Nursing and Health Innovation (All majors)

About this opportunity

Barrett Honors students enrolled in the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation have expanded opportunities to promote health and explore health-related issues.

Contact an Edson College FHA if you are a Barrett student majoring or minoring in Nursing, Health Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Community Health, Health Care Compliance and Regulation, Health Care Coordination, or Integrative Health. We can provide a list of faculty members' research and clinical interests to help you find a thesis director.

Thesis

Honors Thesis Credits
Enroll in 3 credits of NUR 492 (nursing majors) or HCR492: Honor’s Directed Study, a thesis preparation course that includes developing an idea/topic, confirming a Thesis Director & Committee members submitting the prospectus, and beginning the project .

Follow NUR 492 with 3 credits of NUR 493/HCR493: Honor’s Thesis, a thesis/project implementation course that includes implementing the project, writing the project and presenting the thesis.

Barrett Edson Thesis Committee Requirements
Construct your thesis committee with a minimum of two faculty members: a Thesis Director and a Committee Member (aka Reader). Choose a full-time faculty member as the Thesis Director. The Second Committee Member may be a full-time, part-time, or adjunct ASU faculty member from any ASU department or college. Committee members must be agreed upon by the student and the Thesis Director. Exceptions to the committee structure may be approved on an individual basis by an Edson Faculty Honors Advisor (FHA).

Although only two thesis committee members are required, an additional member may be included when specific expertise or assistance is needed, such as for interdisciplinary projects and/or community research. The third committee member can be a faculty member or community leader.

Thesis Preparation
You are encouraged to identify a thesis topic before the first semester of your junior year. Contact your FHA or faculty members with expertise or interests in the topic area to discuss your thesis ideas and help you identify relevant faculty members.
Forms related to the thesis / creative project are available on the Barrett Honors website:
http://barretthonors.asu.edu/academics/thesis-and-creative-project/forms...
Use APA 7th edition formatting for all submissions.

Developing a Prospectus: The Plan for Conducting the Research Study or Creative Project
Before beginning a thesis project, you will develop and submit a prospectus, which outlines the basic approach and procedures for conducting a thesis study or creative project. Develop the prospectus in coordination with your thesis director and committee member. Submit the prospectus to the Barrett Honors College using their online form prior to initiating work on the project.
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Major Sections in the Research Study Document
Abstract - 250-500 word description in English that summarizes the thesis 
Title Page / Signature Page - A signature title page must bear the original signatures of all committee members to verify acceptance of the thesis.

• Introduction and problem statement
• Review of the literature
  • Research question and/or hypothesis (if a quantitative study)
  • Framework (theoretical/conceptual framework) if needed
  • Study design (quantitative or qualitative)
• Methods:
  • Sample & setting
  • Recruitment
  • Data collection
  • Feasibility issues
  • Data Analysis
• Findings / Results
• Discussion / Conclusion
  • Limitations
  • Application to nursing, healthcare, or health profession / Future recommendations
• References

Major Sections in the Creative Project Document
Abstract - 250-500 word description in English that summarizes the thesis 
Title page / Signature Page - A signature title page must bear the original signatures of all committee members to verify acceptance of the thesis.

• Introduction
• Purpose – Rationale for project
• Background (topic) – personal experience, evidence, review of the literature
• Description of project
• Application to nursing, healthcare, or health profession
• Conclusion
• References

Academic Preparation

When feasible, consider one or more semesters of NUR 499/HCR 499 or HCR 280/480 for experience working in a faculty member's lab or on a project related to the planned thesis. This work can provide practical experience in research or creative project activities to sharpen understanding and aid in defining and developing the thesis prospectus.

Recommended Timeline

Plan to enroll in the first honors thesis course, NUR 492 (for nursing majors) or HCR 492 (for health majors), three to four semesters before your expected graduation.

Other Honors Opportunities

Nursing majors earn upper division honors credits for completing nursing clinical practicum courses. Health majors earn upper division honors credits for completing HCR internships.

For additional lower division or upper divisions honors credits, negotiate Honors Enrichment Contracts at the beginning of a course with your course faculty.

Independent Study and Internships
You can earn honors credit through enriched learning experiences such as independent study, research, or internships. Students work with faculty in research or community health projects to gain hands-on experience in a wide array of research specialties that include aging, maternal-child nutrition, lactation, obesity, healthcare innovation, sleep, health inequities/disparities, health policy, and others. Some of the projects that students have been involved in are collecting data for an obesity prevention grant and health screening at a local community center for people experiencing homelessness. Enrollment requires approval by the supervising faculty member and identification of specific objectives that the student will meet over the course of a semester. Please contact your Barrett Faculty Honors Advisor if you are interested in independent study/research and need assistance to identify interested research faculty.