DNP and PhD scholarship: Making the case for collaboration

BackgroundThe Institute of Medicine calls for meaningful collaboration between doctor of nursing practice (DNP)- and doctor of philosophy (PhD)-prepared nurses to improve health outcomes.PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to answer the questions: 1) how do Colleges of Nursing influence DNP and PhD collaboration for faculty and students? 2) how does DNP and PhD collaboration in an academic setting impact health care practices and patient outcomes?MethodsTwo examples of DNP and PhD collaboration (one faculty and one student) are presented.ResultsShared faculty responsibilities and a supportive organizational culture influenced collaboration between faculty and students. Research and practice roles can complement and strengthen each other while improving health outcomes.ConclusionColleges of Nursing should build processes and culture that encourage faculty and students to collaborate across doctoral programs. Successful intraprofessional collaboration has the potential to positively impact healthcare quality, and outcomes, while advancing the nursing profession.     

Barriers for BSN students to pursue a PhD in nursing and recommendations to address them: A scoping review

BackgroundIncreasing the BSN-PhD pipeline could address the shortage of nursing faculty to conduct research, develop nursing science, and train new nurses and faculty.PurposeTo identify barriers to BSN students’ pursuit of PhD education, and to compile recommendations to increase their numbers.MethodsThis scoping review follows PRISMA guidelines, including articles in English that discussed barriers to BSN students’ pursuit of PhD education and recommendations to address them.FindingsBarriers to pursuing a PhD include misunderstanding PhD education and its impact on population-level health, insufficient funding for PhD studies, and perceived need for clinical experience. BSN program recommendations include education on doctoral and postdoctoral options, mentorship, and hands-on research experiences. PhD programs should be accessible, fully funded, and address students’ perceived need for clinical experience.DiscussionThe nursing profession must take coordinated action across individual, interpersonal, program, policy, and cultural levels to increase the pipeline of well-prepared BSN-PhD students.     

A group think tank as a discourse coalition to promote minority nursing faculty retention

BackgroundThe nursing profession will need one million more nurses by 2024, yet nursing schools are turning away applicants due to insufficient numbers of nursing faculty. Likewise, minority nursing faculty are needed in order to attract diverse nursing students who can then address health care disparities.PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the use of a group think tank (GTT) as a mentoring strategy for supporting the recruitment and retention of minority nursing faculty.MethodGuided by Kotter's theory of change, this paper describes the application of the GTT approach with 5 African American (AA) faculty, one AA doctoral student and a cross-cultural mentor.FindingsResults are presented based upon the metrics typically used to support career advancement, promotion and/or tenure.DiscussionThe GTT is a promising mentoring model that can be used to integrate cross-cultural and peer mentoring into academic communities to support diversity in academia.     

Changing the face of nursing faculty: minority faculty recruitment and retention.

Critical shortages in the nursing workforce pose life-and-death decisions for health care institutions. Similar shortages of nursing faculty, particularly nursing faculty with doctoral degrees, confront schools of nursing. Competition among health care institutions and schools of nursing for master's- and doctorally prepared nurses is fierce. Credentialed minority faculty are in even greater demand. Rising salaries and increasing opportunities outside of academia present significant barriers to schools of nursing seeking to recruit and retain minority nursing faculty. Challenges to increasing the number of minority nursing faculty surface very early in the pipeline and include competition among health professions and other disciplines for minority students. Successful long-term strategies to increase the number of minority nursing faculty must include strategies to attract higher numbers of minority students into baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral nursing programs. Several initiatives to increase minority student enrollment in the health professions are highlighted. Finally, strategies for recruiting, empowering, and retaining minority nursing faculty by schools of nursing are presented.     

Narratives of Doctorally Prepared Nursing Faculty on Tenure Track: A Pilot Study

BackgroundThe process of transitioning to academia as a new faculty on tenure-track is complex. During a global nursing shortage and the rising number of nursing faculty needed, careful attention must be given to the consideration of retaining nursing faculty. The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the experiences of DNP and PhD prepared faculty on tenure-track in academia through narrative stories.MethodsA qualitative narrative design was used to explore doctorally prepared nursing faculty experiences with tenure-track. Viewed through the lens of postmodern feminism, 19 participants shared stories related to being a professional in academia striving for tenure status.ResultsFive themes of PhD and DNP faculty experiences on tenure-track were found: These themes existed under an umbrella storied pattern of needfulness. The interpreted themes included: (1) the ability to develop meaningful partnerships, (2) a necessity to balance responsibilities, (3) Destructive criticism is real, (4) I have value in academia, and (5) multifaceted coaching to produce achievement.ConclusionThe needs among faculty on tenure-track in nursing are similar, despite the achievement of a DNP or PhD. This emphasizes the necessity of uniformity related to appreciation and utilization of faculty, regardless of terminal degree.     

Troublesome knowledge for entry-level PhD nursing students: Threshold concepts essential for the research-focused doctorate

BackgroundEvidence supports that PhD doctoral students experience conceptually difficult knowledge, or troublesome knowledge, during their studies. These areas of troublesome knowledge are often associated with threshold concepts, those ideas specific to a discipline that must be understood to advance ways of thinking and making knowledge in the discipline.PurposeTo examine troublesome knowledge identified by a group of PhD nursing students during an introductory course and to consider threshold concepts related to that knowledge.MethodDesign: Case study research methodology.Sample: 18 entry-level PhD nursing students recruited with convenience sampling.Data collection: Content analysis was used to analyze data collected from student reflective learning journals. Journal data was triangulated with formative and summative faculty assessments of student learning.ResultsThree essential threshold concepts for entry-level PhD nursing students were identified: developing new ways of knowing, constructing researcher and writer identity, and positioning within the nursing research community. Analysis indicates that entry-level students found the threshold concept of constructing researcher and writer identity most troublesome.ConclusionA PhD introductory nursing course which includes metacognitive activities, scaffolding of assignments, and early positioning within the research community can assist students with mastery of threshold concepts for the research-focused doctorate.     

Undergraduate nursing program admission criteria: A scoping review of the literature

ObjectiveTo provide a broad overview of literature related to undergraduate nursing program admission criteria used by faculty and administrators in the United States to predict student program success.DesignA scoping review of literature.Review methodsReview was guided by the framework for a scoping review suggested by Arksey and O'Malley (2007).Data sourcesCinahl; ERIC; Google Scholar; ARHQ; Medline; ProQuest; Sigma Literature Search.ResultsThirty-five relevant articles were selected for full review, including 25 published research studies and 10 doctoral theses. Three themes emerged in the charted literature representing criteria used to predict student program success: academic program admission criteria, nonacademic program admission criteria, and admission criteria formulas or scoring systems. The traditional academic criterion of cumulative pre-nursing GPA was the criterion most commonly cited as being used to predict student success in a nursing program. No one criteria or combination of criteria emerged as most predictive of student program success.ConclusionSignificant gaps in the literature exist regarding standards or benchmarks for determining program admission criteria, including nonacademic criteria such as CNA status or previous healthcare experience, that adequately predict student success in an undergraduate nursing program.     

A survey of current practices in data management education in nursing doctoral programs

BackgroundThe inclusion of data management instruction within nursing doctoral curricula has not been systematically examined.PurposeThe purpose of this study is to determine the extent of data management education within nursing doctoral programs.MethodSeparate surveys were created for DNP (332) and PhD (138) program directors. Survey questions were based on the stages of the UK Data Service Research Data Lifecycle.ResultsOne hundred and four nursing doctoral program directors responded, a 22% response rate. Sixty-seven (64%) were from DNP programs while 37 (35%) were from PhD programs. Although program directors reported that they were teaching stages of the research data lifecycle, data management is mostly being taught through individual mentoring or a single lecture within a required course, and that students' project data were not being preserved.ConclusionsNursing doctoral programs need to develop consistent data management education, build an awareness of data policies, and clarify student project data sharing and ownership.     

Following the Path; A Grounded Theory Study Regarding Doctoral Roles

BackgroundDecades after the AACN (2004) position statement regarding the clinical doctorate, the DNP, shows ongoing dialogue without professional consensus regarding the two terminal degrees. The lack of understanding and confusion surrounding the two doctoral degrees in nursing subsequently projects a negative image about the profession; suggesting a lack of cohesiveness; promotes an environment of distrust, thereby creating confusion for the public about the nursing profession.PurposeThe purpose of this qualitative research was to develop a substantive theory about the perceptions and the attitudes of doctoral nurses regarding their roles.MethodAn adapted approach of Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory methodology was used. Sampling was purposive, snowball, and theoretical. Theoretical sampling with an expert group validated concepts, themes, and categories.ResultsThe main categories of advancing, collaborating, transforming, and stewarding emerged from the data. The basic social process of Following the Path identified and explained the meaning ascribed by DNP and PhD nurses about their doctoral roles.ConclusionsThe theoretical framework provides information about the DNP and PhD nurse. The findings support evidence the nursing profession is moving forward towards self-definition. Acceptance and need for the doctoral roles were identified. Understanding the perspectives of the doctoral nurses in the profession has identified forward movement in practice and cohesion of the nursing discipline.     

Difficult professional choices: deciding between the PhD and the DNP in nursing

Although the PhD has been the traditional doctoral degree in nursing, nurses now have a choice between that degree and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. An Internet-based exploratory survey of DNP students (n= 69) investigated the motivation of nurses to pursue doctoral education, factors that influenced the decision between the two degrees, rationale for choosing the DNP program, and career plans after graduation. A majority reported considering the PhD but decided the DNP would be more appropriate for their professional and personal goals. Nursing education was ranked as an important career intention for 55% of respondents, dispelling the concern that the DNP will increase the shortage of nursing faculty. The results indicate that the DNP degree is a desirable option for clinically oriented nurses considering doctoral education and provides nurses with a choice of educational pathways for their professional careers.     

Alignment of a PhD program in nursing with the AACN report on the research-focused doctorate in nursing: A descriptive analysis

Those involved in preparing the next generation of nurse scientists face numerous challenges, including but not limited to: relatively older age at completion of doctoral studies, insufficient funding for full-time PhD students in nursing, inadequate funding for nursing research, and the limited number of well-funded mentors in nursing doctoral programs. These issues have limited the number of students enrolled in PhD nursing programs and graduates to supply the research faculty of the future and generate nursing science. This phenomenon persists despite numerous calls to increase the number of PhD doctoral students and graduates and expedite the PhD process without compromising educational integrity. This article describes the BSN-to-PhD Pathway and the Accelerated (3 year) Pathway to the nursing PhD at an established research doctoral program that required a shift in the approach to student recruitment, curriculum development, and timely progression. Implications for practice and research are discussed.     

Motivations and challenges of Israeli nurses on their journey to a PhD: A qualitative study

AimThis qualitative study aimed to examine the motivations and challenges encountered by Israeli nurses during their journey to achieve a doctoral degree (PhD).BackgroundThe increasing numbers of nurses studying for a doctoral degree may contribute to improving nursing education, expanding the body of knowledge and promoting the status of nursing as a research profession. However, many countries have reported a shortage in nurses with doctoral degrees.DesignQualitative content analysis study using semi-structured interviews.MethodsSixteen senior nurses (mean age 47.35 years, 75% women) who completed their doctoral studies in the past five years were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and their content was analyzed inductively. COREQ checklist was used to report the study.ResultsThe ability to persevere in doctoral studies was related to the support provided by the learning environment as well as to family support. External barriers were related to administrative bureaucracy, tedious search for a mentor, unsupportive workplace and socio-economic burdens. PhD studies were perceived as a means for self-fulfillment, while major motivators were aspiration for professional advancement, a responsibility for promoting the image of nursing and a lack of recognition by colleagues.ConclusionsNurses study for doctoral degrees in order to advance their career and achieve personal fulfillment, as well as to increase the prestige of the nursing as profession. To allow nurses with PhD to fulfill their abilities and to advance the nursing profession, their research and academic support should be increased, and appropriate professional positions should be developed.Tweetable abstractThis study highlights the facilitators of doctoral studies such as family and academic support, a strong need for personal and professional fulfillment, and a desire for professional change, and obstacles such as academic and bureaucratic barriers, low wage increases, and a lack of recognition of nursing by the medical world.     

Retention of minority nursing students on predominantly white campuses

Minority nursing students at predominantly white colleges may experience psychosocial and academic problems that together influence their decision to remain in the academic system. Estimates of attrition rates for minority nursing students range from a low of 15% to a high of 85%. Two theories for the extremely high attrition rates is that retention strategies frequently have a single focus (academics) and that faculty involved with minority students lack a sense of commitment to help these students. The author identifies academic and psychosocial factors that, singularly or in combination, may make academic success an impossible feat for the minority student. Suggested strategies for improving retention at the prenursing and nursing levels are outlined.     

Factors influencing Māori student nurse retention and success: An integrative literature review

BackgroundImproving indigenous health outcomes requires a strong indigenous nurse presence. Increasing the retention and success of nursing students during their education supports the critical mass needed to implement change in the health workforce to better address indigenous population health needs.ObjectivesTo explore the factors affecting retention and success of Māori undergraduate nursing students in New Zealand.DesignA Kaupapa Māori research framework was utilised within an integrative review design.Data sourcesCINAHL Plus, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were searched using the keywords Māori, indigenous, nursing, health, education, retention and success.Review methodsAn iterative process was used to integrate and synthesize the literature. Thematic analysis was carried out to establish key concepts present in the literature and to establish gaps.ResultsMāori student identity, institutional support factors and programme factors play a role in Māori student success and retention. Both the university environment and whānau (family) support contribute to a strong sense of identity. The institution's ability to facilitate peer mentoring, provide safe spaces for study and specialised support services also play a role. Finally, programme factors such as faculty culture, teaching practices and curriculum content affect the student's experience and desire to remain in nursing.ConclusionsImproving student retention and success requires an environment which is welcoming and respectful of indigenous values and strengths. Strategies which encourage students to be self-empowered in their learning, ensure equity of opportunity, facilitate working together and enable the development of good relationships will meet the needs of all students, not just Māori.     

Strategic enhancement of nursing students information literacy skills: interdisciplinary perspectives.

Nursing students are required to keep abreast of evolving new health care information. It is important for nursing students to develop the skills and knowledge to access nursing and medical databases for their professional growth and development to perform evidence-based practice. A collaborative approach between faculty and librarians is one way to ensure the success of students in acquiring the skills on how to access and use new health care information. The collaborators of this paper discuss strategies of how to conduct database searches for research articles. This paper is written in collaboration with faculty, librarians, and a doctoral student who have experience teaching nursing students at a historically black college and/or university, or at minority serving institutions.     

Completion and attrition of nursing PhD students of the 2001 to 2010 matriculating cohorts

PurposeTo examine completion and attrition of students in nursing PhD programs.MethodsTotal 5,391 students who matriculated into nursing PhD programs in 2001 to 2010 were selected from the AACN database.FindingsThe completion rate of the students was 74.2% and the attrition rate was 22.7%. On average, it took 5.7 years for the students to graduate and 3.7 years for the students who left without graduating to drop out. The mean age at matriculation and graduation was 42.4 and 47.5, respectively. Male students, part-time students, students of post-baccalaureate programs, students who were not faculty or held a part-time faculty position, students of the 2001 to 2010 matriculation cohorts, and students in PhD programs with 25% or more of the courses taught online were more likely to experience attrition.ConclusionThe study findings provide useful information for the nursing education community to better address the issue of nursing PhD shortage.