Nursing Research Paper Example Using APA Style
Nursing research is an important aspect of the profession, as it allows for improvements to patient outcomes and care based on evidence. Writing a quality nursing research paper requires following established guidelines to ensure credibility and organization. The American Psychological Association (APA) style is commonly used for papers in nursing and other health disciplines. This article will provide a nursing research paper example using APA style format and guidelines.
Abstract
The abstract is a summary of the key elements of the paper. An abstract for a nursing research paper in APA style should be between 150-250 words and include the following elements:
Briefly describe the purpose and goals of the study
Discuss the methods used in the study including design, participants, interventions/variables, data analysis procedures
Provide a succinct summary of the key results and conclusions
Avoid citing references or using first-person pronouns (I, we)
For example:
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of aromatherapy massage on anxiety levels in hospitalized patients. A randomized controlled trial design was used with 60 adult patients hospitalized on a medical-surgical unit. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group that received a 20-minute aromatherapy massage daily for three days using essential oils of lavender, bergamot and chamomile or a control group that received usual care. Anxiety levels were measured before and after interventions using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. An independent samples t-test showed a significant decrease in state anxiety levels from pre to post intervention in the experimental group compared to the control group. The findings suggest aromatherapy massage may help reduce anxiety in hospitalized patients.
Introduction
The introduction section should provide background context and justification for the study. It commonly includes:
Description of the topic/issue and its significance or relevance to nursing
Brief summary of previous research literature on the topic including important theories, concepts or findings that help establish the need for the study
Statement of purpose that describes the specific research problem or question being addressed
For example:
Anxiety is a common issue experienced by hospitalized patients that can negatively impact health outcomes. Studies show 30-40% of medical-surgical inpatients report clinically significant anxiety (citation). High levels of anxiety are associated with increased pain perception, slower recovery from illness or injury, and increased risk of medical errors or complications (citation). Aromatherapy uses essential plant oils administered through massage or other methods and has shown promise in reducing anxiety in various populations (citation, citation). Limited research exists on the use of aromatherapy massage for relieving hospital anxiety specifically. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of aromatherapy massage on anxiety levels in hospitalized patients.
Methods
The methods section should provide enough detail for another researcher to replicate the study. It commonly includes:
Research design (e.g. randomized controlled trial, descriptive study, etc.)
Setting and sample including eligibility criteria, sampling method, sample size justification
Description of variables or interventions
Data collection instruments including validity and reliability for published tools
Procedures for the study including intervention/group assignment protocols
Data analysis methods
For example:
A randomized controlled trial design was used for this study. The setting was a 42-bed medical-surgical unit at a large suburban hospital. Eligible participants were adult patients hospitalized for at least 3 days with no known allergies to essential oils or contraindications for massage. The sample consisted of 60 participants recruited via convenience sampling over a 6-month period.
The independent variable was aromatherapy massage with essential oils versus usual care. The dependent variable was anxiety level measured on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), which has established validity and reliability (citation). Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group using a computer program to generate random assignments. The experimental group received a 20-minute full-body aromatherapy massage daily for 3 days using towels with drops of lavender, bergamot and chamomile essential oils. The control group received usual nursing care without massage or aromatherapy. STAI scores were obtained the day before intervention and after the final massage. An independent samples t-test was used to analyze differences in state anxiety scores between groups from pre to post intervention with an alpha level of 0.05.
Results
The results section should concisely report the statistical analyses conducted and major findings using clear, straightforward language without interpretation. Tables and figures can be used to visually present results. Statistical significance should be indicated. For example:
The control group consisted of 30 participants (15 male, 15 female) with a mean age of 57 years. The experimental group included 30 participants (14 male, 16 female) with a mean age of 55 years. There were no significant differences between groups in demographics.
A paired samples t-test showed a significant decrease in mean STAI state anxiety scores from pre-intervention (M = 46.1, SD = 12.4) to post-intervention (M = 38.3, SD = 10.5) for the experimental group, t(29) = 4.98, p < .001. The control group did not have a significant change in mean STAI state anxiety scores from pre (M = 44.6, SD = 11.2) to post (M = 43.5, SD = 10.9), t(29) = 0.84, p = 0.41. An independent samples t-test revealed a significant difference in the change scores (post-pre) between the experimental (M = 7.8, SD = 5.1) and control (M = 1.1, SD = 3.6) groups, t(58) = 4.94, p < .001. Discussion The discussion section should provide an interpretation of the results in context with previous related research to explain how the findings advance understanding on the topic. Limitations of the study should be acknowledged as well as implications for nursing practice, education, policy or future research. For example: The results support the hypothesis that aromatherapy massage reduces anxiety levels more effectively than usual care alone. The significant 7.8 point greater decrease in mean STAI scores in the experimental group versus control group shows aromatherapy massage helped relieve anxiety symptoms in hospitalized patients. This adds to evidence from previous studies that have found aromatherapy massage effective for anxiety (citation, citation). A major limitation of this study was the use of convenience sampling, which limits generalizability. Future research could employ a larger, more diverse randomized sample to increase generalizability. Mechanisms of action were also not examined so understanding of how aromatherapy massage impacts anxiety neurophysiologically remains unclear. Further intervention studies are needed across various clinical populations.
These findings suggest aromatherapy massage may serve as a low-risk, non-pharmacological approach for managing anxiety experienced by many hospitalized patients. Integrating aromatherapy services during hospitalization could help address the high prevalence of anxiety and promote a more supportive, healing environment for patients. Overall, this study provides additional evidence to support consideration of aromatherapy massage as an evidence-based nursing intervention. Conclusion The conclusion should succinctly restate the major findings and implications without introducing new information. For example: This randomized controlled trial found a significant decrease in anxiety levels following a short course of aromatherapy massage compared to usual care alone in hospitalized patients. The results demonstrate aromatherapy massage may offer an effective complementary strategy for addressing anxiety regularly experienced by inpatients. Further research is warranted to establish generalizability and understand mechanisms, while more immediate nursing applications could involve introducing aromatherapy services on medical-surgical units. Overall, this research contributes additional evidence that aromatherapy massage shows promise as a low-risk, non-pharmacological means of anxiety relief during hospitalization. References The references section should include all in-text citations presented alphabetically by author's surname in APA style format. For example: Diego, M. A., Jones, N. A., Field, T., Hernandez-Reif, M., Schanberg, S., Kuhn, C., & Galamaga, M. (1998). Aromatherapy positively affects mood, EEG patterns of alertness and math computations. International Journal of Neuroscience, 96(3-4), 217–224. https://doi.org/10.3109/00207459808986469 Hammer, K., Colbert, A., & Lyons, J. (2010). Counselling psychologists’ beliefs about career‐relevant characteristics. Australian Psychologist, 45, 106-115. https://doi.org/10.1080/00050060903262025 Scott, L. M., & Fagin, C. M. (1992). Understanding stress and burnout in child and adolescent psychiatric nursing: A comparative study. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 8(2), 127–138. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2850.1992.0820127.x Sofology. (2005). Sofology: A new science of relaxation. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 11(5), 28–35. This example illustrated how to write a formal nursing research paper in APA style. Key elements such as the abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion and conclusion sections were provided with narrative examples following prescribed APA format. References were also included to complete the writing sample paper. Following guidelines
Andrew Stroud