EXAMINING POST GRADUDATE THESES IN NURSING IN TURKEY BETWEEN 1980-2015

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine post-graduate thesesin nursing in Turkeybetween 1980-2015 and to determine the distribution of theses according toyears, research types and research topics.The study was carried out with documental analysis. Theses on the subjectarea were collected from National Theses Center of Turkish Council ofHigher Education. When the research studies are analyzed, what drawsattention is that nearly all of them are experimental or quasi-experimentalstudies. The researchers mostly examined organizational behaviors. Anothertopic examined in graduate theses was patient care. Most common thirdexperienced subject in field of nursing was nursing education.According to our results 44,37% of postgraduate theses in nursing wereconducted in 2007-2015, 34,46% in 2000-2006 and the others before 2000.While 33,33% of postgraduate theses in nursing focused on patient care in2000-2006 this proportion increased to 44,18% in 2007-2015. 258 (38,16%)of 676 theses focused on patient care, 303 (44,82%) on organizationalbehavior and 115(17,01%) on nursing education. When distribution ofresearch designs used in postgraduatetheses in nursing was analyzed32,69% of theses were designed experimental, 18,78% quasi-experimentaland 39,49 non-experimental. 6,80% of postgraduate theses were descriptive.