thesis statement on nursing

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Nursing essay thesis statement [+how to & examples], dr. wilson mn.

• August 11, 2022
• Essay Topics and Ideas , Samples

This article provides information on thesis statement , structure, and style, as well as tips on how to write an effective nursing essay thesis statement and nursing essay thesis statement examples.

There are many different formats that you can use when writing nursing essays. Thesis statements, for example, will be at the beginning of your essay, while the body of your essay will contain details and examples supporting your thesis statement.

In order to ensure that your essay is well organized and flows from point to point, it is important to follow a specific structure.

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What You'll Learn

How to write a Thesis Statement in a nursing essay

Nursing essay writing format [Thesis, Structure]

A thesis statement is the most important part of your nursing essay . It should be a clear, concise, and compelling statement that outlines your main argument. It should also be based on research you have done and reflect your personal opinion. Follow these tips to help create a strong thesis statement for your nursing essay:

1. Start by identifying the problem you want to address. What problem do you think needs to be addressed in the nursing profession? For example, do nurses need more training in preventative care ? Do they need more support when caring for patients ? When writing about a problem that you haven’t personally experienced, it’s important to cite reliable sources that will help support your argument.

Read more on How to Start a Nursing Essay [Nursing Essay Introduction]

2. Be specific about the impact of this problem on nurses and patients . State how this problem has harmed nurses and patients in specific ways . For example, do nurses feel overloaded with work? Do they lack adequate resources to care for their patients effectively ? Be clear about the magnitude of the issue and how it impacts both nurses and patients.

3. Use evidence to back up your argument. Cite reliable sources that supports your thesis statement . For example, if you’re arguing that nurses need more training in preventative care , you can use research studies to back up this claim. Be sure to cite your sources so that readers can verify the information you are presenting.

4. Write in a clear and concise manner. Use specific examples and language to help illustrate your point. For example, rather than saying “Nurses need more support,” say “Nurses need more assistance from their superiors when caring for patients.” This will make your argument more clear and easier to understand.

5. Don’t be afraid to state your opinion. In fact, it’s important to do so. However, make sure that your opinion is based on evidence and research. Don’t simply state what you believe without backing it up with evidence or analysis.

here’s How to Conclude a nursing essay [Nursing Essay Conclusion + Examples]

Nursing Essay Thesis Statement Examples

A thesis statement is a concise, compelling statement of your argument. When writing an essay , you should choose a thesis statement that reflects your main arguments and supports your analysis. A good thesis statement will summarize the main points of your essay and introduce new ideas . The following are examples of effective thesis statements for nursing essays:nnNurses are in constant need of updated education in order to provide quality care to their patients .

There are three main types of thesis statements in nursing: descriptive, explanatory, and persuasive. Descriptive statements describe what has been observed or what is known about a certain subject. Explanatory statements explain how something works or why it exists. Persuasive statements engage the reader in your argument by showing how what you are saying is related to their own situation or experience.

Besides, you can use these 100+ Strong Persuasive Nursing Essay Topics Ideas [+Outline]

The following are examples of descriptive, explanatory, and persuasive thesis statements:

Descriptive Thesis Statement: Nursing is an important profession that helps people to maintain their health and extend their lives.

Explanatory Thesis Statement: Nursing plays an important role in the care of patients who are critically ill or who have serious injuries.

Persuasive Thesis Statement: Becoming a nurse is an excellent way to gain valuable experience that will help you to become a successful

Here are 210+ Current Nursing Essay Topics to write about [+Outline]

Nursing Essay Thesis Statement Examples 1

In this essay, I will discuss the importance of nursing , identify the essential skills and qualities necessary for success as a nurse, and provide an example of a powerful nursing thesis statement.

Here are four example thesis statements for nursing essays:

Nursing is an important career choice for those who want to make a difference in the lives of others. Nursing provides unique opportunities to develop personal relationships with patients and their families. Nursing is critically important to the health and well-being of the population . The nursing profession faces many challenges , but it has the potential to make a significant impact on society

Find out more on  How to write DNP capstone project Methodology Chapter ,  How to write a DNP Capstone Project Literature Review ,  How to write a DNP capstone project chapter 1 – Introduction , and  DNP Capstone project Abstract Examples [Outline & How-to]

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Writing a Thesis for Nursing School

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Are you ready to earn your online nursing degree?

Writing a thesis presents an opportunity for graduate students to conduct scholarly inquiry, with the potential of publishing their finished paper. A thesis requires nursing students to identify a problem in nursing, and review academic literature while developing advanced research skills. Thesis advisors and committees guide students from the proposal phase to the final oral defense, a process that spans about two semesters.

Not every nursing student is required to complete a thesis. Some nursing programs offer a non-thesis option, in which candidates complete a final capstone project or oral examination on topics such as nursing theories and clinical practices.

The thesis process and requirements vary by school. Ohio State University’s master of science in nursing program’s final examination includes oral and written portions.

Want to know what to expect during the thesis process? Read on to learn how you can choose a thesis topic and orally defend your paper.

Choosing Your Nursing Thesis Topic

Nursing students must choose a thesis topic before they begin the research and writing process, typically within the first two terms of nursing school. A solid thesis must present an original argument, manageable research scope, and worthy academic pursuit. A thesis advisor or research professor will help to guide each student through the process of choosing a topic.

In the conceptual phase, candidates research potential thesis topics based on their interests within their nursing specialty. Students may start with a broad topic such as obesity and weight management, depression, or cardiovascular disease. To narrow their thesis argument, graduate students might focus on racial or ethnic groups, socio-economic issues, or current events.

After settling on a topic, students draft and submit a thesis proposal to an advisor or committee chair. Once this proposal has been approved, students can begin the formal work on his or her approved thesis topic.

While graduate students must complete a thesis to fulfill the requirements of a master’s degree in nursing, the thesis process also offers a chance for future nurses to immerse themselves in current academic literature and collaborate with fellow graduate students, faculty, and professors. A thesis can also serve as the foundation for doctoral studies. A thesis at the doctoral (PhD) level is called a dissertation.

Completing Your Nursing Thesis

Brainstorming a thesis topic begins as early as the first semester of a master’s in nursing program. The formal thesis process, which typically spans multiple terms, does not take place until the student’s final year, usually during the last term.

Thesis requirements vary by school, and students must meet specific deadlines and take prerequisite courses beforehand. At the University of Texas-Houston’s School of Nursing , candidates take a public health class before they submit a thesis proposal.

Future nurses work under the guidance of a thesis committee and advisor. The experience of writing a thesis trains students in original investigation, data collection, implementing research design, and public speaking. Candidates also learn to flex their analytical thinking skills and master a specific area of nursing as they develop the ability to analyze and draw conclusions through data.

At a program’s conclusion, students submit their thesis as a bound manuscript or electronic file. In addition to submitting a written report, students orally defend their final thesis in front of the committee. Many graduates also submit their manuscripts for publication.

Presenting Your Nursing Thesis

Graduate students generally orally defend their proposal and present their completed thesis in front of their committee. This committee also includes the thesis mentor, a faculty member specializing in the nursing discipline of their scholarly inquiry. There are generally 3 total committee members on a thesis committee.

Fellow graduate students or consultants outside of the college may attend presentations, if the process is open to the public. Otherwise, the thesis defense remains a private session, with students presenting their findings. The oral examination of the thesis takes up to one hour, but can last longer depending on how many questions the committee has for the student.

During that time, the committee evaluates the thesis based on how the research experience has shaped the student’s graduate education and the findings’ significance to the nursing field. When the exam concludes, the committee either accepts or rejects the thesis defense.

How is a Nursing Thesis Graded?

Nursing schools rely on each committee to formally grade each product in the thesis process. Some graduate nursing students may receive a letter grade, while other nursing schools adhere to a “pass” or “fail” policy.

To determine a grade, the committee assesses the thesis based on set criteria. Committee members look at the project’s key components, including the statement of purpose, literature review, research methodology, analysis, findings, and implications. The process and grading criteria for the thesis process can be found in the school’s graduate handbook. Most of these handbooks are published online for student review.

The thesis must identify significant issues or service gaps in nursing and present them in a concise and coherent fashion. Candidates must support all findings and analysis by research and explain the implications for healthcare.

The oral defense also factors into the grade. The committee grades the defense based on the quality of the student’s presentation, taking into consideration if the student spoke clearly and presented a logical and well-organized argument.

What is the Difference Between a Nursing Thesis and a Capstone?

A nursing thesis and a capstone demonstrate the student’s comprehensive knowledge and educational journey. Graduate students in a non-research track may have the choice of completing a clinical project. Doctoral of Nursing ( DNP ) students complete a capstone project.

Graduate-level nursing students work on an original scholarly inquiry during their thesis, while undergraduates recap their cumulative learning experience. The thesis process, which includes completing nursing courses and writing a proposal, takes place over the entire program.

Learn more about the difference between a thesis and capstone project on this page .

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Writing a Nursing Research Paper that Meets Professor's Requirements

As a nursing student, you will spend much time researching, reading, and writing papers. Many students find the entire process of writing research papers challenging.

Imagine on top of spending many hours in clinical practice shifts only to find yourself sparing more time researching and writing, not to mention the overwhelming information condensed in a few hours of in-class lecture sessions. Working shifts and studying while having family duties and obligations worsens it, and when done in a rush, you end up with subpar papers and average grades.

Even though many student nurses find writing research papers tricky and daunting, you can write a perfect paper that ticks all the checkboxes your professor uses to mark them and be sure to get an A+ grade on your nursing paper.

Our expert nursing research writers, who have written thousands of BSN, MSN, DNP, and Ph.D. papers, have compiled this comprehensive guide to help you write a strong nursing research paper that leaves a lasting impression on your professor.

Having marked many papers and supervised many theses, capstone projects, and dissertations, you can trust that the information herein is valuable and timely in your pursuit of nursing career success.

What is a Nursing Research Paper?

A nursing research paper is a scholarly and thesis-driven paper that a nursing student (at ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, or Ph.D. level) writes to comprehensively explore a specific nursing research topic either of their choice or one that the professor assigns.

To write a perfect research paper, the student has to provide concrete, reliable, and trustworthy evidence. In most cases, even professionals such as RNs undertaking clinical practice, nursing education training, clinical studies and evaluations, and nursing research can also write research papers published in journals or conferences to advance and disseminate nursing knowledge. The typical length of most nursing papers ranges from 5 pages to 20 pages, depending mainly on the complexity of the subject, the word count limits, and the requirements. Nurses and nursing students write research papers to share their insights as they learn more about nursing processes and practices. Nursing research papers are used to: document research, organize information, advance nursing scholarship, and improve the writing skills of nurses. Students in the USA, Australia, Japan, and Canada write their research papers in the American Psychological Association (APA) format, while those in Australia and the UK write them in Harvard formats. The research papers fall under three main categories:

• Analytical research papers. These papers present an analysis of the topic using evidence, facts, and examples.
• Argumentative research papers. These research papers are analytical but with a twist where the writer uses evidence to reinforce their opinion and persuade the reader.
• Expository research papers. This category of nursing research papers explains the subject matter using credible evidence such as examples, facts, statistics, and other pieces of evidence.

Structure and Format of a Nursing Research Paper

A simple nursing research paper, especially an expository or informative type, can have 5 paragraphs, like a typical essay. However, longer research papers have additional sections.

Scientific Nursing Research Paper Structure

Here is a breakdown of how a well-formatted and scientific nursing research paper should look like.

• Title Page. The title page comprises the research paper title, details of the student or professional writer, course details, details of the school or institution, and the date. The cover page is the first contact point with the reader. It is brief.
• Abstract. The abstract summarizes the nursing research paper. It is 200-250 words long and should be focused on what the reader expects. It is a condensed version of the paper, which is critical to help professors know what your paper is about. It should not have acronyms. Note that the word count of the abstract is not considered part of the research paper.
• The Introduction. The introduction should have an attention-getter or a hook that can be a statement, statistic, or fact. It should be 10% of the entire word count. It also has background information that details the nursing issue or topic you are exploring. It also comprises a well-thought-out thesis statement related to the topic. If you have a long paper, ensure that your problem and purpose statements are part of the introduction. It should also list your PICOT question .
• Literature Review. This is a critical section of the research paper. Here, you should explore other nursing scholars' thoughts and scholarly findings. Focus on peer-reviewed scholarly articles that address the same issue as your thesis statement or topic. Explore your topic's theories, theoretical frameworks, and other facts. Do it so well that your professor marvels at your research, organization, and writing prowess. Consider the levels of evidence as you choose selection criteria for the papers to include in your nursing literature review.
• Research Methodology. This section of the research paper details the data collection methods, such as ethnographic studies, secondary data collection, literature review, quasi-experimental research, correlational studies, descriptive research, ethnography, phenomenology, grounded theory, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, or experiments. Ensure that you state and give a rationale for your research design (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods). If you are writing a quantitative paper, explain how you tested the hypotheses. Also, report the sampling frame and the sampling strategy.
• Results and Discussion. This section of the paper presents the findings. You can use visual aids such as charts and graphs for a quantitative research paper. If you are writing a qualitative research paper, present the evidence chronologically. When presenting the findings, avoid making definitive facts. Instead, ensure that the results suggest something is true or false, even when testing a hypothesis.
• Conclusion and Recommendations. The conclusion should be 10% of the entire word count. You should restate the thesis and give a summary of your entire paper. Explore the recommendations for future research on the topic.
• Ensure that your reference list is arranged alphabetically. The list should adhere to the formatting requirements (Harvard, ASA, or APA formats). Only use scholarly peer-reviewed references.

Format for a General Nursing Research Paper

If you are writing a non-scientific nursing research paper, you will only have three sections as follows:

• Introduction. The introduction paragraph should introduce the topic by providing an attention-getter, background information, and a thesis statement.
• Body of the paper . The body paragraphs should have strong topic sentences, supporting details (examples, evidence, and explanation), and concluding sentences. It should also portray a good use of transition words. You should analyze the topic and use evidence to support the arguments, and give enough explanation. Use in-text citations within the body paragraphs.
• Conclusion. End the paper by recapping the main points, reasserting the thesis statement, and signaling the end of the paper to give your readers good closure.

An excellent nursing research paper follows this structure as long as it is not research-based. The three-part approach is super recommended if you did not conduct any study. In most cases, when assigned to write those 5-12 pages of nursing school research papers, you will be using this format.

So, what are the steps for writing a good nursing research paper? Let’s find out in the next section.

The 6 Main Steps for Writing a Nursing Research Paper

Writing assignments are an essential training aspect for nursing students. No wonder professors will stress that you write essays, discussion posts, responses, or proposals well. They are doing so to prepare you for research roles somewhere in your nursing career.

According to our most successful research paper writers, writing a top-grade research paper involves decoding the instructions, selecting a good topic, planning, researching, writing, and polishing the paper.

Here is a breakdown of each step for clarity and deeper understanding.

Step #1: Understand the Prompt or Instructions

You can only perfect what you know! Therefore, you can begin the research writing process by reading, analyzing, and understanding the instructions. It is an essential pre-writing stage process where you carefully read the instructions.

Although it sounds obvious, most nursing students who write off-topic and subpar research papers jump into writing without reading to understand the instructions.

You need to skim through the instructions on the first attempt, then read keenly and critically as you take note of the scope of the assignment, the topic, and other things you must fulfill in the paper. Take note of the:

• The number of words.
• Type of research paper (argumentative, analytical, exploratory, or persuasive).
• The structure of the paper (thesis-driven or research/study-based (scientific) research paper.
• The deadline.
• Whether you need to draft an outline.
• Reading materials.
• Whether you need external sources.
• Which sources to use and how many?
• The theoretical constructions or conceptual frameworks.
• The age limit of the scholarly sources.

If you need further clarification, ensure that you ask your peers, professor, or a professional writer in time.

Step #2: Select a Good Nursing Research Topic

Compared to average students, top nursing students always remember to select a research topic they are comfortable handling. When you are confident with a topic, you can develop it without procrastinating.

Sometimes you are given a list of nursing research paper topics, issues, and ideas to consider. Other times, you come up with the topic and consult your professor/educator for approval.  

Choose topics related to patient safety, nursing processes, nurse staffing, nursing policies, nurse privileges, nursing legislations, nursing ethics, mental health, health promotion, chronic disease management, healthcare systems, health informatics, changes in healthcare, and working conditions.

Choose any nursing topic that resonates with your specialization interests. It should be manageable, relevant, and explorable.

Related Readings:

• Nursing informatics research topics
• Capstone project ideas and topics for BSN, MSN, and DNP students
• Mental health nursing topics
• Epidemiology nursing topics
• List of the best nursing research paper topics
• Evidence-based nursing topics and ideas
• Nursing ethical dilemmas

Step #3: Plan your Paper

Create a thesis statement for your research paper if it is thesis-driven rather than study-based or scientific (experimental). After writing the thesis, like any of our nursing assignment slayers, write a good outline using Roman numbers and numbers.

List the ideas you wish to have in your paper in chronological order, starting with the introduction, body, and concluding paragraphs. As you outline, do some preliminary research so that you develop arguments the right way.

Include the in-text citations in your nursing research paper outline to simplify the writing process.

Step #4: Research and Organize Resources

Doing in-depth research as you refine the draft would be appropriate because you know what you want the paper to look like. Use scholarly nursing databases for research and limit yourself to topic-related scholarly articles published within the last 5 years.

You can read the abstracts of the articles to determine if they are fit to use in your paper. If you find the best articles, list them using online citation management tools such as RefWorks, Zotero, EndNote, Citefast, or any of your choice.

Ensure to list them in the most appropriate formatting styles. Take notes and list the points and ideas in your outline. Do your research meticulously and ensure that you organize the process to avoid any confusion.

Step #5: Write the First Draft

With the research, synthesis, and outline, you are now left with the chance to put rubber on the road. Use the Pomodoro technique, where you spend stretches of 25 minutes of focused work and have minor 5-minute breaks.

Ensure you cover as much ground in your research paper as possible before three-quarters of the deadline. When writing the paper, and considering that you have the outline, you can start chronologically from the introduction to the appendices.

Most research paper writing pros prefer working on the body section and conclusion before writing the introduction and finalizing the abstract. Whatever works best for you, adopt it. When writing the first draft, focus on piecing together the information rather than perfection.

Ensure you research lightly as you write and assert your voice while giving the right in-text citations for every idea you paraphrase from a source to avoid plagiarism. Each body paragraph should only have one idea.

Step #6: Edit, Proofread, and Polish the Paper

The final step towards completing your nursing research paper is ensuring everything is in its rightful place. A polished research paper scores 90% and above, which is an A. Begin by reading the paper aloud to identify areas that do not make sense.

If there is a need, do not hesitate to rewrite an entire section so that you have the right flow of information.

Check the grammatical, spelling, and syntax errors and make necessary corrections. You should also check the tenses used in the paper. If you feel like polishing the essay is too much work, you are better off hiring a nursing paper proofreader/editor.

When you receive feedback from your educator or professor, address the changes and resend the paper for grading.

Related Reading: How to write an evidence-based nursing paper.

Valuable Tips to Consider as You Write Your Nursing Research Paper

Nursing schools and educators have their standards and guidelines for writing a research paper. Therefore, ensure that before everything else, you familiarize yourself and adhere to these instructions, which include word count and citation styles.

Do not assume anything when writing a paper. You should also access and understand suggestions from your school’s writing lab. Apart from these essential tips, also ensure that you follow the insights we give below:

• Write your paper using a formal tone. Do not use passive voice when writing the paper. Instead, use active voice.
• Your paper should have a good organization from the introduction to the conclusion.
• Whenever you borrow ideas from a scholarly source, ensure you cite them correctly.
• Have a well-thought-out thesis statement that clarifies your arguments.
• Create a complete outline during the early stages of writing. It gives you a roadmap to follow as you write the paper. Organize the ideas chronologically based on their strength and weaknesses.
• Have a plan and schedule to trace your progress with the paper.
• If you have a more extended deadline, contribute to your research paper daily.
• When writing the paper, start with the body, the conclusion, and the introduction last.
• If you are writing a study-based research paper, include the literature review, methodology, discussion, and conclusion sections per the IMRAD format. A general nursing research paper follows the essay structure: introduction, body section, and conclusion.
• Use peer-reviewed scholarly sources from CINAHL, PubMed, Nursing Reference Center, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and other nursing research databases with peer-reviewed articles. Credible sources mean your research paper has rigor since you have strong points.
• Proofread and edit the paper thoroughly to remove any mistakes to signal your seriousness to your professor. If possible, use professional editing services.
• Have a compelling conclusion that is elaborate, clear, and concise.
• Read your paper aloud to identify mistakes.
• Revise the paper, and do not fear rewriting an entire section.

When writing a research paper, adhere to the writing conventions. You should also read well and understand how to communicate through academic writing effectively. Your paper should document evidence that supports your arguments and topic.

Write concisely, coherently, and accurately. It is not all in vain; you are training for your future role as a nurse when you will write conference papers, white papers, essays, policy documents, letters, blog posts, and professional nursing articles.

Checklist for a Great Research Paper in Nursing

Now that you have written your paper, you must align a few things to make it the best your professor will read. Most nursing classes, especially at the graduate levels (MSN, DNP, and Ph.D. levels), have small class sizes, and the professors spend time reading the papers from start to end. This means that you should leave nothing to chance.

Nursing research asserts professional identity, ensures accountability in nursing decision-making, and expands nursing practice. You have to be meticulous when writing a research paper in nursing.

A good research paper demonstrates a complete understanding of nursing knowledge, topic exploration, advanced organization, proper formatting, and mature academic writing skills. The following checklist enlists some main aspects to countercheck before hitting the submit button.

• Have I followed all the instructions outlined in the assignment prompt or rubric?
• Does my paper have the right title page?
• Does the paper have a written title that resonates with the thesis and the research question?
• Is the introduction presenting an attention grabber, background information, and a signpost of the ideas in the paper?
• Is the thesis statement well-thought-out, clear, concise, and elaborate?
• Is the problem statement clearly stated?
• If it is a PICOT-based research paper, is the PICO question well-outlined?
• Does the paper touch well on the nursing issue that the topic needs it to address?
• Is there a logical flow of the paragraphs?
• Are the words in each paragraph balanced?
• Does the paper have correctly formatted headings and subheadings?
• Are the in-text citations done correctly and consistently?
• Does every paragraph in the body of the paper build on the thesis?
• Does the paper demonstrate a mature choice of words and uses nursing lingo?
• Is the literature review section comprehensive? Does it have a theoretical and conceptual framework or constructs?
• Are the data and information presented in the literature review current?
• Has the methodology section listed the sample, sampling strategy, data collection and analyses, and rationale for each?
• Does the discussion section interlink the concepts from the literature review with the findings?
• Does the conclusion offer good closure to the readers? Does it restate the thesis? Does it summarize the recommendations?
• Is the entire paper formatted correctly? Does it follow the formatting guidelines?
• Is the paper devoid of spelling, syntax, and mechanical mistakes?

If your answer to all these questions is a resounding YES, you are sure it will fetch your professor a good grade. Our nursing writers, most of whom are alumni from top nursing universities and colleges such as Chamberlain, Capella, Herzing, Vanderbilt, SFU, Rutgers, Yale, Duke, NYU, UCLA, University of Pennsylvania, University of Toronto, McGill, Ottawa, Queens, and other best colleges in the USA, UK, Canada, and many other places. Besides, they are nursing educators in different capacities, and a couple are nursing professors with big titles; you can trust the checklist to guarantee you an excellent grade.

Where to Get Help When Writing Research Paper

As a nursing student, writing a research paper is something you will most likely enjoy doing. However, unforeseen things happen, prompting you to search the internet for sites to help you do your nursing research paper. NurseMyGrade.com is one such place to pay a nursing writer to do your paper.

Expect a paper that meets all the requirements, is written by a human rather than AI software, and is uniquely tailored to your requirements.  Our rates are affordable, and our writers cover diverse fields. Apart from offering advice about research, writing, and formatting papers, we have resourceful writers whom we allow you to communicate directly with via our platform.

We also maintain high levels of secrecy because we care more about your privacy and confidentiality of your details. Not even your professor can tell you got help from our website because we advise on specific strategies to use the paper. We have assisted students in various levels of nursing education with their writing, and we can do yours too.

Get affordable, well-researched, formatted, and organized nursing research papers done for you today by filling out the order form. Nursing research papers are a chance to stand out. Let our professionals help you achieve your nursing school goals.

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Professional Nursing (NG 315)

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Online Help for a Great Thesis Statement

• Writer's Handbook - UW Madison
• Creating a Thesis Statement - Purdue
• Thesis Statements - UNC Chapel Hill A short tutorial dealing with what a thesis statement is, how to make a thesis statement, and how to know if a thesis statement is strong. It also includes several examples.
• Developing a Thesis - Harvard Detailed tips about constructing a good thesis, with annotated examples of good and bad thesis statements.

Why the Thesis Statement Is Backwards

Why the thesis statement is backwards.

by Natalya Zielnicki at windyconditions.net

I used to hate the phrase, “thesis statement.” In English and writing classes, it was a vague, overly-emphasized concept that stuck out in my humanities education like a sore thumb. I loathed assignments bidding my classmates and me to, “write a thesis statement,” and answer “what’s your paper’s thesis?” before setting out to do any research on the topic!

And for whatever reason, in spite of all the weight placed on this holy grail entrusted to young writers, I simply did not understand its importance. I would try to find a thesis — set out to prove that “Wilbur was highly humble until Charlotte wrote on her web, ‘Some Pig’” before finishing Charlotte’s Web . After “finding” my thesis I would sit in front of my computer, straining from word constipation until last minute panic hit me and I would write some awful paragraphs “supporting” my statement at the end of the first paragraph in an essay. This method was great at scraping me A-s, with occasional As or B+s on most papers…but it left me resenting writing. Drained of any creativity in the confines of writing a “thesis statement” every few weeks, I tried to avoid as many humanities classes as I could by taking more math classes.

Then, a wonderful kick in the face occurred during a few upper level math classes, which invariably taught me to write. Once you hit a few upper level math classes such as Analysis, a student will be asked to write a math proof. Sometimes the question is not put in the easiest way; assignments usually read, “is this statement true or false? Either find a counterexample or give a proof of this statement.” Oh, how I loathed such questions, where there was no black-and-white way to solve something!

But then, after many hours and sleepless nights, proof-writing started clicking , and my mind was molded into way of thinking that started trickling into many applications. Proof-writing is a wonderfully fulfilling process; it involves the creative steps of exploring, questioning, and then — once all the steps are laid out nicely in front of you — you neatly summarize it in plain English.

Consider, for example, the following proof from an old Number Theory homework set. Notice how no sentence is wasted; each explored step takes me closer and closer to the conclusion we make in our “proof” statement:

And this is how I learned how to write. I learned that writing is a logical proof: you explore, experiment, and each sentence becomes one step closer to the insightful conclusion you are about to make. That conclusion is your thesis. Don’t set out to prove a thesis first; as you think, experiment until you prove your newfound thesis. Similar to the above proof, the thesis statement isn’t meant to be some clean sentence at the end of the first paragraph of your five-paragraph paper. Instead, it is this polished result that you obtain by getting your hands dirty, and then unraveling it out until finally — you have it, in one beautiful statement or two. As you explore your topic, you venture into the unknown, and with each logical step and creative measure, you have pulled from the dredges of the unknown something that you and your readers will love and appreciate for all its glory. I guarantee it.

Sure, this method takes a little more research and thought than a nicely packaged handout that your teachers would like to show. But trust me, if you prod it, if you polish and polish some more, if you really put some thought into each paper and sentence you write, that thesis will shine. And you will soar in all your writing assignments from hereon out.

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Writing a Paper: Thesis Statements

Basics of thesis statements.

The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper. Specific means the thesis deals with a narrow and focused topic, appropriate to the paper's length. Arguable means that a scholar in your field could disagree (or perhaps already has!).

Strong thesis statements address specific intellectual questions, have clear positions, and use a structure that reflects the overall structure of the paper. Read on to learn more about constructing a strong thesis statement.

Being Specific

This thesis statement has no specific argument:

Needs Improvement: In this essay, I will examine two scholarly articles to find similarities and differences.

This statement is concise, but it is neither specific nor arguable—a reader might wonder, "Which scholarly articles? What is the topic of this paper? What field is the author writing in?" Additionally, the purpose of the paper—to "examine…to find similarities and differences" is not of a scholarly level. Identifying similarities and differences is a good first step, but strong academic argument goes further, analyzing what those similarities and differences might mean or imply.

Better: In this essay, I will argue that Bowler's (2003) autocratic management style, when coupled with Smith's (2007) theory of social cognition, can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover.

The new revision here is still concise, as well as specific and arguable.  We can see that it is specific because the writer is mentioning (a) concrete ideas and (b) exact authors.  We can also gather the field (business) and the topic (management and employee turnover). The statement is arguable because the student goes beyond merely comparing; he or she draws conclusions from that comparison ("can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover").

Making a Unique Argument

This thesis draft repeats the language of the writing prompt without making a unique argument:

Needs Improvement: The purpose of this essay is to monitor, assess, and evaluate an educational program for its strengths and weaknesses. Then, I will provide suggestions for improvement.

You can see here that the student has simply stated the paper's assignment, without articulating specifically how he or she will address it. The student can correct this error simply by phrasing the thesis statement as a specific answer to the assignment prompt.

Better: Through a series of student interviews, I found that Kennedy High School's antibullying program was ineffective. In order to address issues of conflict between students, I argue that Kennedy High School should embrace policies outlined by the California Department of Education (2010).

Words like "ineffective" and "argue" show here that the student has clearly thought through the assignment and analyzed the material; he or she is putting forth a specific and debatable position. The concrete information ("student interviews," "antibullying") further prepares the reader for the body of the paper and demonstrates how the student has addressed the assignment prompt without just restating that language.

Creating a Debate

This thesis statement includes only obvious fact or plot summary instead of argument:

Needs Improvement: Leadership is an important quality in nurse educators.

A good strategy to determine if your thesis statement is too broad (and therefore, not arguable) is to ask yourself, "Would a scholar in my field disagree with this point?" Here, we can see easily that no scholar is likely to argue that leadership is an unimportant quality in nurse educators.  The student needs to come up with a more arguable claim, and probably a narrower one; remember that a short paper needs a more focused topic than a dissertation.

Better: Roderick's (2009) theory of participatory leadership  is particularly appropriate to nurse educators working within the emergency medicine field, where students benefit most from collegial and kinesthetic learning.

Here, the student has identified a particular type of leadership ("participatory leadership"), narrowing the topic, and has made an arguable claim (this type of leadership is "appropriate" to a specific type of nurse educator). Conceivably, a scholar in the nursing field might disagree with this approach. The student's paper can now proceed, providing specific pieces of evidence to support the arguable central claim.

Choosing the Right Words

This thesis statement uses large or scholarly-sounding words that have no real substance:

Needs Improvement: Scholars should work to seize metacognitive outcomes by harnessing discipline-based networks to empower collaborative infrastructures.

There are many words in this sentence that may be buzzwords in the student's field or key terms taken from other texts, but together they do not communicate a clear, specific meaning. Sometimes students think scholarly writing means constructing complex sentences using special language, but actually it's usually a stronger choice to write clear, simple sentences. When in doubt, remember that your ideas should be complex, not your sentence structure.

Better: Ecologists should work to educate the U.S. public on conservation methods by making use of local and national green organizations to create a widespread communication plan.

Notice in the revision that the field is now clear (ecology), and the language has been made much more field-specific ("conservation methods," "green organizations"), so the reader is able to see concretely the ideas the student is communicating.

Leaving Room for Discussion

This thesis statement is not capable of development or advancement in the paper:

Needs Improvement: There are always alternatives to illegal drug use.

This sample thesis statement makes a claim, but it is not a claim that will sustain extended discussion. This claim is the type of claim that might be appropriate for the conclusion of a paper, but in the beginning of the paper, the student is left with nowhere to go. What further points can be made? If there are "always alternatives" to the problem the student is identifying, then why bother developing a paper around that claim? Ideally, a thesis statement should be complex enough to explore over the length of the entire paper.

Better: The most effective treatment plan for methamphetamine addiction may be a combination of pharmacological and cognitive therapy, as argued by Baker (2008), Smith (2009), and Xavier (2011).

In the revised thesis, you can see the student make a specific, debatable claim that has the potential to generate several pages' worth of discussion. When drafting a thesis statement, think about the questions your thesis statement will generate: What follow-up inquiries might a reader have? In the first example, there are almost no additional questions implied, but the revised example allows for a good deal more exploration.

Thesis Mad Libs

If you are having trouble getting started, try using the models below to generate a rough model of a thesis statement! These models are intended for drafting purposes only and should not appear in your final work.

• In this essay, I argue ____, using ______ to assert _____.
• While scholars have often argued ______, I argue______, because_______.
• Through an analysis of ______, I argue ______, which is important because_______.

Words to Avoid and to Embrace

When drafting your thesis statement, avoid words like explore, investigate, learn, compile, summarize , and explain to describe the main purpose of your paper. These words imply a paper that summarizes or "reports," rather than synthesizing and analyzing.

Instead of the terms above, try words like argue, critique, question , and interrogate . These more analytical words may help you begin strongly, by articulating a specific, critical, scholarly position.

Read Kayla's blog post for tips on taking a stand in a well-crafted thesis statement.

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WRITING FOR PUBLICATION: STEP BY STEP

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A thesis statement is a sentence (or sentences) that expresses the main ideas of your paper and answers the question or questions posed by your paper. It offers your readers a quick and easy to follow summary of what the paper will be discussing and what you as a writer are setting out to tell them. The kind of thesis that your paper will have will depend on the purpose of your writing. This handout will cover general thesis statement tips, explain some of the different types of thesis statements, and provide some links to other resources about writing thesis statements.

General Thesis Statement Tips

A thesis statement generally consists of two parts: your topic, and then the analysis, explanation(s), or assertion(s) that you're making about the topic. The kind of thesis statement you write will depend on what kind of paper you're writing.

In some kinds of writing, such as narratives or descriptions, a thesis statement is less important, but you may still want to provide some kind of statement in your first paragraph that helps to guide your reader through your paper.

A thesis statement is a very  specific  statement -- it should cover only what you want to discuss in your paper, and be supported with specific evidence. The scope of your paper will be determined by the length of your paper and any other requirements that might be in place.

Generally, a thesis statement appears at the end of the first paragraph of an essay, so that readers will have a clear idea of what to expect as they read.

You can think of your thesis as a map or a guide both for yourself and your audience, so it might be helpful to draw a chart or picture of your ideas and how they're connected to help you get started.

As you write and revise your paper, it's okay to change your thesis statement -- sometimes you don't discover what you really want to say about a topic until you've started (or finished) writing! Just make sure that your "final" thesis statement accurately shows what will happen in your paper.

Analytical Thesis Statements

In an analytical paper, you are breaking down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluating the issue or idea, and presenting this breakdown and evaluation to your audience. An analytical thesis statement will explain:

what you are analyzing

the parts of your analysis

the order in which you will be presenting your analysis

Example: An analysis of barn owl flight behavior reveals two kinds of flight patterns: patterns related to hunting prey and patterns related to courtship.

A reader who encountered that thesis in a paper would expect an explanation of the analysis of barn owl flight behavior, and then an explanation of the two kinds of flight patterns.

Questions to ask yourself when writing an analytical thesis statement:

What did I analyze?

What did I discover in my analysis?

How can I categorize my discoveries?

In what order should I present my discoveries?

Expository (Explanatory) Thesis Statements

In an expository paper, you are explaining something to your audience. An expository thesis statement will tell your audience:

what you are going to explain to them

the categories you are using to organize your explanation

the order in which you will be presenting your categories

Example: The lifestyles of barn owls include hunting for insects and animals, building nests, and raising their young.

A reader who encountered that thesis would expect the paper to explain how barn owls hunt for insects, build nests, and raise young.

Questions to ask yourself when writing an expository thesis statement:

What am I trying to explain?

How can I categorize my explanation into different parts?

In what order should I present the different parts of my explanation?

Argumentative Thesis Statements

In an argumentative paper, you are making a claim about a topic and justifying this claim with reasons and evidence. This claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. However, this claim must be a statement that people could possibly disagree with, because the goal of your paper is to convince your audience that your claim is true based on your presentation of your reasons and evidence. An argumentative thesis statement will tell your audience:

your claim or assertion

the reasons/evidence that support this claim

the order in which you will be presenting your reasons and evidence

Example: Barn owls' nests should not be eliminated from barns because barn owls help farmers by eliminating insect and rodent pests.

A reader who encountered this thesis would expect to be presented with an argument and evidence that farmers should not get rid of barn owls when they find them nesting in their barns.

Questions to ask yourself when writing an argumentative thesis statement:

What is my claim or assertion?

What are the reasons I have to support my claim or assertion?

In what order should I present my reasons?

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

List of Nursing Resources on the Purdue OWL

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

As a nursing student, you will write different types of texts, such as research papers and group presentations. All of this writing has common characteristics: to be concise, evidence-based, supported by credible and appropriate research, to be professional, and to follow APA style. This section offers resources that are designed to help nursing students with these and other writing concerns.

American Psychological Association (APA)

APA Style Workshop

APA Citation Rules

APA is used in scientific and social scientific disciplines, including nursing, and standardizes research and citation formats. These links provide information for APA style, with the first link offering an overview of APA style and the second providing specific APA rules and sample APA papers.

APA Paper Sample

This sample shows you how to write and format a nursing research paper in APA.

The Rhetorical Situation

This PowerPoint presentation will help you understand the importance of the context in which you write. There are many factors that influence your writing: you, the writer; your purpose; your audience; your context; and the culture surrounding the context. For example, you will write differently for your professors than you will for your patients. Their varying education levels and different situations, or context, will cause you to use different language and present your topic differently.

Audience Analysis

This resource will help you with one important part of the rhetorical situation: analyzing your audience and tailoring your writing to fit your audience’s needs. There is also a handout available on this page with a chart to help you with your audience analysis.

Writing Scientific Abstracts

This PowerPoint presentation discusses the importance of writing abstracts and offers tools on how to write them. Abstracts allow you to present information in a clear, concise manner and are part of writing in APA style.

Conducting Primary Research

Primary research is an important component while writing as a nursing student. It allows you to support your argument, or thesis statement, with evidence; this, in turn, creates ethos, or credibility, for you as an author. This link offers many resources about primary research, including how to get started and how to conduct the various kinds of primary research.

Conducting an Interview

This PowerPoint presentation discusses the steps involved in conducting an interview as part of primary research. You may be asked to conduct an interview with clinical nurses, patients, or physicians as part of a writing assignment or research paper. Consult this PowerPoint before contacting your interviewee because it offers tips for how to contact him or her.

Database Research Tutorial from the Purdue Library

Engaging in secondary research, or research that is gathered from existing research performed and published by another author, is an essential part of writing as a nursing student. Using databases is one way to collect information, and this resource links to the Purdue Library’s tutorial on how to use databases.

Searching the World Wide Web

The Internet is a convenient and useful way to gather information; however, nursing professors expect their students to perform research that goes beyond a Google search. This PowerPoint presentation offers strategies for conducting Internet research, and it explains components of using the Internet you may not be familiar with, for example, the visible and invisible web. Use this PowerPoint presentation in conjunction with the database research tutorial for a good overview of how to conduct Internet research.

Evaluating Sources of Information

Not all sources of information are credible or reliable, and it is your job as a nursing student to be able to tell the difference. This resource offers different ways to decipher whether or not a source is credible.

Documenting Electronic Sources

When conducting secondary research, you might come across credible electronic sources that you would like to integrate into your writing. Documenting these sources properly is important because it builds your credibility as a writer, and it shows your readers, i.e., your nursing professors, that you have followed APA guidelines. This resource provides information and links to other resources that will help you properly document electronic sources.

Annotated Bibliographies

Annotated bibliographies, a summary and/or evaluation of sources, can help you organize your research. This resource explains the purpose of annotated bibliographies and provides examples. There are examples for APA, MLA, and CMS on this page; be sure to follow the APA format, as each citation style differs.

Thesis: Establishing an Argument

This page explains the importance of a thesis and how you can create an effective statement. Thesis statements are important to your writing because they control the paper’s overall purpose. These statements are especially important for you as a nursing student because writing in nursing should be logical, organized, concise, and clear; having a strong thesis will help you achieve this type of writing.

Grammar, Mechanics, and a Brief Discussion about Revision

The Grammar and Mechanics section on the OWL will help you learn how to use correct language. Using correct grammar will help your ethos, i.e., it will build your credibility, and it makes your writing appear more professional. One way to help improve your grammar is by reviewing the pages within the grammar and mechanics section and by completing the grammar and mechanics exercises. Another way to help correct grammar mistakes is by revising your writing. You can fix most of your grammar errors by reading your paper aloud before you turn it into your professor. Reading your paper aloud also offers you a chance to hear your writing, and you may find that some of the ideas you thought were clear are not as clear or organized as you hoped they would be.

Designing an Effective PowerPoint Presentation

PowerPoint presentations are a useful tool to use when delivering individual or group presentations. This PowerPoint presentation defines the basic elements of a PowerPoint slideshow and discusses how you can use these elements in effective and professional ways.

Personal Statements

Personal statements are an important part of the application process for nursing school. This section of resources offers writing samples and information that will help guide you while writing the personal statement. While using these resources and writing your statement, keep in mind the specific application for which you writing, as different nursing schools ask for different types of personal statements, i.e., the applications may ask you to respond to different types of questions.

Résumés and Cover Letters

Résumés and cover letters are important documents traditionally created toward the end of your nursing education, though it never hurts to start creating them during the start of your education. Use these resources to help you create your résumé and cover letter. You also might find it useful to consult the rhetorical situation and audience analysis resources, as these resources will help you understand the context in which and for which you will create your résumé and cover letter. Links to commonly used databases and sites: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed http://www.apastyle.org/manual/whats-new.aspx http://www.apastyle.org/ Databases available through the Purdue Library website: Academic Search Premier Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition MEDLINE CINAHL

50 Nursing Philosophy Examples + How To Write Your Own

From the first semester of nursing school, aspiring nurses learn about the ethics and values associated with becoming a nurse. However, there comes a time when each nursing student or nurse must decide what they value most and how to incorporate those things into their roles as nurses. This important step is often referred to as establishing a personal philosophy of nursing. Perhaps you have heard of nursing philosophies but are unsure how to develop your personal philosophy. Have you wondered or asked, "What are some good personal philosophy of nursing examples?" If this sounds like you, keep reading! In this article, I will share some insight about nursing philosophies and provide you with information about 50 nursing philosophy examples + how to write your own.

What Is A Personal Philosophy Of Nursing?

Does every nurse have a personal nursing philosophy, what are the key components of a personal nursing philosophy, • knowledge:, 7 reasons why having a personal nursing philosophy is so important for your career, what are some good personal philosophy of nursing examples, how to write your own personal philosophy of nursing statement, 1. define what nursing means in your perspective., 2. ask yourself what personal experience relates to your passion for nursing., 3. consider how you want to impact patients, families, and communities through your role as a nurse., 4. highlight your skills., 5. define your personal and professional values., 8 questions to ask yourself when developing your own personal philosophy of nursing, question #1: why did i choose to become a nurse, how to find an answer to this question:, question #2: what are my personal beliefs about nursing, question #3: what qualities make someone a great nurse, question #4: what skills should all nurses have, question #5: why is nursing important to me, question #6: what theories do i have about nursing, question #7: what values should nurses consider important, question #8: would i choose this career again, useful online resources to learn more about nursing philosophy, blogs/websites, youtube videos, bonus 5 important things to keep in mind when writing your personal philosophy of nursing statement, 1. keep it simple., 2. show you are prepared for action., 3. be yourself., 4. be open to change if needed., 5. make a copy for yourself and keep it visible., my final thoughts, frequently asked questions asked by our expert, 1. what was florence nightingale's philosophy of nursing, 2. is there a set format or right way to write a personal philosophy of nursing statement, 3. how do i start my nursing philosophy statement, 4. how can a nurse determine whether her nursing philosophy is good, 5. how long should a personal nursing philosophy statement be, 6. when should i write my nursing philosophy, 7. can i change my nursing philosophy from time to time, 8. how to write the introduction of my personal nursing philosophy, 9. should nursing students have a personal philosophy of nursing, 10. does an informatics nurse have a personal philosophy of nursing, 11. do nursing organizations have their own philosophy of nursing, 12. how does nursing philosophy influence nursing practice, 13. is it required for every nurse to have a personal nursing philosophy, 14. what happens if a nurse does not have a personal philosophy of nursing, 15. what are some famous personal philosophy of nursing quotes.

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Digital Commons @ USF > College of Nursing > Theses and Dissertations

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Psychological Distress, Resilience, and the Impact on Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors With Taxane-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy , Lauren Schwab

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Medication-Assisted Treatment Versus 12-Step Group Therapy: A Comparative Analysis of Adherence and Abstinence In Patients With Opioid Use Disorder , Derrick C. Glymph

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Quality of Life of Older Adults with Complicated Grief Receiving Accelerated Resolution Therapy: A Mixed Methods Study , Tina M. Mason

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

In Post-Extubated Patients What are the Preferred Methods of Communication During Their Experience of Endotracheal Intubation with Mechanical Ventilation , Lanette Dumas

The Effect of Hope on the Relationship between Personal and Disease Characteristics and Anxiety and Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer , Sharon B. McNeil

Predictors of Nonadherence to Radiation Therapy Schedules Among Head and Neck Cancer Patients , Jennifer Lynn Miller

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Perceived Discrimination and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Blacks: A Secondary Data Analysis of the Heart SCORE Study , Marilyn Aluoch

Exploration of Gratitude in Cardiovascular Health: Mediators, Medication Adherence and Psychometrics , Lakeshia A. Cousin

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Fatigue-related Symptom Clusters and their Relationship with Depression, and Functional Status in Older Adults Hospice Patients with Cancer. , Suzan Fouad Abduljawad

Genetic Moderation of Pain and Fatigue Symptoms Resulting from the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Breast Cancer Program , Carissa Bea Alinat

The Moderating Effect of Religion on Death Distress and Quality of Life between Christian Cancer patients in the United States with Muslim cancer patients in Saudi Arabia , Doaa Almostadi

Prevention of Post Intensive Care Syndrome-Family with Sensation Awareness Focused Training Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial Pilot Study , Paula L. Cairns

Assessing Abstinence in Infants Greater Than 28 Days Old , Genieveve J. Cline

The Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Motor Function in Hospitalized Older Adult Survivors of Critical Illness , Maya N. Elías

The Role of Migration-Related Stress in Depression Among Haitian Immigrants in Florida: A Mixed Method Sequential Explanatory Approach , Dany Amanda C. Fanfan

The Effect of Depression, Inflammation and Sleep Quality on Risk for Cardiovascular Disease , Catherine L. O'Neil

Adapting SafeMedicate (Medication Dosage Calculation Skills software) For Use In Brazil , Samia Valeria Ozorio Dutra

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

The Relationship Between Total Neuropathy Score-reduced, Neuropathy Symptoms and Function. , Ashraf Abulhaija

Validation of the Electronic Kids Dietary Index (E-KINDEX) Screening Tool for Early Identification of Risk for Overweight/Obesity (OW/OB) in a Pediatric Population: Associations with Quality of Life Perceptions , Patricia A. Hall

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

The Effectiveness of an Intervention Designed to Improve Chlorhexidine (CHG) Bathing Technique in Adults Hospitalized in Medical Surgical Units , Janette Echemendia Denny

Levels of Distress Among Women Veterans Attending a Women’s Health Specialty Clinic in the VA Healthcare System , Debbie T. Devine

Examination of the Use of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) in the Treatment of Symptoms of PTSD and Sleep Dysfunction in Veterans and Civilians , Marian Jevone Hardwick

Investigating the Mutual Effects of Depression and Spiritual Well-being on Quality of Life in Hospice Patients with Cancer and Family Caregivers Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model , Li-Ting Huang

The Change in Nutritional Status in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients: A Retrospective Descriptive A Retrospective Descriptive Study , Dina A. Masha'al

Exploring the Relationship Between Severity of Illness and Human Milk Volume in Very Low Birth Weight and Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants Over Six Weeks , Shannon Leigh Morse

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Scores and Novel Risk Factors in Relation to Race and Gender , Johanna Wilson

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

A Comparative Evaluation of the Learner Centered Grading Debriefing Method in Nursing Education , Marisa J. Belote

Sleep, Depressive Symptoms and Cognition in Older Adults and Caregivers of Persons with Dementia , Glenna Shemida Brewster

The Relationship between Hearing Status and Cognitive Performance and the Influence of Depressive Symptoms in the Older Adult , Julie A. Daugherty

Basal Salivary Oxytocin and Skin to Skin Contact among Lactating Mothers of Premature Infants , Jessica Marie Gordon

The Relationship Between Nurses' Emotional Intelligence and Patient Outcomes , Mary Kutash

Sexual Functioning and Body Image in Younger Breast Cancer Survivors , Carly Lynn Paterson

Cognitive Load of Registered Nurses During Medication Administration , Sarah Faith Perron

A Comparison of Quality of Life between Intense and Non-Intense Treatment for Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and High-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome , Sara Marie Tinsley

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Acculturation, Self-Efficacy and Breastfeeding Behavior in a Sample of Hispanic Women , Ivonne F. Hernandez

Knowledge and Acceptance of HPV and the HPV Vaccine in Young Men and Their Intention to be Vaccinated , Brenda Renee Jasper

The Relationships Between Sleep Disturbances, Depression, Inflammatory Markers, and Sexual Trauma in Female Veterans , Ellen Marcolongo

Examination of Possible Protective Effect of Rhesus D Positive Blood Factor on Toxoplasma-related Depressive Symptoms in Pregnancy , Lisa Lynn Parnell

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice of Primary Care Nurse Practitioners Regarding Skin Cancer Assessmnets: Validity and Reliability of a New Instrument , Debra Michelle Shelby

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Knowledge and Practice of Reproductive Health among Mothers and their Impact on Fetal Birth Outcomes: A Case of Eritrea , Winta Negusse Araya

Race/Ethnicity, Subjective and Objective Sleep Quality, Physical and Psychological Symptoms in Breast Cancer Survivors , Pinky H. Budhrani

Factors Predicting Pap Smear Adherence in HIV-infected Women: Using the Health Belief Model , Crystal L. Chapman Lambert

The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Body Mass Index on Vitamin D Levels in African American Women with and without Diabetes Living in Areas with Abundant Sunshine , Shani Vann Davis

Predictors of Quality of Life in Patients with Cutaneous T cell Lymphoma , Darcie Marie Deaver

Relationship between dysphoric moods, risk-taking behaviors, and Toxoplasma gondii antibody titers in female veterans , Allyson Radford Duffy

Prenatal Stress, Depression, and Herpes Viral Titers , Pao-Chu Hsu

Factors Associated with Fear of Breast Cancer Recurrence Among Survivors , Jean Marie Lucas

Sickle Cell Disease: The Role of Self-Care Management , Nadine Matthie

Factors Influencing Vaccination Decisions in African American Mothers of Preschool Age Children , Chauntel Mckenzie Mcnair

The Strong Black Woman, Depression, and Emotional Eating , Michelle Renee Offutt

Development of an Investigator-designed Questionnaire Concerning Childbirth Delivery Options based on the Theory of Planned Behavior , Chun-Yi Tai

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

The Mediating Effect of Distress Caused by Constipation on Predictors of Quality of Life of Hospice Patients with Cancer. , Abdel Alkhalouf

Testing a Model of Bacterial Vaginosis among Black Women , Jessica Brumley

The Effect of Tight Glycemic Control on Surgical Site Infection Rates in Patients Undergoing Open Heart Surgery , Sierra Gower

Development of a Tool for Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment and Preventive Interventions in Ancillary Services Patients , Monica Shutts Messer

Hospice Nurses- Attitudes and Knowledge about Pain Management , Amie Jacqueline Miller

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Literacy and Hazard Communication Comprehension of Employees Presenting to an Occupational Health Clinic , Christine Bouchard

A Meta-Analysis of Cultural Competence Education in Professional Nurses and Nursing Students , Ruth Wilmer Gallagher

Relationship Between Cancer-Related Fatigue and Depression: A Pilot Study , Gloria Michelle Guess

A Comparison of Oncology and Non-Oncology Nurses in Their Knowledge of Cancer Pain Management , Nicole Houle

Evaluating Knowledge and Attitudes of Graduate Nursing Students Regarding Pain , Eric Bartholomew Jackson

Bone Marrow Transplant Nurses' Attitudes about Caring for Patients Who are Near the End of Life: A Quality Improvement Project , Leslie Lauersdorf

Translation and Adaptation of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) Scale Into Tigrigna Language for Tigrigna Speaking Eritrean Immigrants in the United States , Mulubrhan Fisseha Mogos

Nurse Manager Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor to Registered Nurse Job Satisfaction and RN Perceptions of the Practice Environment and the Relationship to Patient, Nursing and Hospital Outcomes , Jacqueline Cecilia Munro

The Relationship of Mid-Pregnancy Levels of Cytokines, Stress, and Depression with Gestational Age at Delivery , Melissa Molinari Shelton

Prophylactic, Risk-Reducing Surgery in Unaffected BRCA-Positive Women: Quality Of Life, Sexual Functioning and Psychological Well-Being , Sharon Tollin

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

The Relationship Between FAM5C SNP (rs10920501) Variability, Metabolic Syndrome, and Inflammation, in Women with Coronary Heart Disease , Jennifer L. Cline

Women’s Perceptions of Postpartum Stress: A Narrative Analysis , Nancy Gilbert Crist

Lived Experience: Near-Fatal Adolescent Suicide Attempt , Phyllis Ann Dougherty

Exploring the Relationships among Work-Related Stress, Quality of Life, Job Satisfaction, and Anticipated Turnover on Nursing Units with Clinical Nurse Leaders , Mary Kohler

A Comparative Study of Knowledge of Pain Management in Certified and Non-Certified Oncology Nurses , Sherrie A. LaLande

Evaluating Knowledge and Attitudes of Undergraduate Nursing Students Regarding Pain Management , Jessica Latchman

Evaluation of Oncology Nurses' Knowledge, Practice Behaviors, and Confidence Specific to Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy , Rebecca Denise McAllister

Moderating the Effectiveness of Messages to Promote Physical Activity in Type 2 Diabetes , Rachel E. Myers

Factors Affecting the Process of Clinical Decision-Making in Pediatric Pain Management by Emergency Department Nurses , Teresa A. Russo

The Correlation Between Neuropathy Limitations and Depression in Chemotherapy Patients , Melissa Thebeau

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Fatigue Symptom Distress and Its Relationship with Quality Of Life in Adult Stem Cell Transplant Survivors , Suzan Fouad Abduljawad R.N., B.S.N.

Nursing Advocacy and the Accuracy of Intravenous to Oral Opioid Conversion at Discharge in the Cancer Patient , Maria L. Gallo R.N., O.C.N.

Transitional Care for Adolescents with HIV: Characteristics and Current Practices of the Adolescent Trials Network Systems of Care , Patricia Gilliam

The Effect of Ethical Ideology and Professional Values on Registered Nurses’ Intentions to Act Accountably , Susan R. Hartranft

Falls in Bone Marrow Transplant Patients: A Retrospective Study , Lura Henderson R.N., B.S.N.

Predictors of cancer caregiver depression symptomatology , Henry R. Rivera

Psychosocial outcomes of weight stigma among college students , Sabrina Joann Robinson

The Experience of Fatigue and Quality of Life in Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer , Andrea Shaffer

The Relationship Between Uncertainty in Illness and Anxiety in Patients With Cancer , Naima Vera

Shifting Paradigms: The Development of Nursing Identity in Foreign-Educated Physicians Retrained as Nurses Practicing in the United States , Liwliwa Reyes Villagomeza

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Prostate Cancer Screening Intention Among African American Men: An Instrument Development Study , Susan Anita Baker

The Geriatric Cancer Experience in End of Life: Model Adaptation and Testing , Harleah G. Buck

Communication Systems and HIV/AIDS Sexual Decision Making in Older Adolescent and Young Adult Females , Rasheeta D. Chandler MS, ARNP, FNP-BC

Relationship of Anger Trait and Anger Expression to C-Reactive Protein in Post-Menopausal Women , Rosalyn Gross

Identifying Patients with Cancer at Risk of Experiencing a Fall While Hospitalized , Joann M. Heaton

Modulation of Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cell Maturation and Function by Cigarette Smoke Condensate in a Bronchial Epithelial Cell Co-Culture Model , Alison J. Montpetit

Cancer Patients with Pain: Examination of the Role of the Spouse/Partner Relationship In Mediating Quality of Life Outcomes for the Couple , Mary Ann Morgan

Development of an Ecological Model to Predict Risk for Acquisition of Clostridium difficile -Associated Diarrhea During Acute Care Hospitalization , Susan Elaine Steele

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool , Cindy S. Tofthagen

Health Decision Behaviors: Appropriateness of Dietary Choice , Daryle Hermelin Wane

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

The Relationship Between Sleep-Wake Disturbance and Pain in Cancer Patients Admitted to Hospice Home Care , Marjorie Acierno

Wheelchair Positioning and Pulmonary Function in Children with Cerebral Palsy , Lee Barks

Structural Equation Model of Exercise in Women Utilizing the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms and Social Cognitive Variables , Sarah Elizabeth Cobb

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6.12: Revising a Thesis Statement

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• Page ID 16545

• Lapum et al.
• Ryerson University (Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing) via Ryerson University Library

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Your thesis statement will probably change as you write so that it reflects exactly what you discuss in your paper. Remember, you will begin with a working thesis statement, an indefinite statement that you make about your topic early in the writing process.

Working thesis statements will become stronger as you gather information and form new opinions and reasons for those opinions. Revisions will help you strengthen your thesis so that it matches what you have expressed in the body of your paper. See Table 6.4 for ways to remove irrelevant parts and revise your thesis.

Table 6.4: Revising a thesis

Student Tip

Ask Questions about Your Thesis Statement

The best way to revise your thesis statement is to ask questions about it and then examine the answers to those questions. By challenging your own ideas and forming definite reasons for those ideas, you can move toward a more precise point of view, which you can then incorporate into your thesis statement.

Activity: Beware of the Pitfalls!

Some working thesis statements are provided below. Use the steps you have just learned to revise the working thesis to strengthen the statement.

• Working Thesis: Today’s university students have too much stress in their life.
• Working Thesis: Children are not exercising enough.

Attribution statement

Content from this page was remixed with our own original content and adapted, with editorial changes, from:

Writing for Success 1st Canadian Edition by Tara Horkoff is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted. Download for free at: opentextbc.ca/writingforsuccess/

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How To Write a Nursing thesis Statement

Graduate students may perform research and produce a thesis. To create a nursing thesis, students must identify a nursing issue, investigate it, and refine their research abilities. Thesis advisers and committees aid students through the two-semester proposal-to-oral-defense process.

A thesis is not necessary for every nursing student. Several nursing schools provide non-thesis options such as a final capstone project or oral exam on nursing theory and practice. The thesis procedure and criteria differ depending on the school.

Do you want to know what to anticipate throughout the thesis writing process? Then, have a look at this article to get tips and guidelines on how to go about it.

How to write a nursing thesis

Writing a thesis, particularly one regarding nursing, is a complex undertaking. This is because nursing is entirely unrelated to duties like thesis writing. As a result, nursing students find it challenging to develop an excellent thesis.

Nursing students may learn how to write a nursing thesis by reading this article. It will also help you enhance your writing abilities. The nursing thesis asks students to present high-quality work in a short period of time. Furthermore, you must ensure that anything you write is clear, concise, and detailed.

A strong nursing thesis serves to present your organization and current activities. A methodical strategy is required while writing a successful nursing thesis. To create a decent nursing thesis, you should follow all of these guidelines. Before you can write a thorough nursing thesis, you must first grasp the issue.

• Have a nursing thesis structure

A clear and consistent framework is essential for a nursing thesis. The format allows the nursing thesis writer to stay focused on the issue. Furthermore, you may debate the important arguments throughout the framework. A proper framework is crucial in a nursing thesis. It would be best if you concentrated on the thesis’s structure.

• Introduction

You might introduce the subject of your nursing thesis in the beginning. The opening is the most crucial section of a nursing thesis. Therefore, it would be best to compose a strong introduction for your assignment. A strong introduction will get you high marks.

The first paragraph begins your nursing thesis. Use a standard format for recording patient identifying information. The formal structure is the most delicate piece of advice for writing a thesis in nursing.

Create a portion of each record with patient identifying information. Every entry should include a complete name, the date, and the time.

• Literature review

Another essential part of the nursing thesis is the review of the literature. The literature review is a thorough look at the subject. It also shows how well you know something and ends with a summary of the main points.

If you want to write a good nursing thesis, you should pay attention to everything. Write your notes on the patient’s care in twenty-four hours. You should be aware of how long you have to check on a patient. It would help if you tried to be fair in the literature review. Only write down what you see and what you hear.

Don’t make subjective comments or explain the patient’s condition in your own words. You shouldn’t copy parts of the literature when you’re writing your nursing thesis. To write a nursing thesis, you should keep an open mind.

• Nursing thesis methodology

Another crucial component in a nursing thesis is the methods chapter. It goes into great depth on the research. It can explain theoretical frameworks, samples, settings, ethical considerations, and approval processes. You should go through the process in great detail.

 It can clarify all of the nursing thesis’s techniques. Another excellent perspective for writing a nursing thesis is here. Write down all you learn about a patient’s health through interactions with family members, physicians, and alternative nurses. You should use quote marks in your message.

In your nursing thesis, you should exclude any irrelevant content. You should disregard any insignificant material in the assignment if you want to produce a decent nursing thesis. You should include everything regarding your patient’s health in your nurse’s assignment. Do not record any information on your chart that is not relevant to their immediate treatment.

• The outcomes of writing a nursing thesis

The outcomes are another crucial portion of the nursing thesis. The outcomes chapter discusses everything you discovered throughout the thesis. It is a critical component of the nursing thesis. Tables are utilized in the findings chapter to validate the dissertation’s data.

• The thesis on nursing’s discussion

The discussion is another essential component of a thesis chapter in nursing. You should cover every aspect in the last chapter. In addition, it includes limits and implications for practice and future research.

The discussion chapter provides a brief conclusion as well. It also illustrates the central argument of the nursing thesis as a whole. In the discussion chapter, you may include all significant points.

The discussion chapter is the last chapter of a nursing thesis. It is the latest and most crucial section of the thesis.

Nursing thesis statement

Lack of technical understanding is one of the main reasons students have trouble with their thesis statements. It can be hard to understand that the thesis is the most critical sentence by itself in the whole text. The rest of the paper consists of points that back up the thesis statement.

A nursing thesis statement is a central argument or point that you want to prove using logical and emotional reasoning tools. It is the starting point for the rest of your paper. A thesis paper makes a point and supports it using reasoning, analysis, and outside sources.

Nursing thesis topics

You may be required to write a nursing thesis before completing your degree program. This will help demonstrate your knowledge and experience in a particular nursing field. However, nursing is a very diverse area, and finding an engaging study topic might take some time.

 It’s a good idea to come up with a few different ideas before settling on one. This article outlines nursing thesis topics, how to pick one, and what to look for in one.

• The influence of antibiotics on childhood immunity
• COVID-19 and its epidemiology explained scientifically
• Do humans create the coronavirus?
• Fats’ beneficial influence on the human mind and body
• In experiments, the function of placebo therapy
• Service time causes health issues
• Assessment of changes in community health care settings
• Psychiatric and mental health nurses
• Nursing theories and contemporary models
• PTSD sufferers’ management techniques
• Collaboration with healthcare organizations
• The significance of well-being in a healthcare setting
• Workplace health and safety
• Teen pregnancy and its hazards
• Nursing hospice care as a hospice nurse
• Holistic strategies for obesity
• Comparative analysis of private and public healthcare
• Treatment of mental health patients for pain
• Role of nurses in dementia patients

Pediatric nursing thesis topics

The nursing thesis is like Mondays in that they take a long time to finish, and few people like them. Therefore, for your thesis, you’ll need to choose from some of the best possible pediatric nursing thesis topics and ideas.

• Adolescent Medicine for ADHD
• Medicine in Hospitals
• Sports Medicine and Exercise
• Psychiatry of Children and Adolescents
• Immunization against HPV and Cervical Cancer
• Asthma and Antibiotic Resistance
• Medical Genetics
• Heart Problems from Birth
• Pediatric care ethics
• Malnutrition prevention in children
• Complications of measles in youngsters
• Children’s respiratory illnesses: diagnosis and treatment
• Tourette’s syndrome causes in children

Nursing thesis writing services

We can aid you with selecting a subject for your paper and completing all components. Our professionals are always available to listen to your needs and provide guidance. They are nursing experts with advanced degrees.

They also have years of writing experience and excellent communication abilities. As a result, you may be confident that they will manage your nursing thesis professionally. In addition, we have assisted thousands of students in graduating with honors by ensuring that they get the most out of their final papers.

You’ve arrived at the right place for high-quality papers at economical pricing. We comprehend your demands and prioritize your achievement above anything else. Nursing thesis writing services will assist you with earning the grade you’ve always desired without exhausting your bank account.

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Using credible research techniques, we will ensure that your work exhibits mastery of all thesis writing parts.

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We work hard to ensure that all of the information you give us when you place an order is always safe.

To us, customer satisfaction is a priority. Our goal is to ensure that your document is the best it can be.

You don’t need to be concerned if your nursing thesis is due in a few days. We have a staff of excellent writers that understand the importance of meeting deadlines and will work hard to meet yours.

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You don’t have to spend all of your money to hire internet authors. Instead, come to us to acquire the top services while still saving money.

Nursing thesis papers

Writing a thesis paper in undergraduate or graduate school might be intimidating. However, it can also be very rewarding if you’re passionate about investigating the topic. A thesis paper is essentially a lengthy essay that offers an intriguing research subject and convincingly responds to it.

In addition to a background paragraph, you’ll compose a thesis statement that includes your perspective. For example, you can talk about something like gun control or making marijuana legal and use evidence to back up your point of view. Instructors want more from their students than just copying what other people have written.

Writing is about establishing your voice and expressing your own thoughts using facts and statistics. Writing nursing thesis papers also helps you get better at thinking critically. Once you start, you might even find the research process fun and interesting.

Nursing thesis samples

You’re stuck on your nursing thesis and have no idea where to begin?   Find a similar or related subject in our free nursing thesis samples collection for inspiration. Don’t forget to credit us appropriately if you use any of our thesis examples.

To prevent plagiarism allegations or last-minute thesis rejections, we do not propose that you use any of the examples as your own work. You’re welcome to as long as you don’t mind changing or modifying the paper content. Do you have any doubts about ordering a thesis from us?

Our thesis samples show the degree of research and writing you can expect from our service. It is vital to know the quality of the thesis you will get ahead of time. Look through our thesis examples, carefully analyze each piece, and make your purchase right now!

• The impact of authentic leadership and empowerment on nursing staff retention 
• College students often use alcohol and illegal drugs

Nursing thesis statement examples

In the thesis statement, you establish a claim that will guide the rest of your work. Therefore, if you have difficulty making sense of your work, it is usually due to a poor thesis statement. Please notice that these theses have not enough research.

These are only nursing thesis statement examples to illustrate what a thesis statement may look like. It also illustrates how you may include your own thoughts into one that you independently create. Since this is the case, you shouldn’t use these thesis statements for your own research paper. But, again, they are only examples.

• Vaccinations
• Assisted Suicide
• Medical Marijuana for Veterans
• How women see themselves

Nursing thesis ideas

It may be a genuine headache for many college students to come up with a solid thesis idea. Since they are to write about something fresh, nobody expects them to make some fantastic discoveries. With our help, finding the right nursing thesis ideas for your research will be a lot simpler.

You must be confident in your idea to eliminate anxieties and tension when working on the final academic assignment. There are occasions when you are to allocate a specific topic, but you are free to choose your thesis’s core concept in most circumstances. You can be stranded here with doubts and uncertainties.

Do you doubt your ability to write? Allow a professional nursing thesis writer to handle your academic success! Some of the ideas include:

• Professional burnout syndrome in nurses engaged in patient care
• Nurses’ involvement in providing care to patients in the palliative care unit
• The effect of feedback on nursing job quality
• Approaches to delivering safe medical treatment in the modern era
• Pediatric nurses’ activities in the organization of prenatal care
• Nursing care for patients with terminal COPD in terms of quality of life enhancement
• The function of nurses in heart surgery rehabilitation
• Home nursing practice management and organization
• Modified nursing care for individuals with lower limb neuropathies
• Justification of hemorrhagic shock action algorithms
• Health issues induced by military service
• Impact of nanotechnology on human health and the environment
• The use of DNA typing of remains to locate missing persons and crime victims
• The beneficial effects of fats on the human mind and body
• A study on the therapy of people who have suffered memory loss
• The impact of academic achievement on teenagers’ academic health
• Biomedical IT Sadness and stress affect first-time mothers’ preterm deliveries

Nursing thesis statements

An assignment that calls for an opinion or assertion may necessitate the use of the thesis statement at the beginning of your writing. However, the assignment does not expressly mention that you need a thesis statement since your teacher may presume you would provide one.

Ask your teacher whether the assignment demands a thesis statement if you’re in any doubt. When asked to analyze, interpret, compare, establish or take a stand, you may need to create a nursing thesis and support it with evidence.

Your nursing paper should have nursing thesis statements somewhere in the first few paragraphs, usually as the last sentence of the introduction. Break your thesis into two phrases if you’re writing about a complex issue. Your thesis statement will guide your essay’s structure and help your reader understand your ideas.

In conclusion

Writing a nursing thesis may be challenging, but it need not be. You now know we can help you produce an essay that will wow your professor. In addition, you now know how to write an interview paper, but you may sometimes feel like you’re working too hard.

We’ll help you produce a nursing thesis statement if you’re late or the assignment is too hard. If you need help writing a nursing thesis, this is the place to go. If you can’t get what you need elsewhere, recent thesis writers may help. Consider employing an essay writing service if you’re having problems coming up with a nursing thesis paper.

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An thesis examples on nursing statement is a prosaic composition of a small volume and free composition, expressing individual impressions and thoughts on a specific occasion or issue and obviously not claiming a definitive or exhaustive interpretation of the subject.

Some signs of nursing statement thesis:

• the presence of a specific topic or question. A work devoted to the analysis of a wide range of problems in biology, by definition, cannot be performed in the genre of nursing statement thesis topic.
• The thesis expresses individual impressions and thoughts on a specific occasion or issue, in this case, on nursing statement and does not knowingly pretend to a definitive or exhaustive interpretation of the subject.
• As a rule, an essay suggests a new, subjectively colored word about something, such a work may have a philosophical, historical, biographical, journalistic, literary, critical, popular scientific or purely fiction character.
• in the content of an thesis samples on nursing statement, first of all, the author’s personality is assessed - his worldview, thoughts and feelings.

The goal of an thesis in nursing statement is to develop such skills as independent creative thinking and writing out your own thoughts.

Writing an thesis is extremely useful, because it allows the author to learn to clearly and correctly formulate thoughts, structure information, use basic concepts, highlight causal relationships, illustrate experience with relevant examples, and substantiate his conclusions.

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Nurses’ and nursing students’ reasons for entering the profession: content analysis of open-ended questions

Lisa mckenna.

1 La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

Ian Ruddy Mambu

2 Universitas Pelita Harapan, Tangerang, Indonesia

Christine L. Sommers

Sonia reisenhofer.

3 Bairnsdale Regional Health Service, Bairnsdale, Australia

Julie McCaughan

4 Siloam Hospitals, Tangerang, Indonesia

Associated Data

The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to ethical approval conditions but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Global nursing shortages require effective recruitment strategies and understanding of individuals’ motivations to enter the profession. These can be complex and bound by numerous factors such as gender and culture. While much research around this has been conducted, little has been undertaken in non-Western cultures where motivations could be different.

To explore Indonesian nurses’ and nursing students’ motivations for entering the nursing profession.

Online survey with closed and open-ended questions drawn from two different studies. This paper reports findings from one similar open-ended question.

As part of two larger surveys, nurses from 13 hospitals across one private health care group and nursing students with clinical experienced enrolled in a baccalaureate nursing program in Indonesia were asked the question, Why do you want to be a nurse? Responses were translated into English and back-translated into Indonesian prior to being subjected to summative content analysis.

In total, 1351 nurses and 400 students provided responses to the question, representing 98.72% and 99.70% respectively of those completing the survey. Both groups were primarily influenced by desire to serve others and God, personal calling and influence of family members and others. Nurses identified a desire to work in the health field and with the sick, in a noble and caring profession.

Conclusions

Nurses and nursing students were motivated by traditional perspectives on nursing. These should be considered in future recruitment activities. However, more research is needed to understand how these factors influence career choice.

Nurses have been identified as crucial to global achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and play a strong role in health policy, achievement of health targets [ 1 ]. However, global workforce shortages, along with an ageing nursing population [ 1 ] and COVID-19 related burnout further impacting retention [ 2 ], mean that strategies for recruitment into the nursing profession are paramount to meet community health care needs. While more than sufficient numbers of graduate nurses are being produced in Indonesia, 54.1% of nurses are located in urban areas, mostly in Java Island, while the other 45.9% are in rural areas with reported chronic shortages in some areas of the country, especially among communities in Eastern Indonesia [ 3 ]. The need for public education to improve the professional image of nursing has been advocated as one means for promoting recruitment of new nurses into the profession [ 4 ].

Understanding why individuals seek a career in nursing is important in facilitating the targeting of recruitment strategies. Some studies have reported on individual motivations to enter nursing courses, largely from western countries. In Italy, Messineo et al. [ 5 ] found that first year nursing students entered their courses with high levels of empathy and altruistic and prosocial motivations. However, there is also evidence that this declines over the duration of nursing studies [ 6 ]. Crick et al. [ 7 ] found that new nursing students in the United Kingdom were motivated to enter the course due to a desire to care for others. In a study of graduate entry nursing students in Australia, McKenna et al. [ 8 ] identified that previous exposure to nurses, either personally or family, played an important role in their decisions to enter the course, along with desire to care for others.

In a systematic review of 29 papers, Wu et al. [ 9 ] examined motivations of healthcare students influencing career choice, identifying a range of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. They found that altruism through a desire to help others was strong among nursing students, particularly for those who were sick and in need of care. Job security and social status of nursing were considered important, while financial remuneration was not considered as important as for other health professions. Influence of family was mixed in nursing, with some families seeing nursing as having low pay and status, while having family members in the profession was positively influential.

The introduction of the Indonesian Nursing Act in 2014 saw rapid development in the nurse education system and nursing practice with introduction of curriculum standards and accreditation, national competency examination, and nurse registration across the country [ 10 ]. Four-year bachelor or three-year diploma courses can be undertaken to become professional or vocational nurses respectively. Furthermore, there has been recent growth in postgraduate and doctoral programs across the country [ 11 ]. Few previous studies could be sourced exploring why individuals are motivated (seek) to enter the nursing profession in Indonesia. In one study, 20 nursing diploma students participated in focus groups exploring their reasons for choosing to study nursing. Findings identified wanting to help family and others, being inspired by nurses, wanting to improve the image of nursing, influence of family and parents, and work opportunities all influenced choices [ 12 ]. In another study of 57 students in a bachelor degree nursing program, the majority entered the program because they were interested in the nursing profession or wanted to become nurses [ 13 ]. Around a third of students were motivated by their parents to enter the program. Previous studies regarding motivation among existing qualified nurses could not be sourced. Hence, this study sought to explore why Indonesian nurses and nursing students pursued nursing careers.

Data were drawn from two concurrent studies involving online questionnaires, the first focusing on Indonesian registered nurses’ training needs [ 14 ] and the second, on Indonesian nursing students’ experiences of their clinical learning environment [ 15 ]. In each study, participants were asked the same open-ended question: Why do you want to be a nurse? The responses to that question comprise the focus of this paper. Prior to commencement of data collection, approvals were obtained from ethics committees at La Trobe University (ID: S17-155) and Universitas Pelita Harapan (No.005/MRIN-EC/ECL/III/2018). In the original studies, inclusion criteria for the nurses were currently working at the private hospital with a 3-year nursing diploma level qualification or above. Inclusion criteria for nursing students were those who had completed a clinical placement in the private hospital, were enrolled as a nursing student in the university, and were 18 years of age or older. There were no specific exclusion criteria.

Links to the online Qualtrics surveys were provided in participant information materials. These were circulated via internal email and WhatsApp groups to a convenience sample of 2093 eligible registered nurses from 13 sites of an Indonesian private health care group across Jakarta, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Bali and Nusa Tenggara Timur and 796 students from one nursing degree program. Participants provided informed consent using a survey link in the study information provided and participation was voluntary and anonymous. In total, 406 s- and third-year students and 1355 nurses completed the open-ended question forming the basis of this paper.

Responses to the question from both datasets were translated from Indonesian into English and back-translated by two researchers to ensure original meanings were retained [ 16 ]. Data were then subjected to summative content analysis [ 17 ]. Key words were initially identified and coded within Microsoft Excel by two members of the research team. Codes were then manually collated into categories of like terms, quantified utilising frequency counts. Overarching themes were then identified from categories.

In total, 400 students and 1351 nurses provided responses to the question, representing response rates of 98.52% and 99.70% respectively. Among the student group, the average age was 20 years and 84% were female. In the registered nurse group, 80.8% were female and years of experience were relatively evenly distributed from less than one to more than 10 years. Of these, 39% had been in the profession for longer than five years, that is, before introduction of the Indonesian Nursing Act. From the analysis, seven categories and five themes emerged from the student data (Table  1 ) and eight categories and four themes from the nurse data (Table  2 ). Substantial overlap was evident across the two groups and rankings.

Student data (n = 400)

Nurse data (n = 1351)

Overwhelmingly, having an impact on others’ lives was key to both groups through helping or serving others or own family ranked highest for both groups, reported by 50.00% of students and 44.93% of nurses. Students also wanted to be a blessing to others , while nurses valued the interaction with people that is a fundamental part of nursing practice.

For both groups, factors around decision to enter nursing ranked second. Many described having a calling to nursing, while others described this in terms of a ‘childhood dream’, or for ‘personal reward or satisfaction’. Influence of family, others or circumstances played an important part for students and nurses, while a number of nurses described having no reason or choice around entering nursing. Service to God/religious response was also noted to have been the motivation for some students (9.50%); however, it is important to note that these students were enrolled in a faith-based university, so this could be expected. Attraction to the Profession of nursing was also identified as an important factor for both groups. Students expressed a desire to be a part of, or improve, the profession, while many nurses identified a desire to work in the health field or with the sick. For nurses, the status of the profession as noble and caring was a strong factor.

Finally, financial reasons were identified by a small number of participants in both groups who identified commencing their nursing education as they received an offer of a scholarship.

With a predicted continued global nursing shortage, targeted successful strategies need to be introduced to recruit into the profession. Understanding motivations for entering nursing courses can assist with the development of appropriate recruitment strategies and may also inform future retention strategies to keep nurses within the profession. Hence, this study sought to understand why nurses and nursing students in Indonesia chose to enter the profession. Prior to this study, little was known about such motivations in Indonesia, and outside of western countries.

A desire to impact others’ lives was the strongest reported influence for both nurses and nursing students in this study. This was seen as wanting to serve others, and desire to work with the sick. Altruism has long been identified as a reason why individuals choose nursing careers. However, Carter [ 18 ] cautions against simplifying such motivations just to this aspect, where “gender, culture and class and individual dispositions” (p.703) play an important role in the complex make-up of a nursing professional. These views may also change as students progress in their courses. A longitudinal study of nursing students in The Netherlands found that even though many students entered their courses with altruistic and empathic predispositions, their perceptions towards nursing changed to being more professional and focused on their role, knowledge and skills [ 6 ]. Conversely, this was not reflected in the current study where nurses still displayed strong altruistic characteristics beyond graduation from their nursing courses. This suggests that the caring aspect of nursing and ability to make a difference to people’s lives should be emphasised in recruitment to the profession. Additional research in the Indonesian context is needed to better understand the influences on nurses’ personal dispositions and whether these change over time.

Nurses and nursing students in this study both described a personal calling into nursing. Calling, itself, has been described as complex in nursing, and having changed from a traditional perspective based in religion and femininity, to a more contemporary conceptualisation focused on care provision, the profession and self-fulfilment [ 19 ]. In this study, a more traditional focus emerged with both focus on serving community and service to God. This may be, in part, related to the fact that the study was undertaken in a faith-based university and health care group. Being a strong faith-based country, this may be a particularly important consideration in Indonesia and would benefit from further research with other groups across the country. The importance of inclusion of this concept in recruitment into nursing in the country could be further explored. In a recent study in Indonesia, the concept of calling and reason for entering nursing played a role in student success in a nursing program [ 20 ]. The importance of understanding values is particularly pertinent in nursing recruitment strategies with a recent mandate in the United Kingdom for values-based recruitment of healthcare students aligning with those of the National Health Service [ 21 ].

The influence of families and others was a factor in this study for pursuing a nursing career. In Indonesia, families have been shown to play an important role in career pathways, particularly in family businesses [ 22 ]. However, the literature is mixed on whether this is an important factor for nursing. In their review, Wu et al. [ 9 ] identified that some studies identified parents as not being supportive of their children entering the nursing profession because of low pay and status, a view reflected elsewhere [ 23 ]. Despite this, families have been found to be a strong influencing factor influencing choice of nursing career in some studies [ 8 , 24 , 25 ]. Having family members or friends who are nurses or had experienced time in hospitals were identified as influencing factors in one study [ 8 ]. In a study conducted in the United States, Woods-Giscombe et al. [ 25 ] recommended including family members into recruitment processes into nursing, particularly for recruitment of students from underrepresented groups. This suggests that recruitment strategies should not only be directed towards potential students, but their families as well.

While career stability and vocational reasons have been identified by other researchers as guiding factors in pursuing nursing careers [ 8 , 18 ], these aspects were not identified by nurses and nursing students in this study. It is possible that cultural aspects may play a role. In a Norwegian study, nursing students from immigrant backgrounds were found to be more motivated by salary, status, and work flexibility than non-immigrants [ 26 ]. Findings from the current study suggest that such considerations might not be primary considerations for Indonesian nurses and students and that more research is needed to explore this aspect further.

Media representations have been identified in a number of studies as influencing decisions to pursue nursing careers. In one Australian study, hospital dramas on television as well as print and television news played a role in influencing graduate entry students to pursue nursing education [ 8 ]. In another Australian study focused on television representation of the nursing profession, nursing students perceived nurses to be negatively represented in comparison to doctors who were positively portrayed. They recognised that medical programs could provide some recruitment value [ 27 ]. However, a role of media influencing career choice was not identified in this study. Whether or not this plays some role in assisting career decisions for Indonesian students could also be examined further.

There are some acknowledged limitations to this study. The sample was drawn from one faith-based university and hospital group. While the study population was large and drawn from a number of locations, findings may be different in other Indonesian nurse populations across the diverse cultural groups in the country. Furthermore, data were only collected using one open-ended survey question. Further research that explores these concepts in greater depth would be highly valuable.

With global nursing shortages, there is an ongoing need for effective recruitment strategies into the profession. This makes it vital to understand motivations of those entering the profession to facilitate recruitment approaches. However, motivations may vary according to a wide range of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. This study identified that Indonesian nurses and nursing students were largely motivated by a need to serve others and God, personal calling, and the influence of family. As a strong faith-based country, this is likely to be an important consideration in future nursing recruitment. However, further research is needed across more communities to ensure that other motivating factors can be identified and incorporated into successful recruitment strategies. Further research is also needed to understand if these concepts play a role in nursing students successfully completing a program and entering the nursing profession.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to all the nurses and nursing students for their contributions to the study.

Author Contribution

All authors have agreed on the final version and meet at least one of the following criteria (recommended by the ICMJE): (1) substantial contributions to conception and design (LM, CS, SR, IM, JC), acquisition of data, or analysis (LM, CS, IM) and interpretation (LM, CS, IM) of data; (2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content (LM, CS).

This study was supported by a La Trobe Asia Research Grant Program grant and the Universitas Pelita Harapan Research and Community Service Grant Program.

Data Availability

Declarations.

The study was approved by Human Research Ethics Committees at La Trobe University (ID: S17-155) and Universitas Pelita Harapan (No.005/MRIN-EC/ECL/III/2018). All data collection was in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. Participants provided informed consent for this study using the survey link in study information provided.

Not applicable.

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Chapter 6: The Writing Process and Pre-Writing

Revising a Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement will probably change as you write so that it reflects exactly what you discuss in your paper. Remember, you will begin with a working thesis statement, an indefinite statement that you make about your topic early in the writing process.

Working thesis statements will become stronger as you gather information and form new opinions and reasons for those opinions. Revisions will help you strengthen your thesis so that it matches what you have expressed in the body of your paper. See Table 6.4  for ways to remove irrelevant parts and revise your thesis.

Table 6.4: Revising a thesis

Student Tip

Ask Questions about Your Thesis Statement

The best way to revise your thesis statement is to ask questions about it and then examine the answers to those questions. By challenging your own ideas and forming definite reasons for those ideas, you can move toward a more precise point of view, which you can then incorporate into your thesis statement.

Activity: Beware of the Pitfalls!

Some working thesis statements are provided below. Use the steps you have just learned to revise the working thesis to strengthen the statement.

• Working Thesis: Today’s university students have too much stress in their life.
• Working Thesis: Children are not exercising enough.

Attribution statement

Content from this page was remixed with our own original content and adapted, with editorial changes, from:

Writing for Success 1st Canadian Edition  by Tara Horkoff is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted. Download for free at: https://opentextbc.ca/writingforsuccess/

The Scholarship of Writing in Nursing Education: 1st Canadian Edition Copyright © 2019 by Jennifer Lapum; Oona St-Amant; Michelle Hughes; Andy Tan; Arina Bogdan; Frances Dimaranan; Rachel Frantzke; and Nada Savicevic is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Published: 14 May 2024

Developing a survey to measure nursing students’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, influences, and willingness to be involved in Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD): a mixed method modified e-Delphi study

• Jocelyn Schroeder 1 ,
• Barbara Pesut 1 , 2 ,
• Lise Olsen 2 ,
• Nelly D. Oelke 2 &
• Helen Sharp 2  

BMC Nursing volume  23 , Article number:  326 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

31 Accesses

Metrics details

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) was legalized in Canada in 2016. Canada’s legislation is the first to permit Nurse Practitioners (NP) to serve as independent MAiD assessors and providers. Registered Nurses’ (RN) also have important roles in MAiD that include MAiD care coordination; client and family teaching and support, MAiD procedural quality; healthcare provider and public education; and bereavement care for family. Nurses have a right under the law to conscientious objection to participating in MAiD. Therefore, it is essential to prepare nurses in their entry-level education for the practice implications and moral complexities inherent in this practice. Knowing what nursing students think about MAiD is a critical first step. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a survey to measure nursing students’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, influences, and willingness to be involved in MAiD in the Canadian context.

The design was a mixed-method, modified e-Delphi method that entailed item generation from the literature, item refinement through a 2 round survey of an expert faculty panel, and item validation through a cognitive focus group interview with nursing students. The settings were a University located in an urban area and a College located in a rural area in Western Canada.

During phase 1, a 56-item survey was developed from existing literature that included demographic items and items designed to measure experience with death and dying (including MAiD), education and preparation, attitudes and beliefs, influences on those beliefs, and anticipated future involvement. During phase 2, an expert faculty panel reviewed, modified, and prioritized the items yielding 51 items. During phase 3, a sample of nursing students further evaluated and modified the language in the survey to aid readability and comprehension. The final survey consists of 45 items including 4 case studies.

Systematic evaluation of knowledge-to-date coupled with stakeholder perspectives supports robust survey design. This study yielded a survey to assess nursing students’ attitudes toward MAiD in a Canadian context.

The survey is appropriate for use in education and research to measure knowledge and attitudes about MAiD among nurse trainees and can be a helpful step in preparing nursing students for entry-level practice.

Peer Review reports

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) is permitted under an amendment to Canada’s Criminal Code which was passed in 2016 [ 1 ]. MAiD is defined in the legislation as both self-administered and clinician-administered medication for the purpose of causing death. In the 2016 Bill C-14 legislation one of the eligibility criteria was that an applicant for MAiD must have a reasonably foreseeable natural death although this term was not defined. It was left to the clinical judgement of MAiD assessors and providers to determine the time frame that constitutes reasonably foreseeable [ 2 ]. However, in 2021 under Bill C-7, the eligibility criteria for MAiD were changed to allow individuals with irreversible medical conditions, declining health, and suffering, but whose natural death was not reasonably foreseeable, to receive MAiD [ 3 ]. This population of MAiD applicants are referred to as Track 2 MAiD (those whose natural death is foreseeable are referred to as Track 1). Track 2 applicants are subject to additional safeguards under the 2021 C-7 legislation.

Three additional proposed changes to the legislation have been extensively studied by Canadian Expert Panels (Council of Canadian Academics [CCA]) [ 4 , 5 , 6 ] First, under the legislation that defines Track 2, individuals with mental disease as their sole underlying medical condition may apply for MAiD, but implementation of this practice is embargoed until March 2027 [ 4 ]. Second, there is consideration of allowing MAiD to be implemented through advanced consent. This would make it possible for persons living with dementia to receive MAID after they have lost the capacity to consent to the procedure [ 5 ]. Third, there is consideration of extending MAiD to mature minors. A mature minor is defined as “a person under the age of majority…and who has the capacity to understand and appreciate the nature and consequences of a decision” ([ 6 ] p. 5). In summary, since the legalization of MAiD in 2016 the eligibility criteria and safeguards have evolved significantly with consequent implications for nurses and nursing care. Further, the number of Canadians who access MAiD shows steady increases since 2016 [ 7 ] and it is expected that these increases will continue in the foreseeable future.

Nurses have been integral to MAiD care in the Canadian context. While other countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands also permit euthanasia, Canada is the first country to allow Nurse Practitioners (Registered Nurses with additional preparation typically achieved at the graduate level) to act independently as assessors and providers of MAiD [ 1 ]. Although the role of Registered Nurses (RNs) in MAiD is not defined in federal legislation, it has been addressed at the provincial/territorial-level with variability in scope of practice by region [ 8 , 9 ]. For example, there are differences with respect to the obligation of the nurse to provide information to patients about MAiD, and to the degree that nurses are expected to ensure that patient eligibility criteria and safeguards are met prior to their participation [ 10 ]. Studies conducted in the Canadian context indicate that RNs perform essential roles in MAiD care coordination; client and family teaching and support; MAiD procedural quality; healthcare provider and public education; and bereavement care for family [ 9 , 11 ]. Nurse practitioners and RNs are integral to a robust MAiD care system in Canada and hence need to be well-prepared for their role [ 12 ].

Previous studies have found that end of life care, and MAiD specifically, raise complex moral and ethical issues for nurses [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. The knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of nurses are important across practice settings because nurses have consistent, ongoing, and direct contact with patients who experience chronic or life-limiting health conditions. Canadian studies exploring nurses’ moral and ethical decision-making in relation to MAiD reveal that although some nurses are clear in their support for, or opposition to, MAiD, others are unclear on what they believe to be good and right [ 14 ]. Empirical findings suggest that nurses go through a period of moral sense-making that is often informed by their family, peers, and initial experiences with MAID [ 17 , 18 ]. Canadian legislation and policy specifies that nurses are not required to participate in MAiD and may recuse themselves as conscientious objectors with appropriate steps to ensure ongoing and safe care of patients [ 1 , 19 ]. However, with so many nurses having to reflect on and make sense of their moral position, it is essential that they are given adequate time and preparation to make an informed and thoughtful decision before they participate in a MAID death [ 20 , 21 ].

It is well established that nursing students receive inconsistent exposure to end of life care issues [ 22 ] and little or no training related to MAiD [ 23 ]. Without such education and reflection time in pre-entry nursing preparation, nurses are at significant risk for moral harm. An important first step in providing this preparation is to be able to assess the knowledge, values, and beliefs of nursing students regarding MAID and end of life care. As demand for MAiD increases along with the complexities of MAiD, it is critical to understand the knowledge, attitudes, and likelihood of engagement with MAiD among nursing students as a baseline upon which to build curriculum and as a means to track these variables over time.

Aim, design, and setting

The aim of this study was to develop a survey to measure nursing students’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, influences, and willingness to be involved in MAiD in the Canadian context. We sought to explore both their willingness to be involved in the registered nursing role and in the nurse practitioner role should they chose to prepare themselves to that level of education. The design was a mixed-method, modified e-Delphi method that entailed item generation, item refinement through an expert faculty panel [ 24 , 25 , 26 ], and initial item validation through a cognitive focus group interview with nursing students [ 27 ]. The settings were a University located in an urban area and a College located in a rural area in Western Canada.

Participants

A panel of 10 faculty from the two nursing education programs were recruited for Phase 2 of the e-Delphi. To be included, faculty were required to have a minimum of three years of experience in nurse education, be employed as nursing faculty, and self-identify as having experience with MAiD. A convenience sample of 5 fourth-year nursing students were recruited to participate in Phase 3. Students had to be in good standing in the nursing program and be willing to share their experiences of the survey in an online group interview format.

The modified e-Delphi was conducted in 3 phases: Phase 1 entailed item generation through literature and existing survey review. Phase 2 entailed item refinement through a faculty expert panel review with focus on content validity, prioritization, and revision of item wording [ 25 ]. Phase 3 entailed an assessment of face validity through focus group-based cognitive interview with nursing students.

Phase I. Item generation through literature review

The goal of phase 1 was to develop a bank of survey items that would represent the variables of interest and which could be provided to expert faculty in Phase 2. Initial survey items were generated through a literature review of similar surveys designed to assess knowledge and attitudes toward MAiD/euthanasia in healthcare providers; Canadian empirical studies on nurses’ roles and/or experiences with MAiD; and legislative and expert panel documents that outlined proposed changes to the legislative eligibility criteria and safeguards. The literature review was conducted in three online databases: CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Medline. Key words for the search included nurses , nursing students , medical students , NPs, MAiD , euthanasia , assisted death , and end-of-life care . Only articles written in English were reviewed. The legalization and legislation of MAiD is new in many countries; therefore, studies that were greater than twenty years old were excluded, no further exclusion criteria set for country.

Items from surveys designed to measure similar variables in other health care providers and geographic contexts were placed in a table and similar items were collated and revised into a single item. Then key variables were identified from the empirical literature on nurses and MAiD in Canada and checked against the items derived from the surveys to ensure that each of the key variables were represented. For example, conscientious objection has figured prominently in the Canadian literature, but there were few items that assessed knowledge of conscientious objection in other surveys and so items were added [ 15 , 21 , 28 , 29 ]. Finally, four case studies were added to the survey to address the anticipated changes to the Canadian legislation. The case studies were based upon the inclusion of mature minors, advanced consent, and mental disorder as the sole underlying medical condition. The intention was to assess nurses’ beliefs and comfort with these potential legislative changes.

Phase 2. Item refinement through expert panel review

The goal of phase 2 was to refine and prioritize the proposed survey items identified in phase 1 using a modified e-Delphi approach to achieve consensus among an expert panel [ 26 ]. Items from phase 1 were presented to an expert faculty panel using a Qualtrics (Provo, UT) online survey. Panel members were asked to review each item to determine if it should be: included, excluded or adapted for the survey. When adapted was selected faculty experts were asked to provide rationale and suggestions for adaptation through the use of an open text box. Items that reached a level of 75% consensus for either inclusion or adaptation were retained [ 25 , 26 ]. New items were categorized and added, and a revised survey was presented to the panel of experts in round 2. Panel members were again asked to review items, including new items, to determine if it should be: included, excluded, or adapted for the survey. Round 2 of the modified e-Delphi approach also included an item prioritization activity, where participants were then asked to rate the importance of each item, based on a 5-point Likert scale (low to high importance), which De Vaus [ 30 ] states is helpful for increasing the reliability of responses. Items that reached a 75% consensus on inclusion were then considered in relation to the importance it was given by the expert panel. Quantitative data were managed using SPSS (IBM Corp).

Phase 3. Face validity through cognitive interviews with nursing students

The goal of phase 3 was to obtain initial face validity of the proposed survey using a sample of nursing student informants. More specifically, student participants were asked to discuss how items were interpreted, to identify confusing wording or other problematic construction of items, and to provide feedback about the survey as a whole including readability and organization [ 31 , 32 , 33 ]. The focus group was held online and audio recorded. A semi-structured interview guide was developed for this study that focused on clarity, meaning, order and wording of questions; emotions evoked by the questions; and overall survey cohesion and length was used to obtain data (see Supplementary Material 2  for the interview guide). A prompt to “think aloud” was used to limit interviewer-imposed bias and encourage participants to describe their thoughts and response to a given item as they reviewed survey items [ 27 ]. Where needed, verbal probes such as “could you expand on that” were used to encourage participants to expand on their responses [ 27 ]. Student participants’ feedback was collated verbatim and presented to the research team where potential survey modifications were negotiated and finalized among team members. Conventional content analysis [ 34 ] of focus group data was conducted to identify key themes that emerged through discussion with students. Themes were derived from the data by grouping common responses and then using those common responses to modify survey items.

Ten nursing faculty participated in the expert panel. Eight of the 10 faculty self-identified as female. No faculty panel members reported conscientious objector status and ninety percent reported general agreement with MAiD with one respondent who indicated their view as “unsure.” Six of the 10 faculty experts had 16 years of experience or more working as a nurse educator.

Five nursing students participated in the cognitive interview focus group. The duration of the focus group was 2.5 h. All participants identified that they were born in Canada, self-identified as female (one preferred not to say) and reported having received some instruction about MAiD as part of their nursing curriculum. See Tables  1 and 2 for the demographic descriptors of the study sample. Study results will be reported in accordance with the study phases. See Fig.  1 for an overview of the results from each phase.

Fig. 1  Overview of survey development findings

Phase 1: survey item generation

Review of the literature identified that no existing survey was available for use with nursing students in the Canadian context. However, an analysis of themes across qualitative and quantitative studies of physicians, medical students, nurses, and nursing students provided sufficient data to develop a preliminary set of items suitable for adaptation to a population of nursing students.

Four major themes and factors that influence knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about MAiD were evident from the literature: (i) endogenous or individual factors such as age, gender, personally held values, religion, religiosity, and/or spirituality [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ], (ii) experience with death and dying in personal and/or professional life [ 35 , 40 , 41 , 43 , 44 , 45 ], (iii) training including curricular instruction about clinical role, scope of practice, or the law [ 23 , 36 , 39 ], and (iv) exogenous or social factors such as the influence of key leaders, colleagues, friends and/or family, professional and licensure organizations, support within professional settings, and/or engagement in MAiD in an interdisciplinary team context [ 9 , 35 , 46 ].

Studies of nursing students also suggest overlap across these categories. For example, value for patient autonomy [ 23 ] and the moral complexity of decision-making [ 37 ] are important factors that contribute to attitudes about MAiD and may stem from a blend of personally held values coupled with curricular content, professional training and norms, and clinical exposure. For example, students report that participation in end of life care allows for personal growth, shifts in perception, and opportunities to build therapeutic relationships with their clients [ 44 , 47 , 48 ].

Preliminary items generated from the literature resulted in 56 questions from 11 published sources (See Table  3 ). These items were constructed across four main categories: (i) socio-demographic questions; (ii) end of life care questions; (iii) knowledge about MAiD; or (iv) comfort and willingness to participate in MAiD. Knowledge questions were refined to reflect current MAiD legislation, policies, and regulatory frameworks. Falconer [ 39 ] and Freeman [ 45 ] studies were foundational sources for item selection. Additionally, four case studies were written to reflect the most recent anticipated changes to MAiD legislation and all used the same open-ended core questions to address respondents’ perspectives about the patient’s right to make the decision, comfort in assisting a physician or NP to administer MAiD in that scenario, and hypothesized comfort about serving as a primary provider if qualified as an NP in future. Response options for the survey were also constructed during this stage and included: open text, categorical, yes/no , and Likert scales.

Phase 2: faculty expert panel review

Of the 56 items presented to the faculty panel, 54 questions reached 75% consensus. However, based upon the qualitative responses 9 items were removed largely because they were felt to be repetitive. Items that generated the most controversy were related to measuring religion and spirituality in the Canadian context, defining end of life care when there is no agreed upon time frames (e.g., last days, months, or years), and predicting willingness to be involved in a future events – thus predicting their future selves. Phase 2, round 1 resulted in an initial set of 47 items which were then presented back to the faculty panel in round 2.

Of the 47 initial questions presented to the panel in round 2, 45 reached a level of consensus of 75% or greater, and 34 of these questions reached a level of 100% consensus [ 27 ] of which all participants chose to include without any adaptations) For each question, level of importance was determined based on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = very unimportant, 2 = somewhat unimportant, 3 = neutral, 4 = somewhat important, and 5 = very important). Figure  2 provides an overview of the level of importance assigned to each item.

Ranking level of importance for survey items

After round 2, a careful analysis of participant comments and level of importance was completed by the research team. While the main method of survey item development came from participants’ response to the first round of Delphi consensus ratings, level of importance was used to assist in the decision of whether to keep or modify questions that created controversy, or that rated lower in the include/exclude/adapt portion of the Delphi. Survey items that rated low in level of importance included questions about future roles, sex and gender, and religion/spirituality. After deliberation by the research committee, these questions were retained in the survey based upon the importance of these variables in the scientific literature.

Of the 47 questions remaining from Phase 2, round 2, four were revised. In addition, the two questions that did not meet the 75% cut off level for consensus were reviewed by the research team. The first question reviewed was What is your comfort level with providing a MAiD death in the future if you were a qualified NP ? Based on a review of participant comments, it was decided to retain this question for the cognitive interviews with students in the final phase of testing. The second question asked about impacts on respondents’ views of MAiD and was changed from one item with 4 subcategories into 4 separate items, resulting in a final total of 51 items for phase 3. The revised survey was then brought forward to the cognitive interviews with student participants in Phase 3. (see Supplementary Material 1 for a complete description of item modification during round 2).

Phase 3. Outcomes of cognitive interview focus group

Of the 51 items reviewed by student participants, 29 were identified as clear with little or no discussion. Participant comments for the remaining 22 questions were noted and verified against the audio recording. Following content analysis of the comments, four key themes emerged through the student discussion: unclear or ambiguous wording; difficult to answer questions; need for additional response options; and emotional response evoked by questions. An example of unclear or ambiguous wording was a request for clarity in the use of the word “sufficient” in the context of assessing an item that read “My nursing education has provided sufficient content about the nursing role in MAiD.” “Sufficient” was viewed as subjective and “laden with…complexity that distracted me from the question.” The group recommended rewording the item to read “My nursing education has provided enough content for me to care for a patient considering or requesting MAiD.”

An example of having difficulty answering questions related to limited knowledge related to terms used in the legislation such as such as safeguards , mature minor , eligibility criteria , and conscientious objection. Students were unclear about what these words meant relative to the legislation and indicated that this lack of clarity would hamper appropriate responses to the survey. To ensure that respondents are able to answer relevant questions, student participants recommended that the final survey include explanation of key terms such as mature minor and conscientious objection and an overview of current legislation.

Response options were also a point of discussion. Participants noted a lack of distinction between response options of unsure and unable to say . Additionally, scaling of attitudes was noted as important since perspectives about MAiD are dynamic and not dichotomous “agree or disagree” responses. Although the faculty expert panel recommended the integration of the demographic variables of religious and/or spiritual remain as a single item, the student group stated a preference to have religion and spirituality appear as separate items. The student focus group also took issue with separate items for the variables of sex and gender, specifically that non-binary respondents might feel othered or “outed” particularly when asked to identify their sex. These variables had been created based upon best practices in health research but students did not feel they were appropriate in this context [ 49 ]. Finally, students agreed with the faculty expert panel in terms of the complexity of projecting their future involvement as a Nurse Practitioner. One participant stated: “I certainly had to like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Now let me finish this degree first, please.” Another stated, “I'm still imagining myself, my future career as an RN.”

Finally, student participants acknowledged the array of emotions that some of the items produced for them. For example, one student described positive feelings when interacting with the survey. “Brought me a little bit of feeling of joy. Like it reminded me that this is the last piece of independence that people grab on to.” Another participant, described the freedom that the idea of an advance request gave her. “The advance request gives the most comfort for me, just with early onset Alzheimer’s and knowing what it can do.” But other participants described less positive feelings. For example, the mature minor case study yielded a comment: “This whole scenario just made my heart hurt with the idea of a child requesting that.”

Based on the data gathered from the cognitive interview focus group of nursing students, revisions were made to 11 closed-ended questions (see Table  4 ) and 3 items were excluded. In the four case studies, the open-ended question related to a respondents’ hypothesized actions in a future role as NP were removed. The final survey consists of 45 items including 4 case studies (see Supplementary Material 3 ).

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a survey that can be used to track the growth of knowledge about MAiD among nursing students over time, inform training programs about curricular needs, and evaluate attitudes and willingness to participate in MAiD at time-points during training or across nursing programs over time.

The faculty expert panel and student participants in the cognitive interview focus group identified a need to establish core knowledge of the terminology and legislative rules related to MAiD. For example, within the cognitive interview group of student participants, several acknowledged lack of clear understanding of specific terms such as “conscientious objector” and “safeguards.” Participants acknowledged discomfort with the uncertainty of not knowing and their inclination to look up these terms to assist with answering the questions. This survey can be administered to nursing or pre-nursing students at any phase of their training within a program or across training programs. However, in doing so it is important to acknowledge that their baseline knowledge of MAiD will vary. A response option of “not sure” is important and provides a means for respondents to convey uncertainty. If this survey is used to inform curricular needs, respondents should be given explicit instructions not to conduct online searches to inform their responses, but rather to provide an honest appraisal of their current knowledge and these instructions are included in the survey (see Supplementary Material 3 ).

Some provincial regulatory bodies have established core competencies for entry-level nurses that include MAiD. For example, the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) requires “knowledge about ethical, legal, and regulatory implications of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) when providing nursing care.” (10 p. 6) However, across Canada curricular content and coverage related to end of life care and MAiD is variable [ 23 ]. Given the dynamic nature of the legislation that includes portions of the law that are embargoed until 2024, it is important to ensure that respondents are guided by current and accurate information. As the law changes, nursing curricula, and public attitudes continue to evolve, inclusion of core knowledge and content is essential and relevant for investigators to be able to interpret the portions of the survey focused on attitudes and beliefs about MAiD. Content knowledge portions of the survey may need to be modified over time as legislation and training change and to meet the specific purposes of the investigator.

Given the sensitive nature of the topic, it is strongly recommended that surveys be conducted anonymously and that students be provided with an opportunity to discuss their responses to the survey. A majority of feedback from both the expert panel of faculty and from student participants related to the wording and inclusion of demographic variables, in particular religion, religiosity, gender identity, and sex assigned at birth. These and other demographic variables have the potential to be highly identifying in small samples. In any instance in which the survey could be expected to yield demographic group sizes less than 5, users should eliminate the demographic variables from the survey. For example, the profession of nursing is highly dominated by females with over 90% of nurses who identify as female [ 50 ]. Thus, a survey within a single class of students or even across classes in a single institution is likely to yield a small number of male respondents and/or respondents who report a difference between sex assigned at birth and gender identity. When variables that serve to identify respondents are included, respondents are less likely to complete or submit the survey, to obscure their responses so as not to be identifiable, or to be influenced by social desirability bias in their responses rather than to convey their attitudes accurately [ 51 ]. Further, small samples do not allow for conclusive analyses or interpretation of apparent group differences. Although these variables are often included in surveys, such demographics should be included only when anonymity can be sustained. In small and/or known samples, highly identifying variables should be omitted.

There are several limitations associated with the development of this survey. The expert panel was comprised of faculty who teach nursing students and are knowledgeable about MAiD and curricular content, however none identified as a conscientious objector to MAiD. Ideally, our expert panel would have included one or more conscientious objectors to MAiD to provide a broader perspective. Review by practitioners who participate in MAiD, those who are neutral or undecided, and practitioners who are conscientious objectors would ensure broad applicability of the survey. This study included one student cognitive interview focus group with 5 self-selected participants. All student participants had held discussions about end of life care with at least one patient, 4 of 5 participants had worked with a patient who requested MAiD, and one had been present for a MAiD death. It is not clear that these participants are representative of nursing students demographically or by experience with end of life care. It is possible that the students who elected to participate hold perspectives and reflections on patient care and MAiD that differ from students with little or no exposure to end of life care and/or MAiD. However, previous studies find that most nursing students have been involved with end of life care including meaningful discussions about patients’ preferences and care needs during their education [ 40 , 44 , 47 , 48 , 52 ]. Data collection with additional student focus groups with students early in their training and drawn from other training contexts would contribute to further validation of survey items.

Future studies should incorporate pilot testing with small sample of nursing students followed by a larger cross-program sample to allow evaluation of the psychometric properties of specific items and further refinement of the survey tool. Consistent with literature about the importance of leadership in the context of MAiD [ 12 , 53 , 54 ], a study of faculty knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward MAiD would provide context for understanding student perspectives within and across programs. Additional research is also needed to understand the timing and content coverage of MAiD across Canadian nurse training programs’ curricula.

The implementation of MAiD is complex and requires understanding of the perspectives of multiple stakeholders. Within the field of nursing this includes clinical providers, educators, and students who will deliver clinical care. A survey to assess nursing students’ attitudes toward and willingness to participate in MAiD in the Canadian context is timely, due to the legislation enacted in 2016 and subsequent modifications to the law in 2021 with portions of the law to be enacted in 2027. Further development of this survey could be undertaken to allow for use in settings with practicing nurses or to allow longitudinal follow up with students as they enter practice. As the Canadian landscape changes, ongoing assessment of the perspectives and needs of health professionals and students in the health professions is needed to inform policy makers, leaders in practice, curricular needs, and to monitor changes in attitudes and practice patterns over time.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to small sample sizes, but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives

Medical assistance in dying

Nurse practitioner

Registered nurse

University of British Columbia Okanagan

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We would like to acknowledge the faculty and students who generously contributed their time to this work.

JS received a student traineeship through the Principal Research Chairs program at the University of British Columbia Okanagan.

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JS made substantial contributions to the conception of the work; data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation; and drafting and substantively revising the work. JS has approved the submitted version and agreed to be personally accountable for the author's own contributions and to ensure that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work, even ones in which the author was not personally involved, are appropriately investigated, resolved, and the resolution documented in the literature. BP made substantial contributions to the conception of the work; data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation; and drafting and substantively revising the work. BP has approved the submitted version and agreed to be personally accountable for the author's own contributions and to ensure that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work, even ones in which the author was not personally involved, are appropriately investigated, resolved, and the resolution documented in the literature. LO made substantial contributions to the conception of the work; data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation; and substantively revising the work. LO has approved the submitted version and agreed to be personally accountable for the author's own contributions and to ensure that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work, even ones in which the author was not personally involved, are appropriately investigated, resolved, and the resolution documented in the literature. NDO made substantial contributions to the conception of the work; data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation; and substantively revising the work. NDO has approved the submitted version and agreed to be personally accountable for the author's own contributions and to ensure that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work, even ones in which the author was not personally involved, are appropriately investigated, resolved, and the resolution documented in the literature. HS made substantial contributions to drafting and substantively revising the work. HS has approved the submitted version and agreed to be personally accountable for the author's own contributions and to ensure that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work, even ones in which the author was not personally involved, are appropriately investigated, resolved, and the resolution documented in the literature.

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Schroeder, J., Pesut, B., Olsen, L. et al. Developing a survey to measure nursing students’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, influences, and willingness to be involved in Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD): a mixed method modified e-Delphi study. BMC Nurs 23 , 326 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01984-z

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