Student Research

UNM College of Nursing undergraduate and graduate education programs are highly ranked by US News and World Report.  We provide the foundation for our graduates to conduct caring and evidence-based practice at the local, state and national level and to contribute to the scientific base of nursing. We are here to grow the next generation of nursing scientists. 

Working with our primary clinical partner UNM Health System, we offer complex hands-on learning experiences at a variety of excellent facilities from:

These nationally recognized facilities also provide opportunities for clinical research and collaboration with health care practitioners and scientists from every sector of the medical arena.

Undergraduate Participation in Research

Undergraduate Honors students engage in the various aspects of research to improve nursing outcomes and patient care.

Over the course of four terms, students will participate in the development of research or evidence-based practice questions and gather data through literature reviews and key informant interviews. In conjunction with their faculty mentor, Honors students design interventions based on assessments of patient care processes and deliver care systems. These projects often lead to quality improvement projects. 

Students share their final projects through College of Nursing poster presentations and at regional conferences. Examples of research topics include nutritional intake in cancer patients, health literacy in refugees, pediatric surgery, medication errors and many more.

Explore the Pre-licensure BSN Program

Graduate Research and Scholarship

PhD Students

Under faculty guidance, PhD students conduct independent research culminating in the dissertation. Along the way, they develop research expertise relative to a specific population, setting, or human response to health or illness. Research foci generally align with faculty areas of expertise. This area of expertise prepares graduate students to enter the tenure track or work in the health care industry as a nurse scientist.

PhD students are encouraged to publish peer-reviewed articles and present their research at professional conferences.

Explore the PhD Program

DNP Students

Doctor of Nursing Practice students complete a practice-oriented scholarly project. The Scholarly Project involves the identification and resolution of a practice problem through the scholarship of application; it requires practice inquiry and is grounded in a specific practice setting, with a specific population.

Scholarly Projects vary. Here is a list of a few examples:

• Evaluations of patient education programming
• Ethical decision making in nurse leaders
• Electronic medical record systems use to improve patient outcomes and practice quality improvements
• Improved screening, health and safety education and referrals for intimate partner violence by public health workers
• Improvement in Executive Leadership
• Evaluation of Health Policy within a specific setting

Explore the DNP Program