Doctoral Nursing Programs
Nurses who want to take a leading role in health care practice and administration, clinical research or nursing education can earn a doctoral degree to help them reach their goals. Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs and Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) programs provide nurses the highest level of education which will enable them to help solve today's health care challenges.
Highly trained nurses are needed in many areas of the health care industry including nursing education, research and clinical practice. Nurses with a doctoral degree are needed to meet the increasing demand for nursing instructors and to take leadership roles in nursing practice where their extensive education will enable them to influlence patient care in significant ways.
Degree Options
There are two types of doctoral nursing degrees available which are specific to the future career goals of the student:
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – These programs are for nurses who want to continue in clinical practice or health care administration. They can take from one to three years to complete and include clinical practice.
Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) - These programs are for nurses who wish to become university faculty members; conducting research and teaching nursing students. Or, they may also choose to become involved in health care policy in the private or public sector.
Schools
Doctoral nursing programs are offered primarily by large universities. DNP programs are often designed to allow students to continue working while attending the program. They sometimes concentrate classroom time into two-week segments or into long weekends supplemented with online instruction and can be completed in a year or two. PhD programs usually take between three and five years of full-time study to complete and include involvement in research projects and completion of a dissertation. Students are typically required to attend full-time.
Coursework
Below are some examples of courses students will take in a doctoral nursing program:
DNP Program Courses:
- Evolution and Theory of Nursing Practice
- Population-based Health and Health Care Disparities
- Pathogenesis of Complex Disease
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Strategic Planning and Information Management in Health Care
- Financial Management in Health Systems
- DNP Residency / Clinical Practice
- Health Policy Analysis
PhD Program Courses:
- Theoretical Framework for Research
- Ethics in Research
- Qualitative Methods
- Research Design
- Nursing Outcomes Research
- Issues in Clinical Research
- Evidence Based Nursing Practice
- Research Grant Writing
- Dissertation
Career Options
DNP Careers:
- Advanced Practice Nurse
- Health Care Administrator
- Health Policy Analyst
- Nurse Informatician
PhD Careers:
- College Faculty: Instructor / Researcher
- Government Researcher
- Health Care Policy Analyst
How to Evaluate Doctoral Nursing Programs
Finding the right doctoral program can be challenging, given the limited number of programs available. Some factors that will impact a student's choice are discussed below.
- Research Focus - Many PhD students have an interest in a specific area of research and need to find a program that has the faculty and resources that can support this area.
- Program Focus - Some DNP programs are limited as to the advanced practice specialty areas they offer so prospective students need to confirm their specialty area is included.
- Admissions - Prospective students need to understand GPA, education and experience admissions requirements since they vary between programs .
- Financial - Some DNP programs make it possible for students to continue working and many PhD programs offer fellowships, scholarships and other financial aid which make pursuit of a doctorate degree financially feasible.
Resources
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
NursingPhD.org – A guide to doctoral programs and resources
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