Introduction
The American Psychological Association (APA) format is commonly used for research papers in the nursing field. Apa is a standard style for formatting research papers and citing sources across disciplines in the social sciences. When writing a research paper in APA format, it is important to address several key elements such as the title page, abstract, citations and references. This article provides an example of an APA formatted research paper in nursing along with explanations of different sections.
Title Page
The title page is the first page of the research paper. It should contain the title of the paper, the author’s name and the institutional affiliation. The title should capture the main topic and scope of the paper concisely. The title should not be too short or verbose. Here is an example of a title page for a hypothetical APA format nursing research paper:
Running head: NURSING RESEARCH PAPER EXAMPLE
The Effects of Hydrotherapy on Postoperative Pain Management
John Doe
Pennsylvania State University
Abstract
The abstract is a brief summary of the paper, allowing readers to quickly review the purpose and key points. It should be between 150-250 words. An abstract of a nursing research paper example may look like:
“This study investigated the effects of hydrotherapy on postoperative pain management among surgical patients. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 60 adult patients who underwent lumbar discectomy. Participants were randomly assigned to either a hydrotherapy or standard medication-only treatment group. Pain levels were measured using a numeric rating scale at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours post-surgery. Results indicated that the hydrotherapy group reported significantly lower pain scores at all time points compared to the medication-only group. Hydrotherapy is a promising nonpharmacological approach to improving postoperative pain management. Further research with larger samples is still needed.
Methods
The methods section explains how the study was conducted and organized. It allows readers to evaluate the validity and reliability of the results. Key elements include the research design, setting/location, participants, instruments/measures, procedures/interventions, and data analysis plan. Continuing the research paper example:
“A randomized controlled trial design was used. The study took place at a large academic medical center in Pennsylvania. Participants were recruited from the medical center’s orthopedic surgery unit. Inclusion criteria were: undergoing first-time lumbar discectomy, age 18-65, having a preoperative pain rating of at least 4 out of 10. Exclusion criteria included: previous back surgery, allergy to hydrotherapy, inability to understand written English.
Participants were randomly assigned to the hydrotherapy or medication-only group using a randomized number generator. The hydrotherapy group received 30 minutes of warm-water whirlpool twice daily in addition to standard pain medication. The control group received standard medication (acetaminophen and ibuprofen) alone. Pain was measured using an 11-point numeric rating scale. Nonparametric tests were used for between-group analysis and repeated measures ANOVA for within-group changes over time.”
Results
The results section presents the analysis and main findings of the study without interpretation. Present data clearly with graphs, figures and tables as appropriate. Follow any results with important details:
“A between-groups Mann-Whitney U test found significantly lower pain scores in the hydrotherapy group compared to the medication-only group at all time points (all p < .05). Within-group repeated measures ANOVA showed a significant decrease in pain scores over time for both groups (p < .001), but pairwise comparisons found greater decreases in the hydrotherapy group at each time point compared to baseline. At 6 hours post-op, the median pain score was 4 for hydrotherapy versus 6 for medication only. At 12 hours it was 3 versus 5, at 24 hours 2 versus 4, and at 48 hours 1.5 versus 3. All differences were statistically significant at p < .05 level." Discussion The discussion section interprets the results and relates them back to existing research. Limitations and implications should also be addressed. For example:
"The results support the hypothesis that hydrotherapy reduces postoperative pain more effectively than medication alone. This adds to previous research showing hydrotherapy’s analgesic effects. A possible explanation is that hydrotherapy provides multimodal pain relief through decreased swelling/inflammation and relaxation effects in addition to medication's direct analgesic action. Limitations include the single-center design and restricted demographics limiting generalizability. Larger multi-site trials are needed. Hydrotherapy shows promise as a non-opioid option for improving postsurgical recovery. Its widespread availability also suggests potential for pain management across diverse healthcare settings." Conclusion The conclusion briefly restates the research problem, summarizes main findings and implications: "This study found hydrotherapy to be superior to medication alone for reducing postoperative pain after lumbar discectomy. Hydrotherapy's multimodal analgesic effects suggest it may help address the opioid crisis by providing an effective non-pharmacological adjunct. With its inherent safety advantages over medication, hydrotherapy warrants further investigation as part of a multimodal approach to enhanced recovery after surgery." References The references section lists all sources cited in the paper in APA format. This includes necessary publication information for journal articles, books, reports, and websites. Proper references allow readers to easily locate cited work. The references would follow the body of the paper on their own page.
Andrew Stroud