NURSING 4400A - Honours Nursing Research Project Pt 1

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2017

This course is designed to allow students to work with a supervisor to identify a suitable research question, conduct a literature review and prepare a research proposal for submission to the appropriate ethics committee. Students will then continue to work with a supervisor to conduct the research study proposed present their findings in a School of Nursing seminar and in a paper suitable for publication.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code NURSING 4400A
    Course Honours Nursing Research Project Pt 1
    Coordinating Unit Adelaide Nursing School
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Contact Up to 24 hours per week (based on full-time study load)
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange
    Corequisites NURSING 4300, NURSING 4301
    Assessment Question, literature review, research proposal, summary of results, presentation and publication
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Judy Magarey

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.


    There are no lectures for the Honours Research Project. Each student will be allocated one or more supervisors and will meet with them regularly (one or two weekly). The supervisor/s will guide the student in the conduct of the research project. All assessments relate to this project.  Students are expected to attend and may be required to present at the School Research Conversazione, in 2016 this will be held on 6-7th October.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
     The Learning Outomes for this courses are:
    1. Explore options for a possible research topic
    2. Examine the literature relevant to the chosen research topic
    3. Compose a research question
    4. Identify the appropriate research methodology with which to investigate the chosen question
    5. Formulate a research proposal
    6. Summarise and critique the literature and present it in a literature review
    7. Conduct all phases of the research study including data collection and analysis
    8. Formulate a paper suitable for publication presenting the research study
    9. Present the research in a School of Nursing research seminar.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    2,3,4,5,6,7,8
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    1,2,3,4,5,8
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    7,8
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    7,8
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    4,5,7
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    There are no required resources for this course however, you may have texts prescribed for your coursework. 

    They may be purchased from all or some of the following outlets:

    Unibooks
    Website:   www.unibooks.com.au 

    Ramsay – Medical
    books and more
    Website:   www.ramsaybooks.com.au  

    Encompass Bookshop
    Website:   www.encompassbooks.com.au 

    Recommended Resources
    Recommended Texts

    Burns, N, Gray, J, Burns, N, 2014,
    Understanding Nursing Research Building an Evidence-Based Practice, 6th edn,
    Elsevier Saunders, St Louis.

    Pallant, J 2013, SPSS Survival Manual, Allen
    & Unwin, This book is essential if you are planning to use SPSS for your
    statistical analysis.  There is also a
    Support Website available if you purchase the text.

    Polgar, S & Thomas, S 2013, 6th Edition. Introduction to research in the health
    sciences, Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier Edinburgh.

    Rees, C. 2016 RAPID Research methods for Nurses Midwives and
    Health Professionals, Wiley Blackwell, Chichester, Also available as an
    E-Book.  Test is a useful dictionary of research terms.

    Schneider, Z, Whitehead, D, LoBionodo, G. Haber, J. 2013, Nursing & Midwifery Research, 4th
    edn, Mosby, Elsevier, Sydney.

    Note this text is
    also available as an E Book. Please note a 2016 edition is to be released in
    March, see below.

    Schneider, Z, Whitehead, D, LoBionodo, G. Haber, J. 2016, Nursing & Midwifery Research, 5th
    edn, Mosby, Elsevier, Sydney.

    Streubert Speziale, H & Carpenter, D 2010, Qualitative research in nursing advancing
    the humanistic imperative, 5th edn, Lippincott Williams &
    Wilkins, Philadelphia.

    Note:
    Students are not required to buy recommended texts. However, they provide valuable supplementary reading on various aspects of the material coveredwithin this course and students are encouraged to have a look at them.

    Online Learning
    Not Applicable
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    There are no lectures for the Honours Research Project. Eachstudent will be allocated one or more supervisors and will meet with them regularly (one or two weekly). The supervisor/s will guide the student in the conduct of the research project. All assessments relate to this project. 

    Students are expected to attend and may be required to present at the School Research Conversazione, in 2016 this will be held on 6-7th October.

    Full time students will complete the Honours program in one year. Completing the course work, Honours Research Literacy (3 Units) and Honours Systematic Reviews of Research (3 units) and 6 units of the research in the first semester 1 and 12 units of research in the second.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    It is expected that you will need to spend about 24 hours of study a week in semester 1 when studying full time and 24 hours a week in semester 2 to successfully complete this course. This includes working with your supervisors to plan and conduct your research project and to complete assessments. It is recommended that you plan your time commitment to the course at the beginning of the semester.
    Learning Activities Summary
    Students will be guided through the development and conduct of a research project by their supervisors. They will also be supported in the writing up of the research in the form of a paper for publication.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary

    Please note the assessment is completed over the full year. Asessment due dates are detailed on MyUni.

    • Research question Formative 0%
    • Literature review Summative 10%
    • Proposal Summative 10%
    • Paper presenting research results Summative 20%
    • Presentation including summary of research findings Summative 20%
    • Research paper Summative 40%
    Assessment Detail

    Research question

    Word count: 1000

    Write a simple research question related to your practice. Identify the research methodology best suited to answer the research question.

    Literature review

    Word count: 2250

    Conduct a comprehensive search of the literature regarding the chosen research question

    Proposal

    Word count: 5000 equivalent

    Formulate a research proposal to investigate the chosen research question and submit to the appropriate research ethics committee

    Analysis of research results

    Word count: 4500

    Paper presenting the research results, analysis and discussion.

    Research Seminar presentation on the research project conducted

    Word count equivalent including preparation: 4500

    Implement the research as indicated by the proposal and formulate a draft summary. Compose and present their research project and findings to peers and Nursing professionals in a School of Nursing seminar.

    Paper for publication on research project conducted

    Word count: 4750 equivalent workload

    Compose a paper suitable for publication presenting the research conducted during the honours project

    Submission

    Unless otherwise indicated all submission of assignments is to be through MyUni. TurnItin will be used to check student assignments. TurnItin will be used to check student assignments. Students MUST keep an electronic copy of all assignments submitted.

    Extensions are generally awarded for no more than 10 working days unless there are exceptional circumstances.

    To apply for an Assessment Extension, a student must submit an application for extension form prior to the assessment deadline. You will find this on the School of Nursing Website or use the link provided here.

    See the Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/3303/ 

    An assessment submitted via MyUni must be submitted as an acceptable file type (i.e. .doc, .docx, .rtf .ppt, .pdf). It is also important

    to submit the file such as surnamestudentid (i.e. knight1234567). MyUni stamps all the other details against the filename once the assessment is submitted. The assignment should be submitted as one file, Information on avoiding plagiarism is available at www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/plagiarism/.

    Contact the MyUni helpdesk on +61 8 8313 3335 or email servicedesk@adelaide.edu.au for

    assistance with assignment submission.

    Important note: copies of assignments should always be kept

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    NOG (No Grade Associated)
    Grade Description
    CN Continuing

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

    There have been no SELTS for this course as it is being offered for the first time in this format.
  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.