Mastering the Art of Writing Nursing Term Papers

Writing a term paper might seem like something that’s completely irrelevant to learning how to be a good nurse. Nevertheless, everyone is going to have to confront the art of the term paper at some point in their career, so you might as well do it right. If you follow the basic guidelines to writing a term paper, you might be surprised to find how fun and rewarding it can be. They key is in the preparation you do before you even begin to write your first draft. Get that part down and the writing will be a cinch. Wait until the last minute to start writing, and you will produce a disaster. So, here are some points to help you master the art of writing a great nursing term paper:

  • Pick a topic that you care strongly about, have some prior knowledge of, or find interesting. If you are bored with your own topic, what are the chances your paper won’t be boring? Think about some of the experiences you’ve had, and why you’re in this field to begin with. Some of the most interesting areas of research in nursing are how different styles of interaction between nurses and patients work, and how the advances of medical technology have affected the role of nurses. But be careful: being passionate about a particular issue can make you too biased to do effective research, so keep an open mind as well.
  • Do thorough research. Once you have chosen your topic, decide on the best way to approach research. Are you going to need to spend most of your time in the library, or doing interviews or observing certain practices? Whatever it is that you’re researching, take extensive notes on it, with an eye to what information and quotes you will use in your paper.
  • Have a strong thesis. A strong thesis makes a definite and arguable claim, in as clear and concise a way as possible. An arguable thesis is one that someone could potentially dispute. Make sure you have the evidence to support your claim. Write down multiple versions of your thesis statement, and choose the briefest statement that includes all of the things you want to claim. Have someone else read your thesis statement to see if they find anything confusing or unclear in it.
  • Write more than one draft of your term paper.
#