100+ Best Nursing Research Topics & Ideas for Students (2025)

Looking for the best nursing research topics in 2025? You’re in the right place. We’ve prepared a detailed guide with over 100 nursing paper ideas, categorized by specialty, so you can easily find a topic that fits your interest and assignment needs. When considering topics for nursing students, it’s important to select relevant, feasible, and impactful research themes that align with clinical experiences, evidence-based practice, and current healthcare issues. Whether you’re writing a class paper, capstone project, or graduate-level research, these topics cover everything from patient care and mental health to nursing leadership, informatics, and global health. In addition, we introduce a wide range of health nursing research topics that address global health issues, mental health, and diverse research approaches within the nursing field.

In today’s healthcare environment, nurses face complex issues: staffing shortages, health inequities, an aging population, and the integration of technology. That means there are countless opportunities for research that can make a difference in patient outcomes and advance the profession, especially when exploring interesting nursing research topics that are engaging, relevant to current trends, and connected to real-life experiences. So, what are the most relevant nursing research topics in 2025? This article gives you direct answers, practical examples, and a categorized list of ideas for students, educators, and nursing professionals seeking to expand their knowledge and impact in the field.

What Is a Nursing Research Paper?

A nursing research paper is an academic assignment, often referred to as a type of nursing research papers, that explores a question, challenge, or innovation in the field of nursing. It’s not just an essay – it requires a structured, evidence-based approach that often includes:

• Literature review – summarizing existing research.
• Research question or hypothesis – focusing on a specific problem.
• Methodology – quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods.
• Analysis and discussion – interpreting results or reviewing past studies.
• Conclusion – highlighting implications for practice.

While research papers in nursing education are essential for developing critical thinking skills, putting all these elements together can be a significant challenge, especially for students balancing demanding schedules with clinical practice. Our college paper writing service can offer crucial support, providing a well-structured paper that meets academic standards and serves as a practical example to guide your writing development. Ultimately, whether through independent effort or expert guidance, students who engage with the research process gain invaluable skills in research methods, academic writing, and applying evidence-based practice to real-world nursing scenarios.

Example Nursing Research Questions:

• How do nurse-to-patient ratios affect post-surgical recovery times?
• Does telehealth improve diabetes management in rural populations?
• What strategies reduce nurse burnout in critical care units?

Once you have a strong research question, the next step is to consider how you will present your findings. Every academic field relies on specific citation styles to ensure clarity and scholarly rigor. While nursing programs frequently use APA, your coursework could require you to understand what is ASA format or another style, especially in topics that intersect with social sciences.

How to Choose a Nursing Research Topic

Selecting a topic can feel overwhelming. The pressure to choose the perfect subject can leave many students thinking, ‘I wish I could just pay someone to write my research paper.’ While that is a valid solution for overcoming the initial hurdle, this guide is designed to empower you to find a topic that genuinely interests you. When considering topics for nursing students, choosing relevant, feasible, and impactful research themes that align with clinical experiences and evidence-based practice is important. Here’s how to make it manageable:

1. Identify your interests. Pick a specialty you enjoy (pediatrics, geriatrics, oncology).
2. Look at trends. In 2025, hot areas include AI in healthcare, mental health, telehealth, and health equity.
3. Explore nursing topics for research and research topics for nursing. Consider strategies such as reviewing recent literature, consulting with mentors, and aligning your topic with clinical experiences and current trends in nursing.
4. Check feasibility. Make sure you can access sources and data.
5. Narrow it down. Instead of “nursing and diabetes,” focus on “nurse-led education for adolescents with type 1 diabetes.”
6. Avoid common mistakes:

• Choosing topics that are too broad.
• Picking a topic with little research available.
• Ignoring relevance to current nursing challenges.

When considering research topics for students, ensure your topic is manageable and up-to-date to support your academic success. If you’ve reviewed these steps but still feel stuck or overwhelmed by the complexity of the task, professional nursing assignment help can provide the expert guidance needed to select a compelling topic and outline your paper effectively

100+ Nursing Research Topics by Category

Below you’ll find categorized lists of nursing research topics. Each idea includes a short description to show why it’s relevant. Quantitative nursing research topics are included as a category focused on measurable outcomes and statistical analysis, helping to test hypotheses and provide evidence-based conclusions. Additionally, many topics emphasize nursing interventions, essential for improving patient care and healthcare outcomes through effective, research-driven strategies.

Clinical Nursing & Patient Care Topics

1. Nurse-to-patient ratios and mortality rates – staffing and safety.
2. Hand hygiene compliance to prevent hospital infections.
3. Early mobility programs in post-surgical recovery.
4. Nurse-led initiatives to reduce medication errors.
5. Patient-centered care and improved satisfaction.
6. Strategies for better nurse-physician handoffs.
7. Trauma-informed care practices in hospitals.
8. Pressure ulcer prevention in long-term care.
9. Managing chronic diseases: evaluating interventions, improving patient care, and addressing healthcare challenges related to chronic conditions.
10. Rapid response teams and outcomes.
11. Postoperative pain management protocols.
12. Reducing hospital readmissions through transitional care.
13. Communication barriers in multilingual settings.
14. Safe patient lifting techniques to prevent nurse injuries.
15. Holistic care interventions in clinical nursing.
16. Patient education on discharge and its effect on outcomes.

Public Health Nursing Topics

1. Vaccination programs and public trust.
2. Nurses addressing the opioid epidemic.
3. Telehealth expansion in rural communities.
4. Reducing health disparities with community outreach.
5. Addressing healthcare disparities to improve community health and patient care.
6. School nurses and chronic disease management.
7. Nurse-led initiatives for smoking cessation.
8. Public health nursing during pandemics.
9. Maternal-child home visiting programs.
10. Food insecurity screening in community nursing.
11. Homeless outreach nursing programs.
12. Disaster response training for nurses.
13. Cultural competence in community health.
14. Tackling childhood obesity through school nursing.
15. Community health fairs and education effectiveness.
16. HIV prevention strategies in public health nursing.

Community Health Nursing Topics

1. Evaluating the effectiveness of community-based vaccination drives
2. Impact of health screenings on population health outcomes
3. Role of nurses in advancing health literacy
4. Designing culturally sensitive health education programs
5. Prevalence of mental health conditions in underserved populations
6. Development of community-based mental health support services
7. Reducing healthcare disparities through community health nursing
8. Nurse-led interventions to improve access to care
9. Strategies for promoting wellness in diverse populations
10. Addressing social determinants of health in community settings

Nursing Education Topics

1. Simulation-based learning for clinical skills.
2. Flipped classrooms in nursing programs.
3. Online nursing education effectiveness.
4. ADN vs. BSN outcomes comparison.
5. Preceptor programs for new nurse transition.
6. Addressing faculty shortages in nursing schools.
7. Cultural competence training in curricula.
8. Nursing student stress management strategies.
9. Using VR and AI for training.
10. Research literacy in undergraduate nursing.
11. The role of quantitative nursing research in education, focusing on teaching students how to design studies with measurable data, apply statistical analysis, and use numerical evidence to support nursing practice.
12. Peer mentoring for student success.
13. Diversity in nursing education programs.
14. Evidence-based teaching strategies.
15. Leadership training for nursing students.
16. Evaluation of competency-based education.

Nursing Leadership & Management Topics

1. Impact of leadership style on nurse morale.
2. Nurse manager communication strategies.
3. Safe staffing policies and patient safety.
4. Burnout reduction programs in hospitals.
5. Nurse-led health policy advocacy.
6. Mentorship programs for nurse leaders.
7. Cost-effectiveness of nurse-led management.
8. Diversity in nursing leadership.
9. Conflict resolution strategies for nurse managers.
10. Recruitment and retention in nursing.
11. Impact of leadership on turnover rates.
12. Nurse leaders and quality improvement.
13. Empowerment strategies for bedside nurses.
14. Shared governance and staff satisfaction.
15. Leadership during healthcare crises.

Pediatric Nursing Topics

Pediatric nursing research topics are essential for advancing care and addressing the unique challenges faced in pediatric nursing. Key areas of study include:

1. Childhood immunization rates and nurse interventions.
2. Nurses educating families on asthma care.
3. Preventing childhood obesity through community programs.
4. Safe infant sleep practices and SIDS prevention.
5. Screening for developmental delays.
6. Managing pediatric dental health.
7. Therapeutic play in hospitals.
8. Trauma-informed pediatric care.
9. ACEs and long-term child health.
10. Nurse-led programs for school readiness.
11. Child abuse detection by nurses.
12. Pediatric mental health nursing.
13. Vaccination hesitancy among parents.
14. School nurse interventions for adolescent health.
15. Chronic illness management in pediatric nursing.

Geriatric Nursing Topics

1. Fall prevention programs in nursing homes.
2. Polypharmacy and adverse drug interactions.
3. Dementia care communication strategies.
4. End-of-life planning and nurse involvement.
5. Elder abuse detection and intervention.
6. Nutrition and hydration in elderly patients.
7. Reducing readmissions in seniors with heart failure.
8. Caregiver support and training programs.
9. Healthy aging and lifestyle interventions.
10. Palliative care in geriatric populations.
11. Geriatric depression and nurse-led screening.
12. Mobility promotion for seniors.
13. Advanced directives and family involvement.
14. Long-term care quality improvement.
15. Social isolation and interventions for elderly patients.

Mental Health Nursing Topics

Mental health nursing research plays a crucial role in advancing patient care, developing effective intervention strategies, and driving innovation within the field of mental health nursing.

1. Reducing stigma toward mental illness.
2. Telepsychiatry and access to care.
3. Suicide prevention programs in hospitals.
4. Peer support interventions.
5. Nurse-led CBT for depression.
6. Trauma-informed care for PTSD patients.
7. Mental health care for refugees and immigrants.
8. Medication adherence in bipolar disorder.
9. Nurse-to-patient ratios in psychiatric units.
10. Cultural competence in mental health care.
11. Mindfulness interventions for anxiety.
12. Crisis management in ER psychiatric cases.
13. Social determinants of mental health.
14. Mental health care for LGBTQ+ patients.
15. Reducing psychiatric readmissions.

Women’s Health Nursing Topics

1. Breast cancer screening education.
2. Prenatal care and maternal mortality prevention.
3. Nurses’ role in family planning education.
4. Maternal mental health and infant outcomes.
5. Menopause management education.
6. Nurse-led STI prevention programs.
7. Intimate partner violence screening.
8. Lactation program effectiveness.
9. Reducing unintended pregnancies.
10. Healthy aging in women.
11. Midlife health education for women.
12. Pain management in women’s health.
13. Reproductive health access barriers.
14. Contraceptive education in underserved areas.
15. Postpartum depression screening.

Midwifery Topics

1. Midwife-led care for low-risk pregnancies.
2. Birth outcomes in midwife-assisted deliveries.
3. Shared decision-making in childbirth.
4. Reducing unnecessary C-sections.
5. Neonatal outcomes in birth centers.
6. Breastfeeding support through midwives.
7. Maternal satisfaction in midwifery care.
8. Community midwifery programs.
9. Cost-effectiveness of midwifery care.
10. Mental health outcomes in midwife-led care.

Critical Care Nursing Topics

1. Preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia.
2. Sepsis bundle compliance outcomes.
3. Delirium prevention strategies in ICU.
4. Family-centered care in ICUs.
5. Burnout prevention in ICU nurses.
6. Pain and sedation management.
7. Early mobility programs in ICU.
8. Nurse-driven end-of-life decisions.
9. Post-ICU syndrome prevention.
10. AI monitoring in intensive care.

Emergency & Trauma Nursing Topics

1. Improving triage protocols.
2. Nurse-led acute pain management in ER.
3. Violence prevention in emergency departments.
4. Tele-triage for minor emergencies.
5. Pediatric emergency care.
6. Geriatric falls in ER.
7. Psychiatric crisis intervention in ER.
8. Overcrowding solutions in emergency nursing.
9. Disaster response training.
10. Public education on ER use vs urgent care.

Oncology Nursing Topics

1. Nurse navigator roles in oncology.
2. Chemotherapy side effect management.
3. Palliative care integration in oncology.
4. Survivorship programs for cancer patients.
5. Pain management in oncology nursing.
6. Patient decision-making support.
7. Cultural sensitivity in cancer care.
8. Psychosocial support programs.
9. Home-based chemotherapy care.
10. Hospice transition programs.

Palliative Care Nursing Topics

1. Nurse-led hospice transition planning.
2. End-of-life pain management protocols.
3. Family support programs in palliative care.
4. Spiritual care in nursing practice.
5. Palliative care in oncology vs geriatrics.
6. Reducing anxiety in terminally ill patients.
7. Home-based palliative nursing programs.
8. Ethics in end-of-life care decisions.
9. Communication strategies for palliative nurses.
10. Integrating palliative care in acute hospitals.

Nursing Informatics & Technology Topics

1. AI in patient monitoring.
2. Electronic health record (EHR) usability for nurses.
3. Telehealth adoption in nursing practice.
4. Mobile apps for patient education.
5. Data privacy in nursing informatics.
6. Wearable devices in chronic disease management.
7. Smart beds and fall detection systems.
8. EHR training for nursing students.
9. Robotics in nursing care.
10. Predictive analytics for nurse staffing.

Global Health Nursing Topics

1. Nurses’ role in international disaster relief.
2. Global vaccination initiatives.
3. Maternal health disparities worldwide.
4. Nursing challenges in low-resource countries.
5. Infectious disease outbreak nursing.
6. Climate change and public health nursing.
7. Global nursing workforce shortages.
8. Cross-cultural nursing practices.
9. Migrant and refugee healthcare access.
10. Global nursing education programs.

Holistic Nursing Topics

1. Effectiveness of complementary and alternative therapies (meditation, aromatherapy, acupuncture) on patient outcomes
2. Holistic nursing interventions for pain management
3. Stress reduction techniques in holistic nursing
4. Improving quality of life for pediatric patients through holistic care
5. Holistic approaches to support mental health in chronic illness patients
6. Impact of holistic nursing on patient satisfaction and overall health outcomes

Evidence Based Practice in Nursing

1. Strategies for implementing evidence-based practice (EBP) in various clinical settings
2. Barriers and facilitators to EBP adoption in nursing
3. Measuring the impact of EBP on patient outcomes and safety
4. Role of EBP in reducing healthcare disparities
5. Enhancing nursing practice through EBP for mental health patients
6. Development and application of EBP guidelines in mental health nursing
7. Effectiveness of evidence-based interventions in mental health nursing

Advanced Nursing Research Topics

1. Integration of telehealth in patient care and nursing interventions
2. Use of artificial intelligence and virtual reality in nursing practice
3. Development of new therapies and advanced nursing roles
4. Leadership strategies to improve patient outcomes and healthcare delivery
5. Use of advanced digital tools for psychiatric patient care
6. Specialized interventions for severe mental illness
7. Innovations addressing complex healthcare challenges in nursing

Current Research Trends in Nursing

1. Impact of COVID-19 on nursing practice and patient care
2. Adoption of new healthcare technologies and big data analytics
3. Role of nurses in personalized medicine development
4. Effects of climate change on nursing and health outcomes
5. Supporting mental health of healthcare workers
6. Addressing mental health needs of hospitalized patients
7. Development of innovative mental health interventions in nursing

FAQ

1. What are Good Nursing Research Topics in 2025?

Trending topics include AI in nursing, telehealth expansion, nurse burnout, maternal health disparities, dementia care, and infection prevention.

2. What is The Easiest Nursing Research Topic?

Easier topics often come from clinical practice problems you’ve seen firsthand, such as hand hygiene or patient education.

3. How do I Choose a Nursing Research Question?

Start with an interest area, review recent studies, and turn it into a specific question. Example: “Do mindfulness interventions reduce nurse burnout in ICUs?”

4. What are The Most Popular Nursing Paper Ideas?

Popular areas are pediatrics, mental health, oncology, geriatrics, and leadership in nursing.

5. What are Some Unique Nursing Research Topics?

Unique ideas include the role of climate change in nursing, AI in monitoring, or trauma-informed care in pediatrics.

Now, You are Prepared

Nursing research topics span every aspect of healthcare, from bedside care to global health. By choosing a topic that excites you and addresses real-world problems, you not only complete your assignment but also contribute to improving patient care and advancing nursing practice. With these 200+ nursing research ideas across 13+ categories, you now have the tools to brainstorm, refine, and start your project. Remember – the best research begins with curiosity. Pick a topic, develop your research question, and take the first step toward making an impact in nursing.