounded theory. This type of study includes the influence of social processes on individuals. You would need to interview the subjects themselves, as well as their relatives, spouses, etc. Then you synthesize the data into one theory.
Ethnography. This type of research design is associated with the influence of a particular culture on individuals. It involves describing unique attributes of a culture from the insider’s perspective.
Narrative inquiry. Narrative inquiry is a research study design that is based on an interpretation of personal accounts of the participants. You ask your subjects to talk about their experiences, and then you analyze their narratives. Contents, as well as the structure of the narratives, must be taken into account.

👋 Conclusion

As you can see, there are great many research topics for nursing students to choose from! See what suits you best and formulate the idea for your own project. You can then publish your results in a nursing research journal article and start a discussion with other nurses around the world.

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If you’ve chosen an evidence-based practice nursing research topic, make sure that you find suitable human subjects for your experiment. You can ask your friends or make online questionnaires to help you conduct your research. Always take care of your subjects and protect their rights.

Once you’ve chosen your topic, study the available literature. See if there’s anything you can critique or question. This type of research is just as useful as applied research, as it helps to keep medical science relevant by constantly checking for obsolete information.

Find the topic, choose the design for your research, set yourself clear goals – and write your best nursing research paper or reflective essay! Good luck!

🤔 Nursing Research FAQs

❓ What Is Nursing Research?

Nursing research is a type of study conducted by nurses during their practice. It helps them to gain evidence on the effectiveness of different treatments. Nursing research can be used to demonstrate the trustworthiness of new methods in medicine, as well as to predict outcomes for patients with illnesses or injuries.

❓ Why Is Nursing Research Important?

The scientific activity of nurses is essential for the medical community. Nurses help to move medicine forward by challenging traditional practices with fresh ideas. Their research is usually aimed at enhancing professional practice and improving nursing activities. The topics include both physical and mental health.

❓ What Is a Source of Nursing Research?

The primary sources of nursing research are experience and scientific knowledge. Your personal experience as a nurse is especially important because it allows you to observe and gather first-hand information about various medical conditions. Scientific knowledge is then used for the evaluation and analysis of the collected data.

❓ What Is Sampling Theory in Nursing Research?

Sampling theory in medical science is a study of gathering information about a population by investigating only a part of it. To do that, you need to collect samples from a group of individuals who all share a common trait. A statistic is then estimated and applied to the whole population. Sampling is often conducted as part of nursing research because it allows making conclusions without testing it with all people.

❓ What Is Qualitative Research in Nursing?

Qualitative research in nursing is aimed at gathering information about patients’ subjective experiences. It is usually conducted in the form of interviews, notes, and diaries. It helps in understanding complex phenomena and is often used in psychology. Sometimes nurses themselves are interviewed about their working conditions. This type of research allows nurses to make their practice better by continually learning from experience.

❓ How to Control Extraneous Variables in Nursing Research?

Extraneous variables may affect the results of your research and even threaten its validity. They are hard to control, but their influence can be reduced in the following ways:

Assign the subjects to treatment and control groups as randomly as possible.
Match your samples by distributing people with different variables, such as age and gender, as evenly as possible.
Maintain objectivity by avoiding bias.
Adjust the results for the effects of extraneous variables through statistical analysis.

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