NURS761 Leadership and Research for Nursing Assessment 1 and 2 Brief 2026 | Wintec NZ

NURS761 Assessment 1

Task

Part A

You will write a focused literature review (approx. 500 words) on one New Zealand relevant nursing question. Your job is to show you can find good evidence, critically appraise it, combine into a coherent argument, and evaluate the ethical considerations that shape rangahau and research in Aotearoa.

Part B

You will write a research methods essay that critiques qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods options for your chosen nursing question. You are not being asked to write an ethics application here and you are not being asked to redo your literature review.

Weighting: 60% overall
Word count: 1500 words (plus or minus 10%, excluding reference list)
Pass mark: 50%

Learning outcome assessed:

LO1 Critique rangahau, qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research methodologies for nursing practice.

LO2 Critically appraise relevant research literature and evaluate ethical considerations pertaining to rangahau and research

Submission: Word document, APA 7th referencing

Ai Tool Use

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Please check the assessment instructions to learn how you are allowed, or not allowed, to use AI tools in each of your assessments.

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Task Details / Instructions / Steps / Guidelines

Assessment 1 Part A: Literature Review(500 Words)

What You Are Doing And Why

You will write a focused literature review (approx. 500 words) on one New Zealand relevant nursing question. Your job is to show you can find good evidence, critically appraise it, combine into a coherent argument, and evaluate the ethical considerations that shape rangahau and research in Aotearoa. The literature review is not an annotated bibliography, and it is not a copy and paste parade of quotes. Then, using this literature review, you will write a research methods essay (approx. 1000 words) that critiques qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches for your chosen nursing question. You are not being asked to write an ethics application here. You are being asked to think like a researcher and justify a design that fits the question, context, and reality of nursing practice in Aotearoa. Both Parts A and B must be attempted.

Choose One Question

1. How does nurse led triage in NZ emergency departments affect waiting time equity for Māori and Pacific peoples, and what outcomes should services measure?
2. Which nursing interventions best support medication safety and adherence for older adults in community nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand?
3. How effective are kaupapa Māori or Māori-led models of rangahau in improving engagement and outcomes in mental health nursing services in NZ?
4. What are the impacts of nurse led chronic disease education (diabetes or COPD) in primary care on avoidable hospital admissions in NZ?
5. How do staffing ratios and skill mix on NZ medical wards relate to missed care and patient harm, and what nursing measures are most effective at mitigating harm?
6. How does digital health or telehealth nursing in NZ influence access for rural communities, and what barriers and facilitators should nursing leaders consider, address, and or implement?
7. What nursing approaches reduce seclusion and restraint use in NZ mental health inpatient settings, and how should effectiveness of these measures be evaluated?
8. How do culturally safe communication strategies (plain language, teach-back) influence patient health literacy and complaints in NZ nursing contexts?
9. Compare myocardial infarction diagnosis and mortality statistics by gender. What are some of the causes for disparity in care between genders and what interventions have been implemented to address this in Aotearoa?
10. What contributes to gender disparities in mental health access and treatment, and what are some effective interventions to address this?

Task Instructions (What To Include)

For the literature review:

• A clear introduction that states your chosen question and why it matters in NZ nursing practice.
• A brief search strategy summary: databases used, key terms, limits (for example last 10 years), and inclusion or exclusion criteria.
• Critical appraisal of the key literature: comment on quality, limitations, and relevance to the NZ context (this does not have to be every source just your key ones, Academic, popular and scholarly).
• Synthesis: group findings into themes or patterns and build an argument, not a list. For instance, consider what these themes and patterns suggest for possible future research, or do they already provide a full picture of your identified problem.
• Ethical considerations for rangahau and research in Aotearoa: include culturally responsive practice, Te Tiriti obligations, and relevant ethics principles such as informed consent, privacy, power, and data stewardship.
• A conclusion that answers: what does the evidence suggest, what is uncertain, and what should nursing practice or future research do next?

Leading on from your conclusion of where future research could lead, focus your essay on one of the following:

• Critique a qualitative approach: proposed design (for example kaupapa Māori, phenomenology, grounded theory), sampling, data collection, and what type of knowledge it produces for nursing practice.
• Critique a quantitative approach: proposed design (for example cross-sectional, cohort, RCT, audit), sampling, measurement, and what it can and cannot claim.
• Critique a mixed methods approach: proposed design (for example explanatory sequential), how integration would occur, and why it might add value.
• Then choose the single best approach for your question and defend it with tight reasoning, using evidence from the research-methods literature.
• Include a brief feasibility section: where in NZ the study could occur, who would be recruited, what data you would realistically obtain, and key risks to validity or trustworthiness.

Minimum Evidence Expectations

Use at least 10 sources, with a minimum of 6 peer reviewed research articles and two popular sources.
At least 3 sources should be clearly relevant to Aotearoa New Zealand or comparable settings (state why comparable if not NZ).
Use high-quality sources (guidelines, systematic reviews, primary research) and show you can tell the difference between strong evidence and noise.
You may choose to use any of the high-quality sources you found in your literature review to support your discussion of different forms of research.

Assessment 1 Part B: Research Essay (1000 Words)

Word count: 1000 words (plus or minus 10%, excluding reference list)

What You Are Doing And Why

You will write a research methods essay that critiques qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods options for your chosen nursing question. You are not being asked to write an ethics application here and you are not being asked to redo your literature review. You are being asked to think like a researcher and justify a design that fits the question, context, and reality of nursing practice in Aotearoa.

Task Instructions (What To Include)

• Restate your chosen research question and define the key variables or concepts.
• Critique a qualitative approach: proposed design (for example kaupapa Māori, phenomenology, grounded theory), sampling, data collection, and what type of knowledge it produces for nursing practice.
• Critique a quantitative approach: proposed design (for example cross-sectional, cohort, RCT, audit), sampling, measurement, and what it can and cannot claim.
• Critique a mixed methods approach: proposed design (for example explanatory sequential), how integration would occur, and why it might add value.
• Choose the single best approach for your question and defend it with tight reasoning, using evidence from the research methods literature.
• Brief feasibility section: where in NZ the study could occur, who would be recruited, what data you would realistically obtain, and key risks to validity or trustworthiness.

Minimum Evidence Expectations

Use at least 8 scholarly sources, including at least 4 research methods sources (texts or peerreviewed methods papers).
You may reuse up to 3 high-value sources from your Literature Review, but the argument must be new and methods-focused.
Avoid generic method descriptions. Show judgement and specificity.

NURS761 Assessment 1 – Marking Rubric