For some courses in which you have not yet worked as Registered Nurses in Australia, please reflect on a clinical issue from one of your clinical placements in Australian Hospitals and develo

ULO 1: Differentiate between a range of research traditions based on methodological and epistemological considerations Assessment 1 Assessment Type: Written exercise

Assessment Description: Formulation of a research question

Word count: 1,000 words (+/- 10%)

Unit Learning Outcomes: ULO 1: Differentiate between a range of research traditions based on methodological and epistemological considerations. ULO 2: Rationalise the standards for rigor and the application of a range of research approaches. ULO 4: Apply this accumulated knowledge and skills to the development of a research proposal. Course Learning Outcomes: CLO 1: Demonstrate application of evidence-based nursing practice to address local, regional, national and global health priorities, incorporating contemporary technologies. CLO 2: Apply effective communication and collaborative skills to establish and maintain culturally safe, therapeutic and professional relationships. CLO 4: Integrate knowledge and skills to assess, plan, implement and evaluate safe, quality nursing care responsive to the needs of people and communities across the lifespan. CLO 6: Apply research principles and methods to critically appraise evidence-based literature and design research studies and/or research scholarship. Professional standards: PS3: Practises within an evidence-based framework. PS4: Participates in ongoing professional development of self and others. Feedback: Your results and feedback will be posted on Canvas > Grades within 3 weeks after the Assessment due date.  Markers will provide comprehensive feedback and feedforward to help you as you prepare for your subsequent assignments in this unit and course.  Moderation All unit assessments are subject to a robust moderation process. Note that results are not final until they are officially released at the end of the semester following ratification at the progression panel and are therefore subject to change. Assessment notes (*** read carefully***) All Students 1.The research question (Assessment 1) for this small research project (Assessment 3) must be low risk (that is, no more than discomfort) or negligible risk (no more than inconvenience and use non-identifiable data) as per the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.

Students in courses J46, T91, J88, T88, C94, C95 – This research question (Assessment 1) and small research proposal (Assessment 3) do not need to be conducted in another unit. Assessment Task Instructions As a healthcare provider, you will have worked in numerous clinical settings and been exposed to a wide range of practices and interventions – some of which would have reflected best evidence, others that may have been less closely aligned with the research, and some that seemed ineffective or inefficient to you. This assignment requires you to write the first part of a research proposal that identifies a clinical issue in your workplace that warrants further investigation.

Identify your clinical issue and outline how you plan to conduct a small research project based on the issue you have identified. Choosing a research topic that aligns with your area of practice will make this learning process more relevant to your practice. 

For some courses in which you have not yet worked as Registered Nurses in Australia, please reflect on a clinical issue from one of your clinical placements in Australian Hospitals and develop a research question based on it. Examples of clinical issues may include:

Patient-family involvement Communication in clinical settings Nosocomial infections Nursing or Midwifery workforce Safety in healthcare settings Chronic or acute condition management, e.g., quality of life of people living with chronic conditions, pain management, etc Patient falls Pressure injury  You could examine these clinical issues from a care perspective (audit of current practice), a patient knowledge perspective or a nurse/midwife knowledge perspective. 

Step 1: Identify a clinical issue in your workplace that you feel warrants further investigation. Step 2: Outline why you plan to conduct a small research project based on the clinical issue you have identified What you should include Assessment 1 Task/Criteria

Details

Project title

Development of a concise title that describes the proposed research project

Project introduction

Provide a broad overview of your clinical issue

Statement of the problem and justification for the project

(Use approximately 600 words here)

Significance of the problem (clinical issue) Justification for the research project Justification for the chosen research methodology Aims and Objectives of the research project Formulation of the research question based on a framework

Formulation of the research question. You MUST use an appropriate framework e.g. PICo, PICO, PEO, PCO)

Conclusion

Summarise the key points mentioned during your assignments

Students who need the research question, aims and methodology developed together can use our Research Proposal Writing Service, including nursing and clinical-practice research topics.

Guidelines for Use of Gen AI in Assessments Permitted use of Gen AI:  In this assessment, you may use generative AI tools for:

Proofreading and clarity (e.g., checking grammar and spelling, improving readability) Idea generation (e.g., brainstorming topics, exploring key concepts, generating initial ideas) Understanding content (e.g., explaining complex concepts, breaking down the assignment question) Research preparation (e.g., generating search terms or keywords for databases) Formatting and referencing (e.g., getting help with APA 7th style, formatting guidance) Prohibited use of Gen AI: In this assessment, you must not use generative AI tools to:

Write or paraphrase content (e.g., drafting sections of your submission) Summarise or critique sources (e.g., reviewing or analysing articles on your behalf) Generate references (e.g., in-text citations or reference lists) Replace your own academic work (e.g., literature searching, critical analysis, or synthesis) Submit AI-generated text as your own (e.g., copying and pasting content directly into your submission) *If you choose to use generative AI in an assignment, you must acknowledge it as part of academic integrity

You need to keep a copy of your prompts and the responses generated by the AI tool in case you need to show how you used it. Include in your work an acknowledgement statement explaining how you have used the tool, an in-text citation if you have quoted or paraphrased information from the tool, and an end-text reference that includes the version of the AI tool you used. You should also acknowledge your use of these tools in your student declaration: AI tools are new and constantly developing, so this guidance may change over time. Late submissions Assignment tasks submitted after the due date and time (or the extended due date and time) will incur a penalty of 5% of the maximum possible mark available for the assessment per day late, including weekends. Assessments submitted more than seven days late (excluding the due date) will be awarded a mark of zero.