How to Write a Literature Review for a Nursing Capstone Project

The literature review is a critical component of a nursing capstone project. In essence, it is from the literature review that the research question is clearly defined (Walter & Stouck, 2020). I have found the process of writing the literature review as interesting as it has been challenging. Indeed, the process has been interesting because it gave me a chance to review what other scholars have written. Consequently, I have gained a better understanding of the mechanics of writing this all-important part of the project. However, I did not exactly know what I was doing and that left me under a lot of pressure and stress. To make it worse, different studies appeared to have adopted different approaches in the writing of literature reviews. There seemed to be no particular format, making it harder to reconcile what I have learnt in the course and what I found in the huge volume of literature. Also, synthesizing the information from various secondary sources was particularly challenging for me although I am gradually getting used to it. Interestingly, some scholarly articles offer divergent views or positions on a particular subject ( Jacobsen, 2020). Such situations have made it hard for me to know the way forward. Nonetheless, this has taught me to also consider the methodologies followed by different studies in order to ascertain the credibility of their findings. I realized that some researchers used less robust methodologies, therefore, making their findings questionable. Most importantly, the biggest thing I have learnt throughout this process is that I can perfect my skills if I practice every day. Therefore, the more challenges I encounter, the more energized I become to overcome them. I am now more confident and hope to come up with a solid document by the end of this process. Overall, I am impressed with the progress I am making. 

References 

Jacobsen, K. H. (2020).  Introduction to health research methods: A practical guide . Jones & Bartlett Publishers. 

Walter, L., & Stouck, J. (2020). Writing the literature review: Graduate student experiences .  The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning ,  11 (1).