A doctorate in nursing can open more doors than you’re thinking that

Preparing for a PhD and conducting research would allow her to have this impact on public health. However, for Granner, learning about PhD options and what to anticipate from the degree program was difficult and far less available than details about other nursing degree programs.

“My undergraduate college had a class that taught us about higher education options for nurses, which was extremely helpful, but many schools do not have formalized knowledge about higher education options,” she said.

Josephine R. Granner, RN Granner, who’s a co-author paper, “Barriers to BSN Students Pursuing a Doctorate in Nursing Degree and Recommendations for Addressing Them: A Scoping Review,” published in Nursing Outlook, was also unaware of funding options for a doctoral degree in nursing. She applied for her current scholarship on the last minute because she initially didn’t realize how necessary it was to pursue specific funding opportunities. Lack of data about programs and financial support options are only two of the barriers that nurses may encounter when deciding to acquire a doctoral degree or DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice), which is a well-liked doctorate in nursing. According to DNP data, in 2020 alone, 9,158 nurses accomplished their DNP in comparison with 759 who graduated with a Doctor of Nursing degree. Campaign for Action. Estimates show that over 64% of today’s nursing workforce has a highschool diploma or higher, but only one.2% have a DNP degree and 0.6% have a PhD. American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Statistics. The problem is that nursing needs a powerful team of researchers and nursing staff – these positions are sometimes filled by nurses with PhD preparation. “Nurse scientists play an indispensable role in advancing new knowledge that improves the health of patients, families and communities. However, the number of doctoral-level nurses enrolled has declined significantly, and many nurses who later become professional nurses are approaching retirement,” say the authors of a 2019 article published in Journal of Nursing Scholarship. According to Granner, the current cadre of doctoral-level nurses is not sufficient to replace the doctorate-prepared staff who are retiring.

A job requiring a doctorate in nursing

Granner and co-author Adejoke B. Ayoola, PhD, RN, FAAN, chair and professor of nursing in the Department of Nursing at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, found a general lack of awareness and understanding among nursing students and working nurses about the doctorate in nursing. Ayoola, who teaches graduate-level courses at Calvin University and mentors post-doctoral nurses, said she regularly witnesses a lack of awareness and misunderstandings. For example, many nursing students believe that a PhD degree will limit them to a career in a research laboratory and eliminate nurse-patient interactions. According to Ayoola, this is not the case. Postdoctoral research nurses conduct research to strengthen nursing practice in an increasingly complex health care environment. They often collect study data, including post-intervention information, by interviewing and educating study participants. At its core, doctoral nurses are scientists, educators, and advocates who design and implement programs in universities, hospitals and communities, and for school systems, as well as for national and local governments, agencies, corporations, and other employers. One of the most common roles for PhD nurses is as an academic, tasked with teaching, research, or a combination of both. According to Ayoola, educating future generations of nurses in the face of staff shortages is reason enough to encourage more nurses to pursue doctoral studies. Nurses with doctoral degrees can work in health administration, hospitals or hospital systems, where they help design and implement nursing interventions, Ayoola said. “As a nurse researcher, you can inform clinical practice,” Ayoola said. After training as a post-doctoral nurse or nurse scientist, nurses can work in health departments to check and design nurse-specific interventions for implementation in communities. Nurse-scientists in the neighborhood often deal with specific elements of health care, including community-based care related to the pandemic. Ayoola conducts community-based research to enhance maternal health. Nurses with doctoral degrees work as independent consultants hired by health departments, hospitals, for-profit and nonprofit corporations, and other employers to discover problems and improve care or the delivery of care.

“The way forward for nursing 2020-2030“focuses on health disparities, health equity and addressing diversity,” Ayoola said. “For us to do that effectively, we must operate in the neighborhood, in an environment where postdoctoral nurses can collaborate with agencies to develop health promotion programs. This is what nursing is all about. It’s about promoting health.”

What stops you?

The review identified other barriers, including limited thoughts or plans for the future. According to Granner, BSN students can become so “engulfed” in the BSN program that it is difficult for them to find time to think about the future. “Many people had family or work conflicts or simply thought it would take too much time and energy to earn a doctorate,” Granner said. “Another huge barrier is that people thought they needed clinical experience before getting a PhD [which they do not]. Lack of funds is also a big problem.” The pandemic, which has seen many degree programs move online, could have a positive impact by making doctoral education more accessible to busy nurses, Granner continued. Educating students about earning a PhD in According to an article by Ayoola published in September and October 2021, breastfeeding should start early Journal of Professional Nursing “Strategies for promoting and maintaining the interest of highschool graduates in obtaining a doctoral degree in nursing.” Discussions about the benefits of a doctoral degree and its impact on nursing education and the future of the nursing profession are necessary at the beginning of the bachelor’s degree in nursing. Ayoola said courses like the one she teaches to undergraduate nursing students for entry into graduate schools are one solution to maintaining the flow of nursing graduates. According to Granner, mentoring is one of the most important solutions for preparing a doctorate in nursing. That’s because mentoring relationships on an individual level are often effective in empowering students who want to pursue a Ph.D., she said. Financing scholarships for doctoral students is a key factor facilitating the education of doctoral students. For example, Granner and Ayoola write in their review that undergraduate faculty need sufficient funding to start research projects in which students can engage so that students are better informed about doctoral careers in the information and decision-making years. According to Granner, BSN students need to be more aware of funding options for doctoral studies and how to pursue them.

“Applying for specific scholarships can increase your chances of being accepted into the program because you take the funds with you, and it also reduces the burden of having to look for funds once you get there,” Granner said.

Granner suggests that nurses interested in learning more about doctorate in nursing options visit university websites. According to them, there are 135 nursing doctoral programs in the United States AACN. “[University websites] you should have lots of details about what this system will appear to be, what this system is and what the funding opportunities are,” Granner said. “Another recommendation is to check which professors at your university have PhD preparation and reach out to them about what returning to school might look like,”