How to Write an Excellent Nursing Paper: Advice from Experts

We’re not secretive here (though we are discreet and consider our clients’ information to be sacrosanct). We’ve written thousands of nursing papers and essays. We are confident in our own skills and experience with nursing homework and writing, so here: Have some free nursing essay help based on our extensive writing wisdom.

Love us or hate us, we want you to succeed. Keep reading for our best writers’ top 10 nursing essay tips (in no particular order).

1. Nursing papers need very narrow, specific topics

When our clients struggle with nursing essays, it’s usually because they aren’t experienced writers and struggle with writing assignments. Often, they begin with an overly broad topic. Narrow down your research question. Then narrow it down some more.

This tip is less relevant if you’re stuck writing some silly, vague busywork nursing assignment, but for your own development, pick a useful topic that will aid you in your nursing practice.

Yet a topic is not the same as the PICOT question – even though PICOT can help you refine your topic.

2. Know and love PICOT

Although the PICOT is often reduced to a silly worksheet, it forms the backbone of most nursing term papers. That includes both the ones you write and the articles you consult to write them.

Try to understand each source through the framework of the PICOT, even if it is not explicitly stated in the source. This can help you take better notes and understand the sources you use, and eventually, the topics you write about.

3. Writing a nursing research paper simulates actual research

What does this mean? 99% of the people looking for tips on writing nursing papers won’t be conducting original research. The mere logistics of conducting a study on human subjects go way beyond the scope of one semester. It’s very unlikely that an undergraduate nursing student would be given clearance to independently conduct studies on human subjects.

Many assignments, particularly nursing capstone projects, require research design or proposing mock research studies. Yet the closest most students will ever come to original research is a literature review.

Why does this matter? First, you don’t have to worry about actually getting research plans approved. That means no worries about research budgets! Second, it means a lot of nursing papers and nursing assignments more grounded in theory and literature than in generating original data.

Knowing nursing theory will help you with most nursing assignments. And you’re in luck – it’s our next tip.

4. Consider nursing theories at all levels

ICYMI: There are multiple layers of nursing theories. These layers are “grand,” middle-range, and practice-level. Nursing theories apply abstraction to nursing that makes ideas and processes portable into different contexts.
The best nursing essay writing involves using theory from each level.

Grand:

“Grand” theories are abstract and broad, and usually implement systemic ideas about nursing itself. Example: Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory.

Middle-range:

Middle-range theories are more concrete, and tend to be more qualitative than practice-level theories. Example: Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory.

Practice-level:

Practice-level theory focuses on what you might expect: Theories that have impact the day-to-day patient care that makes up the bulk of nursing work. These theories are often intended for specific situations. Example: Meleis’ Theory of Care Transition.

5. Nursing care plan writing may seem straightforward, but it’s also theoretical

nursing assignment to write a care plan can be intimidating: Care plans tend to be long, tedious, and repetitive. It might seem counterproductive to spend all this time writing stuff that seems perfectly common sense instead of actually providing care, but the care plan is a very important document.

In real life, that is. When it’s a school assignment, it can be harder to take seriously. Throw in the fear of plagiarism, and there are lots of moving parts to these plans.

Yet care plans are not just boilerplate. You have to incorporate some theory, usually a practice-level one. We’ve seen many students get stuck here.

6. Despite all this theory, nursing papers are fundamentally about practice

Especially in higher level courses, nursing papers often ask you to do something tricky: Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of theory and domain-specific information (i.e., psychology) while also grounding the work in practice implications. That’s a lot to ask from any research paper, especially if you’re not used to writing long texts. This is where theories at all levels can help. A nursing paper can feel like a circus juggling act because of all these contradictory requirements, but once you get the hang of it, it gets easier.

7. Be fast and brutal if your goal is just to get the nursing paper done

Often, nursing paper instructions will require you to pick one theory, or to use a specific theory. But if they don’t require a specific theory, just use a middle-range one. If you’re just writing for a requirement and you have a choice, pick a middle-ground theory and consider the applications and implications for practice. Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory is a nice one. Just use that the next time you’re stuck on a nursing assignment.

8. Most nursing research papers are for, and reflect the perspectives of, nurse researchers, educators, and academics

Why does this matter? We assume you’re writing to fulfill a school requirement instead of your own research. If you’re already conducting independent research, we salute you, and you’re probably not the target audience for this guide (but we hope you’ve found something useful here, especially if you’ve read this far!).

Whenever you write, you need to think about your audience. Almost by definition, the nurses who teach or conduct research will be more attenuated to research and writing than nurses with different career focuses would.

That’s not a value judgment. It’s the truth. Philosophies and values differ within any profession, so try to recognize that the priorities of nurse researchers and educators may not align with your approach to nursing essay writing.

You can develop a plan of attack if you know that educators might value precise writing, research, and theory more than your shift manager.

9. Your nursing paper is just a paper

It can be a relief to accept that this is just an assignment. Don’t get caught up in the desire for perfection (But don’t be content with mediocrity, either). If you read a professional nursing research paper, you’ll notice the data are much more important than the writing. This is even true when it comes to qualitative nursing research. It’s rare to come across a nursing journal article that is a pleasure to read.

There are many great nurses who aren’t brilliant writers. Many, if not most, of those great nurses have saved more lives than brilliant writers have.

You are not your writing skills.

10. Save your sanity: Use a citation app

Sadistic professors love to ding students for piddling formatting errors in APA (or any other format). You’re too busy for that. Use a free, highly-regarded app like Zotero or Mendeley to do it.