Module 1

Module 1 | Assignment: Scholarly Paper Topic Submission (Step 1)

Scholarly Paper Topic Submission (Step 1)

This multi-step scholarly paper project will guide you through the research and writing process to explore a contemporary issue in professional nursing practice. In this first step, you'll identify and propose a specific nursing issue that interests you and aligns with the dimensions of professional nursing practice covered in this course.

 

Overview

1. Select a nursing issue, dilemma, or problem that connects to the dimensions of professional nursing practice covered in this course - avoid clinical topics focused on specific diseases, treatments, or medications.

2. Identify the specific problem within your chosen topic area (for example, if selecting "social media in nursing," you might specify that you're addressing privacy breaches, professional boundaries, or misinformation spread).

3. Formulate your topic as a problem statement that can be addressed through evidence-based nursing actions at multiple levels of practice.

· NOTE: In the paper you must make a connection between your thesis statement and literature to show 2-3 solutions supported by evidence/research.

4. Submit your proposed topic using the format specified below, ensuring it meets the requirements for scholarly inquiry and evidence-based solutions.

Topic Submission Format

Submit your topic proposal using this structure:

· Topic Area: (e.g., "Moral Distress in Nursing")

· Specific Problem: (e.g., "The impact of moral distress on nurse retention and patient safety outcomes")

· Why This Matters: (2-3 sentences explaining the significance of this problem to professional nursing practice)

· Preliminary Research Question: (e.g., "What evidence-based strategies can nursing leaders and individual nurses implement to reduce moral distress and improve workplace outcomes?")

 

What to Submit

· Deliverable: Topic proposal using the required format above

· Format: Text entry directly in Canvas or Word document (.docx)

Important: Wait for faculty approval (indicated by a checkmark in your gradebook) before proceeding to Step 2. This ensures your topic is appropriate for the assignment requirements.

 

How You'll Be Evaluated

Grading Criteria
Criterion	What Strong Work Looks Like
Topic Relevance	Topic clearly connects to professional nursing practice dimensions and course content rather than clinical/medical focus
Problem Specificity	Identifies a specific, focused problem within the topic area that can be addressed through evidence-based nursing actions
Professional Significance	Demonstrates understanding of why this issue matters to the nursing profession and patient care
Research Potential	Proposes a topic with sufficient scholarly literature available to support evidence-based solutions

This assignment is graded as complete/incomplete based on meeting the above criteria.

 

Example Topics

Here are some examples of topics you might choose from, but feel free to create your own! Explore your textbook or relevant current legislation for ideas.

· Social Media

· Complementary and Alternative Health Care/Therapy

· Mandatory Overtime

· Moral Distress in Nursing

· Substance Abuse in Nurses

· Maternal Mortality in U.S.

· Healthcare-associated infections (HAI)

· Staff retention

· Artificial Intelligence

· Immigration health care

· Human Trafficking

· Violence in the workplace

· Nurse-patient ratios

· Telehealth

· Adverse Event Reporting

· Medical Errors

· Cybersecurity in Hospitals

· Information Technology

· Communication in Healthcare (between providers or between providers and patients)

· Nursing Work Environment/ Job Satisfaction

· Nursing Faculty Shortage

· U.S. Healthcare System

· Incorporating Evidence in Personal Practice

· Collaboration in Nursing

· Political Activism in Nursing

Keep in mind when writing your Scholarly APA Paper, you must consider the DIMENSIONS of PROFESSIONAL NURSING practice and how they are related to the topic.

In this course, use of AI is not allowed, including citation generators. The goal is for you to develop critical thinking skills and become a good enough researcher to spot the errors that can occur with AI, and citation generators are frequently wrong. There are a lot of published research studies, some good, some outdated, or just not so good.