How to Write Your Nursing Dissertation

ALAN GLASPER is Emeritus Professor of Nursing Studies, University of Southampton, UK. He is also the editor-in-chief of the international journal Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Nursing. DIANE CARPENTER is Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, UK.

List of contributors xiii

Foreword xvii

Preface xx

About the companion website xxii

The Scenarios xxiiii

Section 1 Starting your dissertation journey 1

1 Starting the journey of your final-year project 3
Megan Bonner-Janes

What is a final-year project? 3

Why do nurses need to do a research-based project? 5

Undergraduate versus postgraduate projects 6

What are the features of a degree education? 7

Features of a final-year project 8

Planning your final-year project: essential considerations 9

Completing your final-year project and gaining a good classification 11

Don’t panic! 13

2 Introduction to writing your evidence-based practice dissertation/project 14
Alan Glasper, and Diane Carpenter

Sample guidelines for students undertaking a nursing associate project, an undergraduate healthcare project/dissertation or a master’s degree project 14

Typical learning outcomes for a nursing associate course 2000-word literature review 15

Typical learning outcomes for an undergraduate evidence-based practice dissertation/project 15

Typical learning outcomes for a postgraduate evidence-based practice dissertation/project 16

The dissertation/project/assignment 17

Guidelines for students undertaking a nursing associate evidence-based practice assignment 18

Guidelines for students undertaking an undergraduate evidence-based practice final project 19

Guidelines for students undertaking an undergraduate evidence-based practice dissertation 20

Guidelines for a typical postgraduate evidence-based practice dissertation/project module learning outcomes 22

Conclusion 23

3 Clinical effectiveness and evidence-based practice: background and history 24
Mary O’Toole and Alan Glasper

Introduction 24

Historical aspects of evidence-based practice 25

The contribution of the nursing profession to evidence-based practice 27

How is evidence sourced? 27

Conclusion 29

4 What is evidence-based practice and clinical effectiveness? 31
Andrée le May

Clinical effectiveness 31

Evidence-based practice 35

Making care more effective 38

5 The challenges of delivering practice based on best evidence (in primary, secondary and tertiary settings) 43
Andrée le May

An evidence base for practice 43

Barriers to the use of research evidence in practice 45

Encouraging the use of research evidence in practice 48

Conclusion 53

Section 2 Sourcing and accessing evidence for your dissertation 57

6 Sourcing the best evidence 59
Diane Carpenter and Alan Glasper

Exploring and refining your question 59

Searching for research articles 62

Devising your search strategy 66

Accessing journal literature 69

The Cochrane Library 70

Websites and other resources 74

Support from your library service 75

Conclusion 78

7 What is grey literature and where can it be found? 80
Diane Carpenter and Alan Glasper

What is ‘grey literature’? 80

Where can I find grey literature? 81

Important websites 82

What about Google scholar? 82

8 Harvard or Vancouver: getting it right all the time 83
Diane Carpenter and Alan Glasper

Vancouver system 84

Harvard system 85

Use of computer referencing packages 87

Conclusion 88

9 Posing an evidence-based practice question: using the PICO and SPICE models 89
Alan Glasper and Diane Carpenter

What is the PICO model? 90

Examples of PICO formulated questions 91

What is the SPICE model? 94

Section 3 Developing your healthcare/evidence-based practice dissertation 97

10 Managing your time wisely 99
Diane Carpenter and Alan Glasper

An evidence-based practice healthcare dissertation/final project or evidence-informed decision-making assignment as a frame of mind 100

Conclusion 104

11 Developing your study skills 106
Diane Carpenter, and Alan Glasper

Knowing yourself 108

Being organised 111

Organising things in terms of what goes where 112

Consolidating your ideas and activities by talking to others about it 112

12 Getting the most from your personal tutor 114
Ellen Kitson-Reynolds

Before approaching your academic support 114

How to get started 115

Agreeing a working pattern 116

Anticipating and preventing problems 116

Good planning is the essence 117

Supervision at a distance 118

Additional support 118

Section 4 Preparing to use research evidence in your dissertation 121

13 Clinical standards, audit and inspection 123
Diane Carpenter and Alan Glasper

What is healthcare governance? 124

What are the seven pillars of clinical governance? Are they still relevant in contemporary practice? 126

The role of the Care Quality Commission 127

NICE quality standards 132

Developing audit tools to measure compliance to policy standards 136

Healthcare regulators 139

Responding to an adverse incident 143

14 Understanding quantitative research 146
Diane Carpenter and Alan Glasper

Is it a quantitative study? 146

Why quantitative? 148

Types of quantitative studies 148

Key elements in a quantitative study 151

Strengths of quantitative studies 154

Limitations 154

Conclusion 154

15 Understanding qualitative research 156
Diane Carpenter and Alan Glasper

Why qualitative? 157

Types of qualitative studies 158

Key elements in a qualitative study 159

Strengths of qualitative studies 160

Limitations 162

Conclusion 163

16 Using historical literature 164
Diane Carpenter and Alan Glasper

What is the use of history in a world focused on scientific evidence? 165

Where does historical research fit methodologically? 165

Would such a study constitute primary research or would it be possible to appraise historical research that others had done? 167

Could I possibly justify doing a historical evidence‐based practice project? 168

How do I go about undertaking a study based on historical evidence? 168

Section 5 Critically appraising evidence 175

17 Selecting and using appraisal tools: how to interrogate research papers 177
Diane Carpenter and Alan Glasper

Introduction 177

What is critical appraisal? What are critical appraisal tools? Why is critical appraisal of published research important? What does critical appraisal mean to nurses and other healthcare professionals? 178

What is the best critical appraisal tool to use? 179

Commencing your critique 180

Is an individual paper worth adding to the shortlist? Preparing your initial long shortlist 181

Commencing your initial read and review of an empirical journal paper 181

Points to consider about the paper(s) before using any critiquing tool 183

Applying a critiquing framework tool of your choice to your selected papers 185

Critiquing models 187

Conclusion 196

18 Critically reviewing qualitative papers using a CASP critiquing tool 199
Diane Carpenter and Alan Glasper

Screening questions 200

The CASP qualitative questions 201

Data analysis 204

Research findings 204

The value of the research 205

Reflection 205

19 Critically reviewing quantitative papers using a CASP critiquing tool 207
Diane Carpenter and Alan Glasper

Question 1 ‘Did the study ask a clearly focused question?’ 208

Question 2 ‘Was this a randomised controlled trial and was it appropriately so?’ 209

Question 3 ‘Were participants appropriately allocated to intervention and control groups?’ 211

Question 4 ‘Were participants, staff and study personnel “blind” to participants study group?’ 211

Question 5 ‘Were all the participants who entered the trial accounted for at its conclusion?’ 213

Question 6 ‘Were the participants in all groups followed up and data collected in the same way?’ 213

Question 7 ‘Did the study have enough participants to minimise the play of chance?’ 213

Question 8 ‘How are the results presented and what is the main result?’ 214

Question 9 ‘How precise are these results?’ 215

Question 10 ‘Were all important outcomes considered so the results can be applied?’ 215

20 Critically reviewing a journal paper using the Parahoo model 217
Diane Carpenter and Alan Glasper

Introduction 217

Framework for appraisal 218

Conclusion 228

Section 6 Taking your dissertation further: disseminating evidence, knowledge transfer; writing as a professional skill 231

21 Publishing your work or making a conference or poster presentation 233
Diane Carpenter and Alan Glasper

Your dissertation or final assignment is complete: what next? 233

Motivation 234

Conference poster or abstract and presentation at a conference 235

Writing a paper for publication 241

What will you do with your evidence-based practice healthcare dissertation/final project or evidence-informed decision-making assignment? 247

22 Reflecting on your evidence-based practice healthcare dissertation/final project or evidence-informed decision-making assignment journey 248
Justine Barksby

Reflection 248

Frameworks for reflection 250

Some final points on reflection 256

Conclusion 257

23 Building the architecture of your dissertation 258
Diane Carpenter and Alan Glasper

Writing your evidence‐based practice healthcare dissertation/final project or evidence‐informed decision‐making assignment 258

Section 7 Bonus chapters (website only) 265

24 Public health: writing a master’s level dissertation
Sarah Adrienne Hughes

25 Critically reviewing a journal paper using the Rees model
Diane Carpenter and Colin Rees

26 Managing a learning difference
Michelle Cowen

27 Research governance in practice
Jane March-McDonald

28 Using evidence in practice

Index 267