20 Evidence-Based Nursing Research Topics

Many BSN or MSN students try to solve a problem that is too big (“how to fix nurse burnout”) and end up with a vague, unfeasible project. A nursing research paper is not a summary of a disease; it is a focused analysis of a specific problem, intervention, and outcome.

This guide provides focused, manageable, and impactful topics. We provide 200+ ideas framed as PICO(T) questions, the standard for Evidence-Based Practice (EBP). For related work, see our nursing research and case studies guide.

What is a Nursing Research Paper?

A nursing research paper is an academic work that applies nursing theory and evidence-based practice to a real-world problem. Unlike a traditional thesis, a nursing paper (especially a capstone) is practical. You identify a problem in a clinical or leadership setting and propose an evidence-based solution.

Key Types of Nursing Research

Your project will likely be one of these types:

• Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Project (Most Common): You use the PICO(T) model to ask a clinical question, review the literature, and propose a change in practice.
• Literature Review: A comprehensive summary of all existing research on a specific, narrow topic.
• Community Health Project: A project to address a health need in a specific community (e.g., a new diabetes education program at a local clinic).
• Leadership/Policy Project: A project focused on administrative or policy change (e.g., “Implementing a new staff scheduling protocol to reduce burnout”).

What is a PICO(T) Question?

PICO(T) is the framework for all EBP projects. It turns a vague idea into a testable question.

• P = Patient / Population (e.g., “Elderly patients in long-term care”)
• I = Intervention (e.g., “A new fall-prevention protocol”)
• C = Comparison (e.g., “Standard care”)
• O = Outcome (e.g., “Reduced rate of falls”)
• T = Time (e.g., “Over 6 months”)

Example: “In *elderly patients (P)*, does *hourly rounding (I)* compared to *standard care (C)* reduce *the rate of falls (O)* during *a hospital stay (T)*?”

How to Choose a Nursing Topic in 4 Steps

Pick a branch of nursing you care about: Patient Safety, Leadership, Informatics, Public Health, or a clinical specialty (e.g., pediatrics, geriatrics).

Review academic journals on databases like CINAHL, PubMed, or Google Scholar. Look for “gaps”—recommendations for “future research” or “further study.” This is where you find your topic.

Move from a broad subject to a focused question.

• Broad: “Patient falls.”
• Narrower: “How to prevent falls in hospitals.”
• PICO(T) Question: “In elderly hospital patients (P), does hourly rounding (I) compared to standard care (C) reduce the rate of falls (O)?”

You cannot experiment on patients without IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval. Most student papers are literature reviews, quality improvement proposals, or analyses of anonymized hospital data.

Nursing Research Topics by Field

Here are topic ideas, framed as EBP or PICO(T) questions.

EBP & Patient Safety (PICO) Ideas

Leadership & Management Ideas

Public Health & Community Ideas

Nursing Informatics & Technology

Clinical & Specialty Topics

Education & Staff Development