phd for nurses

Top PhD in Nursing Programs

What is a ph.d. in nursing.

• Ph.D. in Nursing vs DNP
• Types of Programs
• Top Programs
• Program Overview
• Is a Nursing Ph.D. For Me?

The Ph.D. in Nursing degree opens career opportunities for nurses as researchers, forging new and cutting-edge nursing practices for future generations. This article explores this terminal nursing degree, how to get it, and the top Ph.D. in Nursing programs.

A Ph.D. in Nursing is the highest degree awarded to nurses and one of two terminal nursing degrees. Ph.D. stands for Doctor of Philosophy, and Ph.D. in Nursing programs focus on evidence-based research.

Throughout their 4-6 year study, nursing Ph.D. students learn how to conduct, analyze, and publish nursing research. The degree culminates in students conducting an independent research project and writing a dissertation on it.

Ph.D. in Nursing and DNP Differences

A Ph.D. in Nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) are both terminal nursing degrees. However, comparing a  DNP vs. a Ph.D. in Nursing reveals distinct differences. Notably, the Ph.D. in Nursing prepares you for a science, academic, or research-focused career as opposed to a clinical one.

Key Ph.D. in Nursing vs. DNP Differences

>> Related:  Top Online DNP Programs

Types of Ph.D. in Nursing Programs

The United States is home to over 135 Ph.D. in Nursing programs, which you can attend in multiple formats at nearly every educational level. The types of Ph.D. in nursing programs include the following:

• BSN to Ph.D. in Nursing: These Ph.D. in nursing programs allow nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree to pursue a career in nursing research without first attending an MSN program.
• MSN to Ph.D. in Nursing: Designed for Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) trained nurses, these programs typically include core courses for the doctoral program, electives, and dissertation study.
• DNP/Ph.D. Dual Degree: These rigorous programs allow students to concurrently attain expertise in scientific inquiry and faculty practice and hone the practical skills of expert nurse clinicians. 

>> Show Me DNP Programs

Online Ph.D. in Nursing Programs

Are Ph.D. in Nursing programs available online? The answer is yes; you can find several online options to pursue this degree. Since a Ph.D. in Nursing focuses on scientific inquiry, it doesn't have the same onsite practical hours as other nursing degrees. 

Program dependant, you may still need to show up on campus a few times each year. However, for the most part, all you need to earn a Ph.D. in nursing is Wi-Fi, good study habits, and determination.

Top Ph.D. in Nursing Programs

Each Ph.D. in Nursing program is unique, offering its own benefits and features. We assembled the top five Ph.D. in Nursing programs nationwide following Nurse.org's proprietary ranking algorithm , which considers and ranks schools based on factors like:

• Tuition costs
• Program length
• Nursing school accreditation
• Admission requirements
• The variety of available programs
• Additional program accolades

 1. University of Pennsylvania

• Program Cost:  $46,934 per academic year
• Program Length:  4-6 years
• Application Due Date: Dec. 1st

The University of Pennsylvania boasts one of the top Ph.D. in nursing programs nationwide. To offset the expensive tuition, the university offers full-time students stipends during their first four years. In exchange, students may work as Teaching Assistants within UPenn's School of Nursing for up to 16 hours a week. 

Contact UPenn about this program:

• Phone: (215) 898-4271
• Email: [email protected]

Source: University of Pennsylvania

2. Duke University

• Program Cost:  Fully funded (up to 5 years)
• Application Due Date: November 30th

In 2023, U.S. News & World Report named Duke University the second-best graduate school for nursing. Duke's Ph.D. in Nursing program prepares nurses to become stalwart scholars. Graduates will build nursing science by leading multidisciplinary research that determines the relationship between chronic illness and care systems.

Contact Duke University about this program:

• Phone: (919) 684-3786
• Email: Contact Request Form

Source: Duke University

3. Duquesne University

• Program Cost:  $1,765 per credit
• Program Length:  3-4 years
• Application Due Date:  February 1st

As the first fully online Ph.D. in Nursing program, Duquesne offers a highly flexible education option to many students nationwide. Additionally, students attending the program may get to study abroad at the Duquesne campus in Dublin, Ireland.  The 56-credit program culminates in a dissertation proposal and final defense in which students orally defend their research thesis to the dissertation committee.

Contact Duquesne University about this program:

• Phone: (412) 396-6219
• Email:  [email protected]

Source: Duquesne University

4. Columbia University

• Program Cost:  Fully funded (up to 3 years)
• Application Due Date:  November 15th

Ph.D. in Nursing student at Columbia choose one of three major areas to study, which include Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Science, Analytical Foundations of Nursing Science, and Electives and Applications. The programming heavily focuses on publication, grantsmanship, presentation, and networking. In addition to their coursework, students participate in research experience and training.

Contact Columbia University about this program:

• Phone: (212) 305-5756
• Email: [email protected]

Source: Columbia University

5. Rush University

• Program Cost:  $1,344 per credit hour
• Program Length:  3-5 years
• Application Due Date:  March 4th

Rush University's Ph.D. in Nursing is fully online except for an on-campus orientation and summer intensive learning sessions. The program focuses on preparing nurses and non-nurses with graduate degrees to become leaders in clinical research and educators who influence healthcare policy. While many students keep working throughout the program, they often must take fewer hours while completing their dissertation.

Contact Rush University about this program:

• Phone : (312) 942-7100
• Email: [email protected]

Source: Rush University

What to Expect in a Ph.D. in Nursing Program

Nursing Ph.D. degrees focus on scholarship and nursing research. By the end of the course, you'll be able to conduct and publish evidence-based research that can alter the face of nursing practice and healthcare policy for future generations. 

Generally, these educational pathways combine graduate study and research activities and do not include clinical rotations. Instead, you will be required to complete a long-form research paper called a dissertation. To write your dissertation, you'll complete independent research based on a significant and relevant scientific inquiry in the nursing field. 

>> Related: The Best Nursing Research Topics

What Can You Do With a Ph.D. in Nursing?

Ph.D. in Nursing programs prepare graduates to pursue careers in research and teaching, advanced clinical practice, health care administration, and policy.  Following graduation, your future may hold a career as a nurse scientist, as an administrator, as a nurse educator, or in establishing health policy.

Ph.D. in Nursing Salary

Healthcare workers who hold a Ph.D. in nursing earn an average annual salary of $100,00 or $60.45 per hour , according to Payscale . However, your nursing salary will vary depending on your career, employer, location, experience, and other relevant factors.

How Much Does a Ph.D. in Nursing Degree Cost?

Ph.D. in nursing programs range from $400 to over $2,300 per credit hour at more distinguished institutions. However, several universities will fund your Ph.D. tuition itself or through a federal research grant. Most often, these funding opportunities are only available to full-time students, while part-timers must pay the full tuition costs.

How Long Do PhD in Nursing Programs Take?

Most Ph.D. in nursing programs take between 4-6 years to complete. Your educational timeline will vary based on your previous education and whether you attend full or part-time.

What Will You Learn in a PhD in Nursing Program?

Since all Ph.D. degrees in nursing emphasize healthcare research, their curriculums will all share certain core elements, which include:

• The philosophical and historical foundations of nursing knowledge
• Review of existing and evolving nursing theory
• Methods and process of developing theory
• Research methodology and data management
• Academic, research, practice, and policy development

Your graduate nursing program will consist of several key milestones to reinforce your education. These include:

• Leadership strategies related to nursing, healthcare, and research
• Mentorship and working alongside faculty on their individual research programs
• Immersion experiences are designed to encourage leadership and scholarship.
• Each student will be required to complete a dissertation.

Ph.D. in Nursing Program Requirements

Each university sets its own entry standards, which vary based on the type of program . However, general Ph.D. in nursing admission requirements include the following:

• BSN, MSN, or non-nursing graduate degree
• Personal research statement
• A minimum GPA of 3.0
• Admissions interview
• Writing sample
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Letters of recommendation
• Unencumbered RN license
• Official post-secondary school transcripts
• TOEFL or IELTS scores

Is a Ph.D. in Nursing Degree Right for Me?

Your professional goals play a massive role in deciding whether to pursue a Ph.D. in nursing. If you're interested in scientific and academic nursing research, healthcare policy, or becoming a nurse educator, a Ph.D. in nursing is an excellent option. Remember, it will not qualify you for APRN positions, so if you have clinical aspirations, a DNP is the right doctoral nursing option.

Next Steps to Enroll in a PhD in Nursing Degree Program

Ready to start your educational journey toward earning a Ph.D. in Nursing? You can start working toward those goals today with these simple steps:

• Research Universities: Find a program that suits you based on your budget, attendance needs (e.g., part vs. full-time and in-person vs. online), and interests.
• Plan Applications: Understand the program requirements and application deadlines for each school you're applying to. Then, make a plan to collect and submit all the necessary materials and documentation on time.
• Prepare Properly: If a university considers you for Ph.D. candidacy, you'll attend an admissions interview. Planning and practicing this interview and paying close attention to why you chose the program and your research interests will optimize your chances of admission.

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Doctor of philosophy (phd), ignite your future with a columbia nursing phd.

The Columbia University School of Nursing PhD program is a full-time, research-intensive curriculum that prepares nurses for careers as nurse scientists who will conduct research across a broad range of populations and health conditions. Importantly, much of our research is focused on health disparity populations with the long-term goal of informing health policy and clinical practice across the lifespan.

Columbia Nursing provides three years (eight semesters) of funding for tuition, related fees, health insurance, and a stipend for full-time PhD students.

Program Design

Our PhD program provides students with an understanding of the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of nursing science and a strong foundation in research methods (design, statistics, measurement, quantitative and qualitative methods) for clinical, translational and health services research. All students are mentored by research advisors with active programs of research as they move toward independent research and assume the roles of doctorally prepared nurse scientists.  

As a Columbia Nursing PhD student, you will learn to:

• Design, conduct, and report multidisciplinary research studies that increase knowledge to improve the health and well-being of patients and families across the lifespan
• Advance the state of the science in a substantive area of research through application of innovative and rigorous methods
• Promote health and well-being for individuals and families in the context of their communities
• Provide leadership in improving the health care delivery system at local, national, and international levels
• Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate and develop policies for delivery of health service
• Translate evidence accumulated through research into practice and policy at multiple levels

As part of Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), Columbia Nursing enjoys a unique collaboration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, and the College of Dental Medicine. CUIMC provides myriad opportunities for interprofessional collaboration in research . 

The PhD curriculum builds on the foundation of nursing science by bringing together practice, policy, translational research, and leadership. The core courses provide the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct relevant and well-designed research studies. Electives strengthen an area of clinical interest or intensify understanding of a specific research or analytic method. 

Both post-master's and post-BSN students admitted to the program will complete a minimum of 57 credits. The curriculum plan is designed to make it possible to complete the program in three years for those students with clearly defined plans for their dissertation research.

PhD courses are offered in three major areas:

• Theoretical foundations of nursing science
• Analytical foundations of nursing science
• Electives and application

Students must be registered as full-time for the duration of the program (typically three to four years). The minimum number of semester credits in required coursework is 37 (four semesters) for eligibility to progress to the qualifying exam. Six of the 37 credits required to be completed prior to the qualifying examination are elective courses tailored to the student’s dissertation topic and/or dissertation methods. The PhD program requires nine credits of elective courses. A minimum of 57 total credits is required for program completion. 

Concurrent with Coursework

• Research Experience (participating in faculty research projects and/or a research practicum)
• Research Faculty Training

Request a Sample Academic Program Plan

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination helped me to combine the content I learned in my courses and my research interests so I could further articulate my research question. Performing a scoping review on my topic of interest immersed me in the current literature and was crucial to the development of my dissertation. This experience prepared me to successfully work independently through the rest of my Ph.D.

 Kylie Dougherty, BSN, RN, M.Phil.

In addition to coursework, students must successfully complete a qualifying examination with written and oral components. The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) is awarded after successful completion of the qualifying examination and the student enters doctoral candidacy status.

Dissertation

Students are expected to successfully defend a dissertation reporting original research. Four dissertation credits are required each semester during the dissertation phase of study. 

Scholarship Expectations

My advisor and the Columbia Nursing faculty provided me exceptional guidance throughout the PhD program to extend my learning beyond the classroom with the goal of becoming an independent nurse scientist. I learned valuable skills and knowledge to successfully obtain a NIH-funded predoctoral training award, present research findings at local, regional, and national conferences, and publish manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals with good impact factors.

Joseph Belloir, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC

• Publication: At least one manuscript published in an appropriate peer-reviewed journal.
• Grantsmanship: At least one grant application submitted to an appropriate funding agency or organization.
• Presentation: At least one abstract submitted for presentation as a poster or oral presentation at an appropriate professional meeting.
• Networking: Student will attend at least one regional or national research meeting.

Preparation for Postdoctoral Fellowship: Research Career Next Step 

The coursework and research mentoring at Columbia Nursing helped prepare me for the next steps in my education and career post-PhD. In addition to structured coursework and educational seminars, the school provided beneficial informal support and resources. Feedback sessions with both peers and faculty were very helpful in preparing me to present posters and presentations at research conferences. The school also provided funds for travel to conferences where I presented my research. The grant writing workshop and mock reviews of grant applications provided me with tools and feedback needed to successfully apply for additional funding for my research. Finally, interdisciplinary research collaborations with faculty provided me with opportunities to work with researchers from several disciplines to complete my dissertation.

Melissa Beauchemin, PhD '19, MS '10, RN

PhD Student Handbook

The Columbia Nursing PhD student handbook provides information to aid doctoral students in planning coursework and proceeding through all phases of the program.

Request a PhD Student Handbook

What is it like to be a PhD student at Columbia Nursing?

Required courses (excluding electives).

Building upon the foundations provided in the quantitative and qualitative research method courses, in this course students examine advanced methods and frameworks frequently used in studying health policy, health services research problems and comparative effectiveness research. In addition to a critical review of the methods, the course examines the relationship among science, policy and healthcare delivery, and identifies critical questions shaping the future policy research agenda.

Interdisciplinary research is an approach to advancing scientific knowledge in which researchers from different disciplines work at the borders of those disciplines in order to address complex questions and problems. Successful interdisciplinary efforts require mastery of specific competencies. This seminar will introduce students to competencies in interdisciplinary research through a combination of readings, case studies, and lectures in each necessary aspect, chosen from fields essential to successful interdisciplinary research. It is intended to assist learners to understand why and how different professional disciplines must work together to generate and disseminate knowledge. We will examine: different conceptualizations of interdisciplinary; barriers to and facilitators of interdisciplinary research; approaches, benefits, and limitations of collaboration and team science; methods for measuring interdisciplinary collaboration; the intersection of translational and interdisciplinary scientific strategies; and individual researchers' experiences with and evaluations of their own interdisciplinary scientific projects. Learners will develop a set of skills to be effective members and leaders of interdisciplinary research teams.

The student works with a faculty member or other scientist who is conducting a research project. The specific nature of the experience depends on the nature and stage of the research, but might include search and review of relevant literature, data collection, data analysis and/or grant preparation.

This course is intended for PhD students who are engaged in relevant scholarly activities that are associated with dissertation research.

This foundational course will examine the philosophy of nursing knowledge including foundations of nursing theory, concept development, and its application to research. Students will explore approaches to the analysis and development of concepts and the application of nursing concepts and frameworks to clinical practice and research. Ideas, assumptions, events, people, and writings are examined for their influence, inter-relationships, and significance to nursing. Types of reasoning will be evaluated within the context of nursing and health. Major theories, frameworks, and concepts of nursing and health and their implication for research will be discussed. The focus of the course will be on development of critical thinking skills in analyzing key elements of philosophies, concepts, and conceptual frameworks.

In this foundational course students will study the links between theory and the psychosocial and biophysical measures used in nursing research.  Students will employ the principles of classical test theory and item response theory to evaluate the reliability and validity of measurement.  Application of computational techniques will be covered in the lab portion of the course.  Course topics include types and uses of measures, item/scale development and validation, survey methods, reporting for publication, and the relationships between measurement and research ethics, cultural competency, and health disparities.

This course provides a foundation for quantitative research methods and design. Research process topics examined include: appraisal of the quality of existing evidence; identification of gaps in the literature; formulation of researchable questions and testable hypotheses; types of research variables; sampling designs and power analyses; and the uses, strengths, and weaknesses of various experimental and quasi-experimental research designs.

This course provides an in-depth examination of qualitative study designs and methods through a combination of theoretical discussion and hands-on practical experience. Topics include paradigm distinctions, theoretical perspectives, designs and methods, critique of research reports, and ethical issues in qualitative research.

The course is intended for PhD students who are engaged in relevant scholarly activities that are not associated with the required course sequence. Such activities must accrue more than 20 hours/week.

This course is intended to provide a hands-on introduction to delivering data visualizations to serve as a critical lens through which individual and population level health can be examined. The proposed course will combine concepts and theory in data visualization and exploration and practice to enable the student to gain the necessary knowledge to use graphics and statistics to explore the data, find and construct a narrative, and share findings in ways colleagues and decision-makes can readily understand and act upon.

This course is designed to provide the tools for the doctorally prepared nurse to evaluate, translate and integrate published research results into clinical practice. During the course, students will learn how to conceptualize clinical practice problems and transform them into answerable clinical research questions, how to search for the best clinical evidence, and how to assess clinical evidence using basic epidemiological, biostatistical and scientific principles. The course will culminate in a systematic review or meta-analysis of a body of research relevant to advanced practice nursing.

Total Credits:

PhD Admissions

Admission Requirements

A baccalaureate or master’s degree in nursing from a U.S. program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or an international program with commensurate standards is required for admission to the PhD Program in Nursing.

Post-baccalaureate Students

Applicants with a baccalaureate degree in nursing must demonstrate exceptional academic qualifications, have clear research-oriented career goals, and choose a dissertation topic congruent with the research program of a Graduate Faculty member in the School of Nursing. Applicants with baccalaureate degrees must complete a nursing research and a graduate-level statistics course.

Applying for Admission

The following admission materials must be submitted online to the  Duke University Graduate School . Prospective applicants should familiarize themselves with the Graduate School requirements.

Official, confidential transcript(s) of all college-level coursework.

Optional GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores - Applicants can submit GRE scores should they feel the scores enhance their application. [Taken within the past 5 years]. For a free online GRE guide, see  http://www.greguide.com / . For free online GRE practice tests, see  http://www.greguide.com/gre-practice-tests.html . Or visit Go Grad for the GRE Guidebook .

Three letters of recommendation. These letters should be solicited from individuals with doctoral degrees who can address the applicant’s academic abilities and potential for doctoral study.

English language proficiency test scores. Foreign graduates must submit either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International Language Testing System (IELTS) accepted, but IELTS is preferred.

Personal Statement. Applicants should submit a paper (1 - 2 typed pages, 12-point font, single-spaced) indicating:

Purposes and objectives for undertaking graduate study

Research interests and career goals

Strengths and weaknesses in the chosen field

A description of a prior research project or research participation and how this has influenced career choice and desire to pursue graduate studies

Reasons for choosing Duke for PhD studies

Name(s) of PhD Nursing faculty members in the School whose research program most closely fits with the applicant’s research interests.

The application and the $95 application fee must be received by December 1.

Holistic Admissions

The Duke University School of Nursing PhD Program is committed to holistic admissions. A holistic review is a university admissions strategy that assesses an applicant’s unique experiences alongside traditional measures of academic achievement such as grades and test scores. It is designed to help universities consider a broad range of factors reflecting the applicant’s academic readiness, contribution to the incoming class, and potential for success both in school and later as a professional.

Holistic review, when used in combination with a variety of other mission-based practices, constitutes a holistic admission process. Many colleges and universities have employed a holistic admission process to assemble a diverse class of students with the background, qualities, and skills needed for success in the profession.

As part of the Duke University School of Nursing PhD Program holistic review process, faculty review principles of holistic admissions prior to reviewing applications. The PhD Program Admissions Committee utilizes an adapted version of the Duke University Center for Exemplary Mentoring holistic admissions review rubric to guide the evaluation of each applicant.

Personal Interview

Applicants may be asked to interview by Zoom or come to campus for an interview. The School covers the costs for campus interview travel except for international travel. International applicants are interviewed via Zoom.

Duke University's Annual Clery Security Report as Mandated by Federal Statute 20 USC § 1092

The Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report include institutional policies concerning campus safety and security, as well as statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Duke University property and on public property adjacent to campus and fires that have occurred in residence halls. A copy of this Report can be obtained by contacting the Duke Police Department at 684-4602 or writing to 502 Oregon Street, Durham, NC 27708, or by accessing:  duke.edu/police/news_stats/clery

Technology Requirements

Learn more on recommended computer specifications and Duke Office of Information Technology-supported software here .

Students with Disabilities: Duke University encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please get in touch with the Duke Student Disability Access Office  in advance of your participation or visit.

Nursing License

Students must hold a valid current nursing license in a U.S. state, preferably North Carolina. To obtain information about nurse licensure procedures for the State of North Carolina, consult the  Licensure/Listing Page of the North Carolina Board of Nursing website , or telephone the North Carolina Board of Nursing at (919) 782-3211. Exceptions to holding a U.S state nursing license for international students can be waived by the PhD Program Director.

All PhD in Nursing applicants are required to have a baccalaureate or master’s degree in nursing accredited by either the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), or an international nursing program with commensurate standards.

Applicants are expected to have completed a graduate-level statistics course prior to starting the program. This course must have been completed within the last 5 years.

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The program is designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, relationships, confidence, critical thinking and analytical capacity essential for discovering and disseminating research-based evidence to support innovative solutions that lead to better health outcomes and advance the science of nursing.

What makes our program distinct?

The PhD in Nursing curriculum provides students two options to attend their course class sessions. One option is to be in the classroom with the faculty and the other option is to attend the class via a video connection with the students and faculty in the classroom. Students choose the one delivery method that works best for them. Please note that due to student  visa requirements, international students must attend courses in-person. Courses may use a HyFlex instruction format that combines synchronous in-person scheduled class sessions and asynchronous online learning activities.

At the start of their program (last week in August) and the last week in May, all students gather on campus annually for a four-day Doctor of Nursing Philosophy Immersive Experience (DIvE) focused on engagement, mentorship and professional development and a 1 credit academic course.

PhD students are eligible for significant financial assistance in their first two years through a combination of graduate assistantships and scholarships for students devoted full-time to their studies following the relevant recommended plan of study.

We also advocate for and support our PhD students with funding from a range of national sources. Current PhD students are supported with substantial grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Jonas Philanthropies.

The PhD in Nursing program is enriched by the vibrant research and academic programs at the School of Nursing and the university.

You will be carefully matched with faculty who are uniquely suited to help you develop your research focus and build an ongoing research program. Nationally-renowned faculty mentor PhD students throughout the program and build long-standing professional relationships beyond graduation.

Why a nursing PhD?

Across the country and around the world, demand for PhD-prepared nurses who can mentor future nurses and advance nursing science continues to grow. Our PhD program focuses on areas of science in which the health needs are greatest as described by AACN's strategic plan. We seek to admit students with exceptionally strong backgrounds in a major field of study such as nursing or the physical or behavioral sciences.

While many applicants are registered nurses with Masters degrees, we admit individuals who are not nurses to the PhD program if they desire to learning about and conducting research that contributes to nursing science. We also strongly encourage nurses with a BSN degree to apply. We support both types of students with additional formal coursework to be successful.

See admission criteria and application procedures

Length and commitment

Our past graduates have completed their degree in 4-5 years.

Full-time students follow the relevant recommended program plans typically take the required courses with a consistent cohort of students to foster peer support and learning.

Program Plans

Program Plan - MSN or DNP Prepared

Program Plan - BSN/Pre-Licensure Master's Prepared Nurse

Program Plan - Prior Degree in Non-Nursing Discipline

Information for international students

Inclusivity, Diversity and Equity

The School of Nursing welcomes and affirms all. We embrace the equity and diversity commitment of the University of Minnesota. Learn more on our  Inclusivity, Diversity and Equity  page. Read about our  Doctoral Education Pathway for American Indian/Alaska Native Nurses .

Get to Know Us

Kristin Elgersma

A student in the PhD program

“I would like to give these parents a voice and help create new knowledge about how parents’ feeding goals can best be supported.”

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Today marks the 177th Commencement Ceremonies at Emory University! After the activities at the Quandrangle, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing will host a Degree Candidate Recognition Ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Emory Student Center. All events will be streamed live.

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD)

Emory’s PhD program in Nursing is committed to improving human health, the experience of health, and the provision of health care through the discovery of new knowledge and its translation into practice. The program is designed to prepare researchers who want to revolutionize health care and improve health outcomes for diverse populations.

The Fall 2025 application deadline is December 1, 2024.

Virtual Open House Events

All virtual open house events will take place Tuesday evenings from 6-7 p.m. EST on Zoom. Use the links below to register.

Upcoming Meetings:

• 08/20/2024 : Tuesday, 6:00-7:00 PM (EST)

Previous Meetings:

• September 26, 2023
• October 24, 2023
• November 14, 2023
• December 12, 2023

Program Contacts

[email protected]

Jean Harrell Graduate Program Administrator

Emory University’s School of Nursing PhD program is a full-time, intense learning experience designed to develop the next generation of researchers who will change the face of health care. The program is interdisciplinary, drawing on the strengths of Emory University and its partners in areas as varied as the humanities, natural and social sciences, public health, engineering, law, and business.

At Emory, we offer a PhD track with a focus on data science in addition to our standard PhD curriculum. 

Signature Areas of Focus

Our program is built on the research strengths of our faculty in six signature areas:

• Aging Studies
• Artificial Intelligence/Data Science
• Natural Disasters, Environmental, and Climate Science
• Translational and Neuroscience
• Women’s Health

Other Areas of Focus

Emory nursing faculty are committed to supporting the learning and discovery for our doctoral nursing students. We have faculty who are renowned scholars within a diverse range of expertise in areas such as:

• Alzheimer's Disease
• Cardiovascular Health
• Caregiver Well-Being
• Data Science
• Environmental Health
• Farmworker Health
• Global Health
• Health Informatics
• Maternal/Child Health
• Mental Health
• Metabolic Disease
• Nurse Workforce and Quality of Patient Care
• Pain, Opioids, and Harm Reduction
• Palliative Care
• Sleep Research
• Symptom Science
• LGBTQIA+/Transgender Health

For additional information, please visit our Office of Nursing research page.

This video gives prospective students pragmatic guidance in selecting a U.S. research-intensive doctoral program in nursing.

Teaching Assistant Training & Teaching Opportunity Program

The PhD in Nursing trains students to teach through the Teaching Assistant Training and Teaching Opportunity Program , or TATTO, program. This program provides a short course offered in late summer before the first year, training and teaching assistantships and teaching associateships.

The Jones Program in Ethics

The Jones Program in Ethics (JPE) at Emory University provides students with a foundational, cross-disciplinary introduction to the question of ethics for their research, training and careers. It is a required, integral part of the curriculum in LGS doctoral programs: Learn more Link here:

T32 Nurse Scientist Training Opportunities

Our National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) funded training T32 program prepares pre-doctoral and post-doctoral nurse scientists to develop and test interventions to improve health outcomes of persons with or at risk for chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and neurological diseases, cancer, diabetes mellitus, HIV-AIDS, and asthma/COPD.

Provisional Artificial Intelligence Track

Artificial intelligence (AI) and associated computational sciences (machine learning, natural language processing, cybersecurity, etc.) are fundamentally changing the healthcare landscape. Accompanying these changes are tremendous opportunities as well as profound ethical concerns and social impacts. View a summary of the program . View a provisional version of the courses of study .

Admission Requirements

Fall 2024 Application Deadlines

• Priority deadline: December 1, 2023
• Final deadline: January 2, 2024
• All applicants selected for an interview will be interviewed by video/zoom meeting, scheduled at a convenient time for applicant and faculty.
• Admitted applicants will visit campus February 5, 2024 to meet with faculty, other PhD students, and to experience Atlanta.

Applications are submitted through Emory's Laney Graduate School (LGS). For more about LGS admissions, click here .

For admission to the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing program, Emory University seeks highly qualified applicants with the discipline and motivation to excel in interdisciplinary research. To be considered for admission, you must submit the following items:

• Completed application
• Submission of a Statement of Purpose that describes the applicant’s vision for what they want to study, who they want to study with, and why they want to study at Emory.
• Research interests that match faculty expertise
• Three (3) recommendations
• Satisfactory TOEFL scores (if applicable)
• Credential evaluations from any evaluator affiliated with NACES, The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services .  The most common ones are World Education Services , Educational Credential Evaluators , and Educational Perspectives .
• Transcripts issued by the registrar’s office from each post-secondary institution attended
• Resume or curriculum vitae

Emory University considers applicants who hold a BSN or MSN from a CCNE or NLNAC accredited program in the US or an international equivalent (Applicants holding a degree in a non-nursing related discipline will be considered on an individual basis).

Students entering with a BSN and intending to pursue advanced practice certification must be eligible for licensure as RN in Georgia by the end of the first year of study.

Application

Meet our students.

Meet our current and past doctoral students and learn a little more about how they impact the world of nursing research.

Student graduate’s dissertations include:

• Evaluating Stochastic Epigenic Mutations as a Potential Mechanism Translating Psychosocial Stressors into Risk for Postpartum Depression (Julianne Todd)
• Relationships among Dietary Patterns, Metabolites and Symptoms in Persons with Heart failure (Erica Nicole Davis)
• The Gut and Vaginal Microbiome in Pregnant Patients with and Without Urogenital Infections (Emily Faith Wissel)
• End-of-Life Care of Uong Adult Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: A Retrospective Cohort Study (Carolina Gustafson)
• LivFit with HIV:  Reducing inflammation and improving endothelial function with exercise adherence among older persons with HIV (Crista Irwin)
• Identifying and Addressing Healthcare Disparities in the Pediatric Acute Care Setting (Amy Rebecca Kolwaite)
• Sexual Dysfunction in Women with Gynecologic Cancer Pre-and Post-Radiotherapy and its Association with Obesity and the Gut Microbiome (Haerim Lee)
• Evaluation of Facility-Based Individual Differentiated Service Delivery Among Stable People Living with HIV in Nairobi, Kenya Using Mixed Methods Research (Rosemary Kinuthia)
• Relationships Among Strong Black Woman Belief, Coping Behaviors, Social Support, and Psychological Distress for Black Mothers after Stillbirth (Carrie Henry)
• The Influence of Postpartum Retention in Care on Mortality in Women Living with HIV (Jade McBroom)
• The role of the circulating registered nurse in communicating and fostering relationships and the impact on time spent in the operating room (Kent Haythorn)
• The Role of Vitamin D in Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy and Gene Expression within an African American Cohort (Sheila Jordan)
• Diabetes Management and Self-Care among Emerging Adults: Emerging Adult and Diabetes Care Provider Perceptions of Self-Management Influences, Visit Interaction, and a Tool to Enhance Diabetes Care at Visits (Rachel Wolf)
• Staying Alive in Little Five: Perceptions of Service Industry Workers Who Encounter an Opioid Overdose in Little Five Points, Atlanta (Sara Febres-Cordero)
• The Occupational and Health Histories of Undocumented Immigrants Receiving Frequent, Emergent-Only Hemodialysis (Daniel Smith)
• Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of Adolescents with Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder in Psychiatric Residential Treatment (Amy Greenblatt)

A full list of student accomplishments is updated regularly (PDF) .

Here are just a few job titles of our graduates.

• Chief Nursing Officer with the Jamaican Ministry of Health
• Epidemic Intelligence Service, Center for Disease Control
• Pediatric Center for Wellness
• RTI International – Division of Public Health and Clinical Research
• The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Center for Pediatric Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice

Tuition and Awards

Full-tuition scholarships.

All full-time admitted students are granted full tuition waiver and receive an annual stipend over 12 months in exchange for teaching and research services. The stipend is drawn from a combination of faculty advisor grant support, school support and student research grants received during the program. Stipends are renewed each year, contingent upon satisfactory academic and research performance, for a total of four years. Faculty and students work together to identify and apply for National Institutes for Health's National Research Service Award and other fellowships for stipend and research support funding during the doctoral program. Students also receive Professional Development Support Funds from Laney Graduate School to attend conferences and support research-related expenses.

T32 Predoctoral Fellowships through Spring 2023

The School of Nursing offers a research training program for selected predoctoral students to focus on developing and testing interventions to improve health outcomes of persons with or at risk for chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and neurological diseases, cancer, diabetes mellitus, HIV-AIDS, and asthma/COPD. Individuals selected as fellows in this training program receive a monthly stipend, benefit assistance, assistance for professional travel, and modest funds to support research related expenses. The Laney Graduate School also offers scholarships to PhD students.

Charting Innovative Paths for Nursing Research & Scholarship

Many of our students participated in the 11th Annual Georgia Nursing Leadership Coalition Doctoral Symposium, “Charting Innovative Paths for Nursing Research & Scholarship” at Emory Nursing Learning Center on 2/11/23.

Students gave the following presentations at the Event:

• Policing Mental Health: Race and Psychiatry in Atlanta Avi Wofsy – PhD Student, Emory University
• Childhood Trauma Exposure and Length of Labor: A Potential Oxytocin-Linked Contributor to Adverse Perinatal Outcomes in Black Birthing People Abby Britt – PhD Student, Emory University
• Personal Measures of Air Pollution During Pregnancy and Infant Head Circumference and Length at Birth Hina Raheel – PhD Student, Emory University
• Ways of Knowing: The Historical Intersections of Breastfeeding, Capitalism, and Whiteness Octavia Vogel – PhD Student, Emory University
• Bots and Fake Participants: Ensuring Valid and Reliable Data Collection Using Social Media Recruitment MethodsZ Roseline Jean Louis – PhD Student, Emory University

Many students presented posters. Hayden Herring, 1st year student, won 1st place for his poster.

How to Successfully Apply to Our PhD Program

Application process questions.

How Much is the Application Fee

$75 US.  The fee is non-refundable, and can be paid by credit card as part of the online application.

When exactly is the application deadline?

The deadline falls at midnight, U.S. Pacific time, on the deadline date of the each program. Nursing PhD program application deadline is January 1.

May I request a fee waiver?

Yes. Application fee waivers are processed through Laney.  The  application fee waiver page  explains our waiver policy.   https://www.gs.emory.edu/admissions/fee-waivers.html

Should I wait until I have my official test scores before submitting my application?

No.  Complete the online application at your earliest convenience.  When we receive your scores, they will be matched with your application.

Do I need to submit non-degree transcripts?

Yes. Admissions committees consider your complete academic record. 

If my undergraduate Degree is from Emory, Do I need to request a transcript from Emory?

Yes. You will need to upload one as part of your online application.  (If you are offered admission and accept, you will not need to submit an official copy, since we are able to verify the one you uploaded.)

If I participated in an exchange program while an undergraduate, do I have to request that transcript?

If you took some courses at a university as part of an exchange, like a study abroad program, and those course credits (course name, credit hours, and grade) are reflected on the transcript that includes your degree, then you do not need to submit a separate transcript from the university where you studied as part of an exchange. If you list that exchange experience as a separate educational experience on your application, you will need to upload either a separate transcript or a note explaining to us that the credits are included in another transcript. 

How should I submit my transcripts in the application?

Scan and upload them through the online application. Unofficial transcripts issued by the Registrar to you (the student) are acceptable.

You are required to submit one transcript from each post-secondary institution attended, present school included. International transcripts must be translated and notarized.  

Please do not mail paper transcripts.  If you are admitted and decide to attend Emory, then you will need to submit official copies of your transcripts before you can enroll. But for your application, the scanned, unofficial versions are all that's needed.

Does the recommendation letter have to be on the Emory form?

We encourage the use of the online recommendation system. If a recommender is unable to use this system, contact the program you are applying to for instructions.  You can find contact information on  our Degree Programs page .

Must letters of recommendation be submitted by the application deadline?

It is possible to submit letters of recommendation after the application deadline, but it is not advisable.  Most programs begin to review applications very soon after the deadline, and an application is not considered complete unless it has three letters of recommendation. 

Can I make changes to my application after I have submitted it?

No. Contact the graduate program to which you are applying for advice.  You can find contact information on  our Degree Programs page .

Can I reactivate my application from last year?

No. Applicants who wish to reapply must submit a new application, application fee, and supporting credentials.

Technical issues with the application: Email CollegeNet at  [email protected] . 

Additional Questions

Do you have to have your research focus before entering the program?

No, but strongly encouraged.

Can I start the PhD program in the spring semester?

NO.  This program begins with the fall semester matriculation only.

Can this program be completed in 3 years?

It can be done in three years if you are really focused.  But it will be challenging.

What are the fees students pay?

Enrollment, technology, health and wellness, athletic  and activity fees.  

Fall and spring you should be prepared to pay approximately$442, summer fees are about $351

When do I submit the application for the T32 program?

T32 application is due one day after the PhD program application, Jan. 2nd

Can I have my international transcripts reviewed by an agency other than World Education Services (WES)?

Laney Graduate School requires WES services review.

Do I have to have a master’s degree to enter this program?

No.  Students can apply to the program with a BSN

Can I work/ be employed outside the program?

Any work/employment has to be approved by the program

How many hours can I work if approved?

Students are allowed to work 10 hours a week

Accreditation

Emory University undergoes accreditation at the university level and throughout our colleges and schools to ensure our educational programs meet the highest standards. The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing is accredited by multiple organizations. For a list of accreditations, you can visit our Accreditations page.

Featured Story

Emory nursing doctoral students receive prestigious NIH predoctoral fellowship awards

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Home / Getting Your Ph.D. in Nursing

Getting Your Ph.D. in Nursing

Becoming a ph.d. nurse, what does a ph.d. nurse do, ph.d. nurse salary & employment, ph.d. vs. dnp in nursing, helpful organizations, societies, and agencies, what is a ph.d. nurse.

A Ph.D. nurse is one who has completed a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing degree. A Ph.D., or doctoral degree, is the highest level of education a nurse can achieve. Different from a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, which focuses on advanced clinical practice, a Ph.D. in Nursing program is a research and science-focused degree that prepares nurses for careers conducting important medical research that will advance the entire nursing profession and for teaching nursing at the college level.

In order to become a Ph.D. nurse, of course, nurses must complete a Ph.D. in nursing program, which generally takes 4 to 6 years to finish. An aspiring Ph.D. nurse must have a strong interest in conducting medical research and/or teaching future nurses. Strong leadership skills are also important, as many Ph.D. nurses go on to supervise and mentor other nurses, whether they work in scientific research, management, or teaching capacity.

What Are the Educational Requirements For a Ph.D. Nurse Program?

A Ph.D. in Nursing program is known as a terminal degree, meaning it is the highest level of education for the nursing profession (in addition to the DNP degree, another separate nursing doctorate program track). Prior to entering a Ph.D. program, nurses must complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and pass the NCLEX-RN exam. In some cases, applicants to a Ph.D. in Nursing program must also complete a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, which provides advanced education in nursing practice with courses in pharmacology, pathophysiology, and clinical practice.

Educational Prerequisites

Specific requirements to complete a Ph.D. in Nursing program will vary slightly from school to school. Schools offer Ph.D. in Nursing programs in traditional classroom formats, as well as online and hybrid styles that combine in-person study with online coursework. In addition to a variety of formats for Ph.D. in Nursing programs, students can also sometimes opt to take these programs on a full-time or part-time basis to suit their personal schedules.

The curriculum for a Ph.D. in Nursing program is research-focused, with coursework in advanced scientific research principles, data analysis, and statistical measurement. Ph.D. programs generally culminate in a dissertation and original research project. As an example of Ph.D. curriculum, below is a selection of courses offered by the Medical University of South Carolina as part of their online Ph.D. in Nursing Science program:

• Advanced Quantitative Research Methods
• Qualitative Research Methods
• Advanced Statistical Methods for Nursing Research
• Advanced Study Design and Methods
• Advanced Health Policy & Advocacy
• Research Team Leadership

A Ph.D. nurse conducts scientific research that advances the nursing profession. The knowledge that Ph.D. nurses gather and present as a part of their scientific research powers positive change in the quality of patient care and outcomes in the entire nursing field. In addition to their role as nurse scientists, Ph.D. nurses also teach and mentor nurses at the college/university level, working to shape the next generation of nurses.

What Are the Roles and Duties of a Ph.D. Nurse?

The majority of Ph.D. nurses pursue careers in either the research or teaching fields, so their day-to-day duties will vary depending on which career track they have chosen.

For a nurse researcher , typical duties may include:

• Identify research questions, and design and conduct scientific research in partnership with other scientists from various fields
• Collect and analyze scientific data and publish reports detailing findings
• Write proposals and apply for grants to help fund their research
• Establish and maintain quality assurance programs to ensure the validity of their data findings
• Train and supervise laboratory staff and other nurses or scientists

For a Ph.D.  nurse educator who has chosen to pursue a faculty position, typical duties may include:

• Plan, prepare, and revise curriculum and study materials for nursing courses
• Deliver lectures to undergraduate and graduate level nursing students
• Supervise students' laboratory and clinical work
• Grade students' classwork, laboratory, and clinical performance
• Mentor and advise students regarding their future work in the nursing industry

For faculty members who pursue department chair or administration roles, additional duties may include:

• Hire, supervise and conduct performance reviews of faculty members
• Assist with the scheduling of classes and professors
• Oversee department curriculum and provide quality control as to the content and materials of given nursing courses

Workplace Settings

A Ph.D. nurse can work in a variety of settings, depending on the career path he or she has chosen. A Ph.D. nurse may find employment at a hospital, medical laboratory, research facility, or university as a research scientist, or may work at a nursing school, college, or university as a faculty member or department chair. In some cases, a Ph.D. nurse may also work as a public health nurse in a government setting, helping to develop research-based solutions to public health issues.

Salaries for Ph.D. nurses vary based on the type of employment a nurse seeks after graduation. Nurse researchers, a primary career path for Ph.D. nurses, can expect a median salary of $90,000 according to Payscale.com. For Ph.D. nurses who pursue a teaching position, the median annual wage for post-secondary nursing instructors is $77,440 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2021. Geographical location, career length, and experience level are all factors that can influence a Ph.D. nurse's annual salary.

The nursing profession as a whole has a particularly bright employment outlook, with the employment of registered nurses projected to grow 9 percent from 2020 to 2030 according to the BLS. In addition, a large number of healthcare facilities are looking for nursing professionals with higher degrees, which means the demand for Ph.D. and DNP level nurses will continue to grow. In fact, the Institute of Medicine 's 2015 "The Future of Nursing Report" emphasized the need for more Ph.D. level nurses.

As there are two doctorate-level nursing program types to choose from, there may be some confusion as to the differences between a Ph.D. nursing program and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. The primary difference between the two programs relates to nurses' career aspirations. A DNP program trains nurses to perform the highest level of nursing practice and to translate research into high-quality patient care, while a Ph.D. program prepares nurses to conduct cutting-edge research that will advance the science of nursing and patient care. In addition to research positions, a Ph.D. program prepares nurses for leadership and teaching positions at hospitals and colleges/universities. To simplify, a DNP is a nursing practice doctorate degree, while a Ph.D. is a research and teaching doctorate.

Other key differences between DNP and Ph.D. programs are curriculum and program length. A typical DNP program includes courses on advanced nursing practice, leadership, and management topics and requires patient care clinical hours as well as a final capstone project. A Ph.D. program includes coursework on research methodologies, data analysis, and healthcare leadership and policy, and requires students to complete original research and a dissertation. In general, a Ph.D. program takes longer to complete than a DNP program, with Ph.D. programs taking an average of 4 to 6 years to complete and a DNP program taking 3 to 4 years, but can be completed in as little as 2 years depending on the school and program chosen.

• American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• American Nurses Association
• International Association of Clinical Research Nurses
• National Institute of Nursing Research

Best Online Ph.D. in Nursing Programs – 2024

What Factors Were Considered for Ranking the Best Ph.D. in Nursing Online Programs?

Following are the 10 best online ph.d. in nursing programs in the nation for 2024, 1) university of central florida - orlando, fl.

If gaining knowledge and expertise in nursing research interests you, then pursuing an online Ph.D. can be a fruitful decision. The University of Central Florida offers two online Ph.D. tracks that can be completed without keeping your current work assignments on hold. So, there is BSN to Ph.D. track that requires completing 75 credit hours post-BSN, whereas, if you have completed a master’s in nursing, your coursework for the MSN to Ph.D. track demands finishing 60-credit hours. Except for two intensives that require few days of campus visits per year, all courses are offered through the web.

Upon completion of this program, you will be able to explore promising employment opportunities, such as the director of nursing research, nurse scientist, nursing faculty, and research scientist.

Key Highlights

• UCF’s College of Nursing is highly ranked by the U.S. News and World Report in recognition of its innovative and pathbreaking online education. • The college has the expertise of offering quality web-based programs for the last 20 years that are well supported by its experienced faculty.

2) Vanderbilt University - Nashville, TN

Specializations Offered:

Vanderbilt University’s online Ph.D. in nursing science prepares you for a career in nursing research and education. Depending on your career goals, you can choose from either Clinical Research or Health Services Research. If you are inclined towards improving health outcomes by researching treatments that involve physical, psychological, and educational therapies, then the clinical research specialization is better suited. Whereas, the health services research specialty is focused on designing systems that evaluate treatments administered, their costs, and what happens to the patient, after that.

The coursework requires completion of at least 57 credit hours and is delivered completely online, with some parts being synchronous and some asynchronous. Out of the 57 credits, 32 are core courses, 15 credits are to be completed in your specialty-specific courses, and ten credits are towards your research thesis. To participate in experiential learning and interactive sessions with faculty, you must visit the campus for around 15 to 20 days per academic year.

• Vanderbilt University offers Ph.D. students multiple opportunities to interact with research scholars across the university and the nation. • You will be taught by a faculty that is nationally recognized and actively participates in research in your chosen specialty. • Eligible students can transfer 15 credits from their master’s degree towards this Ph.D.

3) Walden University - Minneapolis, MN

If you are keen on positively impacting the future of healthcare by actively participating in research, teaching, and policymaking, then completing your Ph.D. in any of the tracks offered by Walden University can be given a thought. One of the sought-after Ph.D. in Nursing online programs in MN, you need at least a master’s degree to be eligible for this program. Acknowledging your past education, the college allows a transfer of up to 40 credits towards the Ph.D. With five tracks in education, healthcare administration, interdisciplinary health, leadership, and population health, you can opt for the one that matches your career aspirations.

Regardless of what specialization you choose, the degree requires completing a total of 81 credits, comprising 20 credits of research courses, 25 credits in core courses, and 15 credits in courses of your chosen specialization. The curriculum culminates with a research thesis of 20 credits. Upon completion of this Ph.D. in your chosen specialty, you can go on to work as either a nursing professor, head a research organization, or become a health policymaker in a health organization.

• If you have completed your DNP, you can opt for the DNP to Ph.D. Bridge program where you can transfer 26 credits and save considerable time and tuition costs. • With Walden’s Sigma Theta Tau chapter, you can network with other nurses and share your nursing research ideas and gain a broader perspective.

4) University of Kansas - Kansas City, KS

The University of Kansas has been offering Ph.D. education since 1983, and its over 125 graduates are successfully working as nurse educators and research scholars in various educational and healthcare organizations. Graduates are trained in the skills and advance art and science of nursing, with emphasis on critical thinking and evidence-based decision making. On average, students complete this online program in three years on a full-time basis.

Well, you can enter this program after your bachelor’s or upon completion of your master’s in nursing. With the master’s, you will require six fewer credits, whereas as a post BSN student, you must complete additional courses in theories for practice research and healthcare research as part of your Ph.D. curriculum.

The curriculum involves completing 52-credit coursework plus 15 credits of thesis, and there are three areas of specialization to choose from - Health Systems, Symptom Science, and Education. Well, to enhance your chances of admission into this or for that matter any other Ph.D. in Nursing online programs, ensure you earn a minimum GPA of 3.50 in your BSN or 3.25 in your MSN, apart from holding an active nurse license and demonstrating an aptitude for leadership and research activities.

• You will be able to select up to 11 credits of your total coursework in the topic related to your research thesis. • You can opt to be mentored by a graduate faculty who shares your research interests.

5) University of Arizona - Tucson, AZ

University of Arizona College of Nursing offers several pathways to Ph.D. aspirants. You can enter this program either post your BSN or MSN. Alternatively, you can also opt to complete your Ph.D. along with a DNP or even earn a Ph.D. after completing the DNP. Whichever path you choose, you can complete this program online, both on a part-time and full-time basis. Besides the online courses, you are required to attend a mandatory one week of on-campus orientation, where you will collaborate with peers and faculty to explore the Ph.D. curriculum.

This online Doctor of Philosophy in nursing is offered in three areas of focused study-Precision Science, Health Determinants Science and Data and System Science, out of which you must choose one. This study constitutes 12 credits of your Ph.D. coursework and helps gain specialized knowledge in your area of focus. The total Ph.D. curriculum requires completing 64 credits. The coursework includes an 18-credit dissertation that is completed over multiple terms.

• The college is among the top nursing schools in receiving funding from the NIH. As a potential student, you will certainly benefit from the school’s dynamic research profile. • The school’s stellar faculty is accomplished, and they engage in research and scholarly activity in all the three areas of focused study.

6) Indiana University - Bloomington, IN

Indiana University’s online Ph.D. training prepares you for a career in private or public organizations as nursing faculty, director of clinical research, and director of clinical services. The program is grounded in nursing science and offers concentration options in Clinical Nursing Science and Health Systems. Clinical Nursing Science is ideal if you are inclined towards the research of prevention and early detection of diseases and disabilities across the lifespan, whereas Health Systems emphasizes on informatics, nursing education, and public health policy.

You can enter this program, either after your BSN or post an MSN. While the former requires completing 90 credits, the latter is shorter and requires just 60 credits as 30 credits are automatically transferred from the MSN towards your Ph.D. While most of the courses are offered online, you require attending two campus intensives per year. These visits can be enriching as you get the opportunity to network with mentors and other experts from the field. The curriculum is well balanced, covering courses in nursing science, biostatistics for public health, data analysis, and quantitative research. The coursework ends with a 16-credit thesis in nursing.

• If you are a resident of Indiana, you can complete this program at only one-third of the tuition cost that out of state students incur. • As an online student, you will be taught by the same faculty that teaches on-campus. Moreover, didactic sessions are synchronous in nature, so you practically land up in a virtual classroom with your peers, taking classes through videoconferencing.

7) University of Colorado - Denver, CO

If you are looking at a career in nursing education, nursing administration, or nursing research, then the University of Colorado’s nursing Ph.D. can be considered. You can enter this program, either after completing a BSN or MSN. Depending on professional interests, you can choose from any of the three areas of focus - Health Care Systems Research, Caring Science, and Behavioral Sciences. Although all courses are offered via the internet, however, you must be prepared to travel to Denver once every semester for the on-campus intensives.

The 60-credit Ph.D. coursework includes 18 credits of dissertation. On a full-time basis, you can complete this program in three years. As a pre-requisite to this program, you must complete a graduate-level course in statistics. Upon completion of core and specialization courses, you will demonstrate the expertise of developing new knowledge and findings through your nursing research.

• You are eligible for in-state tuition costs if your permanent residence address happens to be in any of the 15 states that include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. • Eligible Ph.D. students can also avail scholarships that the college offers twice a year.

8) Villanova University - Villanova, PA

If you are looking at an online Ph.D. in Nursing program to attain the highest nursing degree, then you could consider Villanova University’s Ph.D. that prepares you to conduct clinical and educational based nursing research towards better nursing practice and education. This advanced credential will help you climb the career ladder in the academic field by preparing you to take up leadership positions in the higher education arena. With flexible schedules, you can complete this program in as little as two years or stretch it to three to four years. An additional two years are required for the completion of the nursing thesis.

The curriculum entails completing 51 credits; however, the exact number of credits may vary, depending on your past education. The coursework is designed to equip you with the practical and theoretical understanding required to create new knowledge of culturally relevant nursing practice and education. You will also learn to collaborate with members of other health disciplines to enhance your research.

• This Ph.D. program at Villanova is known for the personalized study experience it offers students. • Year after year, the National League for Nursing has honored the college’s Nursing School as being the Center of Excellence in Nursing Education, a testimony of the quality nursing education it offers.

9) Duquesne University - Pittsburgh, PA

The Ph.D. program being offered by Duquesne University since 1994 has trained over 100 graduates who are currently well established in their careers as nurse scientists. Primarily offered as a post MSN course, there is also a post-DNP track that can be completed in 2.5 years as it requires fewer credits. The Ph.D. program at Duquesne is mainly focused on preparing you for nursing research in addressing the health needs of the vulnerable and underserved populations that are economically backward and belong to racial or ethnic minorities.

To be eligible for this program, you must have earned a master’s, preferably in nursing, with a minimum GPA of 3.50. There is a three year and four-year track to choose from. The three-year track is rigorous and will hardly leave you any time for other commitments, whereas with the four-year track, you will be completing your coursework at a comfortable pace, typically taking six credits per semester, unlike the 6-10 in the three-year track. Both tracks require a graduate-level statistics course as a pre-requisite. The 53 credits curriculum includes 12 credits of a dissertation that takes place during the last year of your coursework.

• Residency requirements in this program include visits to the college campus, and as part of the Methods of Scientific Inquiry course, you will take part in a 10-14 day international trip to locations such as Dublin, Ireland, where you will be provided with housing at the college’s campus. • The program enjoys the distinction of being the first online Doctor of Philosophy in nursing program in the country.

10) University of Missouri - Columbia, MO

University of Missouri’s Ph.D. in Nursing prepares you for an advanced career in nursing, either as a scholar, educator, or clinical researcher. Due to its interdisciplinary approach, even non-nursing students can enter this program. To pursue this degree, you have three pathways; post-BSN, post-MSN, and post-DNP. Regardless of the pathway you choose, you will be taught by a faculty that comes from diverse academic backgrounds, bringing in their interdisciplinary experiences and knowledge.

This Ph.D. is offered in a hybrid mode, requiring few campus visits while taking the majority of your coursework online. There are three focus areas to choose from; innovations to improve health and health systems, health improvement of the vulnerable population, symptom, and behavior science. The post-BSN track requires completion of about 77 credits, whereas, the post-MSN and post-DNP require 56 and 48 credits, respectively.

• One of the few military-friendly online Ph.D. in Nursing programs in the nation, military personnel, veterans, and their eligible family members can avail of a 10% reduction in tuition costs. • You can benefit from the nursing school’s research connections across its various departments that include social work, public health, human development and family science, education, and health informatics.

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The Research Doctorate in Nursing: The PhD

When nurses are considering an advanced degree beyond the master’s level of educational preparation, a number of considerations may direct the decision-making process. The doctorate of philosophy (PhD) in nursing is a research degree that will well serve nurses who have the desire to apply theory and develop formal programs of research, become faculty of nursing, combine clinical practice with formal research, and advance through professional leadership in the ranks of hospitals and health systems organizations.

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The PhD in Nursing and Health Science program offers a rich and supportive learning environment for the next generation of nursing and health care scientists.

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Applications accepted for fall entry only. Apply by Jan. 15 for priority enrollment and UR scholarship/fellowship consideration.  Refer to our application deadlines.

The PhD in Nursing & Health Science program at the University of Rochester sets itself apart by offering close mentorship from  nationally-recognized faculty . Plus, the collaborative learning environment is enriched by interaction with researchers across many disciplines — all of which allows you to learn how to make meaningful discoveries and innovations in a changing health care landscape.

Choose from three pathways to earn a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing and Health Science. Full-time students are awarded assistantships that provide full tuition waiver, health insurance, and stipend support.

As part of the University of Rochester Medical Center , the School of Nursing engages in groundbreaking interdisciplinary research through collaborative partnerships with nurses and other health care practitioners across the campus, region, and nation. The University of Rochester School of Nursing has a long history of research innovation and continues to pioneer new breakthroughs in:

Sexual Health & HIV Oncology & Palliative Care Healthy Aging Parent-Child, Adolescent & Transgenerational Health Cardiovascular Care

Quotation Mark What keeps me going is the notion that I'm helping patients. That in the future I will hopefully help more people with my research. And the support of the faculty, really. They know how to mentor, to push and challenge me as a student and to explore things that I might not recognize within myself. Faith Lambert, MS, RN, FNP-BC Research Interests: Adolescent & adult health, health disparities, HIV Meet PhD Students

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Data Spotlight: Trends in Nursing PhD Programs

Generating strong interest in the PhD in nursing (and similar research-focused doctorates) is a priority for the profession. Although less than 1% of today’s nursing workforce has earned a PhD (NCSBN, 2021), these individuals are in high demand with the need for nurse scientists, faculty, and leaders on the rise.   Despite this great need, AACN has seen a steady decline in enrollment in PhD programs over the last 10 years. Since 2012 enrollments have declined 12%, from 5,110 to 4,476 students, even though graduations have increased 20% from 611 to 733 graduates ( Figure 1 ). During this period, the number of research-focused doctoral nursing programs has increased 14%, from 131 to 149. As seen in Figure 2 , these programs are now available in almost every state in the U.S. The regional distribution of students enrolled reflects the distribution of programs, which are more heavily concentrated in the South and North Atlantic ( Figure 3 ). In 2021, the largest number of graduates were in the South and Midwest, respectively ( Figure 4 ).    The data on racial and ethnic diversity within the PhD student population shows a growing level of representation. Over the last 10 years, the percentage of students and graduates from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups has increased by 8% ( Figure 5 ). Notably, the percentage of African American students has increased 5% from 2012 to 2021, and the percentage of graduates has increased 1.5%.     AACN is committed to working with practice partners and other stakeholders to advocate for more resources for PhD programs and support to create a more diverse community of nurse scholars. Released in April 2022, our position statement on The Research-Focused Doctoral Program in Nursing: Pathways to Excellence presents a new vision for the PhD in nursing and program graduates, which will help spark strong interest among students in careers as nurse researchers.

Figure 1: Research-Focused Doctoral Enrollments and Graduations, 2012-2021

Figure 2: Fall 2021 Number of Research-Focused Doctoral Programs by State

Figure 3: 2021 Research-Focused Doctoral Enrollment by Region

Figure 4: 2021 Research-Focused Doctoral Graduations by Region 

Figure 5: Percent of Racial/Ethnic Minority Students and Graduates, Research-Focused Doctoral 2012-2021

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DNP vs. Ph.D. in Nursing: What’s the Difference?

• DNP vs. PH.D. Nursing Compared

Duties and Responsibilities

• Education and Certification

Salary and Career Outlook

• Which Is Best?

Are you ready to earn your online nursing degree?

Nurses who have already earned a masters degree and are looking to pursue the next step in their education have two options: doctor of nursing practice (DNP) and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) in nursing.

Both degrees offer nurses a variety of professional opportunities, allowing them to utilize their expertise to benefit the field of nursing.

This guide outlines the differences in earning a DNP vs. a Ph.D. in nursing, and what opportunities lay ahead for graduates of either program. In understanding the roles and responsibilities of each, nurses can determine which degree is right for them.

DNP and Ph.D. in Nursing Key Similarities and Differences

A DNP and Ph.D. are both terminal degrees, meaning they are the highest degree a nurse can earn. Regardless of their choice of program, interested nurses need a bachelor of science (BSN) degree in nursing, an active and unencumbered registered nurse (RN) license, and clinical experience before gaining admittance to either doctorate program.

While a DNP and Ph.D. are both advanced degrees, they prepare nurses for different roles within the nursing field. DNP programs focus on educating nurses who want to pursue leadership roles in a clinical setting. Ph.D. programs provide nurses with an education to pursue academic or research-based positions.

What is a DNP?

A DNP is an advanced degree for nurses who want to become experts in clinical nursing. The degree is an alternative to research-centric doctoral programs, and provides nurses with skills and training to work at an advanced level in the nursing field.

What is a Ph.D. in Nursing?

Earning a Ph.D. in nursing prepares graduates for work either in academia or research settings. Graduates often pursue faculty positions with academic institutions or in a career that involves performing research in a medical laboratory.

Source: Payscale

Popular DNP Programs

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

The roles of a nurse with a DNP vs. a Ph.D. in nursing are fundamentally different. The former focuses on clinical work, whereas the latter is geared more toward research and education.

Their duties revolve around those two major areas. As such, DNPs are more likely to work with patients, while Ph.D graduates focus on educating nurses and analyzing medical practices.

What Can You Do With a DNP?

Nurses with a DNP are considered expert clinicians who are prepared for the highest level of nursing practice.

Upon earning the degree, nurses can choose to focus on leadership and administrative roles (public health, healthcare policy, informatics, etc.) or clinical care (clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, etc.).

After earning a DNP, nurses’ responsibilities may include:

• Diagnose and treat patients
• Prescribe medications
• Order various diagnostic tests
• Handle patient complains
• Consult on complex cases
• Implement policy changes

Keep in mind that some DNP programs are for roles (clinical nurse specialist, nurse educator) that will not have authorization to perform some of the above responsibilities.

What Can You Do With a Ph.D. in Nursing?

Nurses with a Ph.D. often focus on the areas of education and research. They may design studies and conduct research on clinical practices, nursing education, health systems, and public policy.

People with a Ph.D. in nursing often find employment in academic, business, or governmental settings. Overall, nurses with a Ph.D.can:

• Design, conduct, and publish research
• Develop new nursing knowledge and methods
• Utilize research results to improve nursing outcomes
• Write proposals and apply for grants to fund research
• Mentor and advise students
• Compose curriculum for nursing courses

Education Prerequisites

When looking to earn either a DNP or Ph.D., most programs require applicants to have similar prerequisites. Institutions often look for candidates who have attained an undergraduate degree, are actively able to practice nursing, and can meet certain academic requirements.

How to Earn a DNP

To apply for a DNP degree program, candidates need a BSN or master of science in nursing (MSN) from an accredited institution, a GPA of at least 3.0, and an active nursing license.

Once enrolled, students can choose an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) role such as clinical nurse practitioner (CNP), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), certified nurse-midwife (CNM), or certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA).

CNPs and CNSs then choose a population focus (i.e., neonatal, pediatrics, womens health, psychiatric-mental health). DNP candidates often focus on a research or capstone project throughout their entire program.

The program can last 2-4 years, and full-time students are able to earn their degree faster than their part-time counterparts. Students participate in courses on informatics, health policy, healthcare delivery systems, evidence-based practice, and project management.

Learners must also complete a total of 1,000 clinical hours, 500 of which can stem from a previous masters program that resulted in national certification. Learners with previous hours may become more common as some programs, like CRNA, transition from MSN to DNP-only.

How to Earn a Ph.D. in Nursing

To get accepted to a Ph.D. program, candidates need a BSN or MSN from an accredited program, a 3.0 to 3.5 minimum GPA, and an active nursing license. Applicants must also provide a CV or resume, professional references, and a personal statement.

The length of a Ph.D. program ranges from 4-6 years depending on the status of the student (full-time vs. part-time). The curriculum revolves around theory, analysis, and statistics, with students taking classes in grant writing, research design, and research methods. Since their work takes place within education and research, Ph.D. candidates are not required to complete clinical hours.

Upon program completion, DNP and Ph.D. graduates may benefit from a higher earning potential. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a steady need over the next decade for nurses with advanced training.

Ultimately, degree type, specialization, and population focus dictate the average annual salary and the type of demand nurses should anticipate.

$107,000 Average Annual DNP Salary

$99,000 Average Annual Ph.D. in Nursing Salary

DNP in Nursing Salary and Career Outlook

While the average salary of nurses with DNPs is approximately $107,000, their chosen specialization impacts their earning potential and demand. DNP-holders working a CRNAs average $164,340 per year, according to July 2022 Payscale data, while those who work in pediatrics earn $92,030 .

Not only do CRNAs earn the highest average salary, but they are also one of the most in-demand specializations; the BLS projects a job growth rate of 45%, significantly higher than the 9% average for all other professions.

Another main factor that influences DNP earning potential is years of experience. Entry-level nurses earn an average annual salary of approximately $87,000 , according to July 2022 Payscale data. Whereas those with more than 20 years of experience can earn upwards of $187,000 depending upon the specialization.

Ph.D. in Nursing Salary and Career Outlook

Much like nurses with a DNP, the salary of one with a Ph.D. varies based on focus. According to the BLS , nurse educators with a Ph.D. can receive upwards of $125,930 annually.

While all nurses with advanced degrees continue to be in demand, Ph.D. graduates who choose to become educators can especially benefit from this need. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing , nursing schools had to turn away over 80,000 qualified applicants in 2019 due to the shortage of educators.

Many states are looking to provide incentives to nurses who choose to become educators, thereby increasing the benefit of selecting this role.

DNP vs. Ph.D. in Nursing: Which Degree is Right For Me?

Deciding which degree works best depends upon a nurse’s personal and professional goals. The degrees lead nurses down two fairly distinct paths – one clinical and one research-oriented.

DNP and Ph.D. graduates are both in high demand and have above-average earning potential. The degrees differ in time commitment and responsibilities.

Nurses who prefer to work in a clinical capacity either directly with patients or in a nursing leadership role should pursue a DNP. Graduates often find themselves in a variety of clinical settings, such as hospitals, specialty practices, or public health offices.

Learners more interested in preparing future nurses or conducting research that aids in the development of new and effective nursing methods should pursue a Ph.D. Nurse Ph.D. graduates often use their expertise in settings such as colleges and universities, research facilities, medical laboratories, and government agencies.

Related Pages

Why Get a Doctorate in Nursing (DNP)?

Graduating with a doctoral degree in nursing can advance careers, increase salaries, and lead to rewarding jobs. Learn why and how to become a DNP.

Online DNP Programs of 2024

Explore the top online DNP programs. Learn about on-campus requirements, accreditation, cost, and program length while choosing your next career step.

Types of Nursing Degrees and Levels

Learn about the types of nursing degrees available and how to launch your career in this field. Explore in-demand job opportunities and earning potential.

Page last reviewed: May 6, 2022

Whether you’re looking to get your pre-licensure degree or taking the next step in your career, the education you need could be more affordable than you think. Find the right nursing program for you.

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NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing graduate programs ranked among best in Nation by U.S. News & World Report

April 09, 2024.

NYU Meyers is the eighth best nursing school in the nation for master’s programs, up five spots over last year, according to the 2024  U.S. News & World Repor t Best Graduate School rankings.

The rankings, released today, assessed both master's programs and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs on their research activity, faculty resources, and student excellence. The rankings also include the results of surveys of nursing school deans and healthcare professionals.

NYU Meyers’ overall master’s degree ranking was the highest among nursing schools in New York State. In addition, several master’s specialty programs earned top recognition: Meyers came in at #7 in the Best Acute Care Nurse Practitioner category and #12 for Best Family Nurse Practitioner programs.

At the doctoral level, NYU Meyers ranked #15 overall in Best Nursing Schools for doctor of nursing practice programs, and for the Best DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program.

“NYU Meyers has long been one of the best nursing schools in the country, and I’m very proud of our continued ascent in the US News rankings,” said Dean Angela Amar. “Most of all, I’m proud of the way students and faculty keep patients at the center of everything they do, from education to research to practice. These rankings reflect their commitment to service, innovation and excellence.”

About NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing 

NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing is a global leader in education and research, producing nurses who are compassionate and committed to patient-centered care that improves lives and transforms communities.

Consistently ranked by  U.S. News & World Report as one of the top nursing schools in the nation, Meyers College of Nursing is diverse, vibrant and entrepreneurial, offering world-class BS, MS, DNP and PhD programs to prepare the next generation of nursing leaders.

UC College of Nursing ranks highly in U.S. News & World Report rankings

The UC College of Nursing's programs were once again recognized by U.S. News & World Report's 2024 Best Graduate Nursing Programs rankings.

The rankings — pulled from surveying programs offered by public, private and for-profit institutions — are based on factors such as graduation rates, academic and career support services offered to students and admissions selectivity. The College's rankings include:

• No. 11 Best Nurse Anesthesia Program , climbing 11 positions from the previous ranking and placing in the top 9% of accredited programs in the country
• No. 37 Nurse Midwifery Program
• No. 41 Master of Science in Nursing , placing in the top 7% of accredited programs in the country
• No. 49 Doctor of Nursing Practice , climbing 13 positions from last year and placing in the top 13% of accredited programs in the country

“We are proud to consistently offer quality nursing education to a growing number of students across the country,” says the college’s Interim Dean Gordon Gillespie, PhD. “Our strong history of and commitment to providing quality, innovative and affordable education for both our on-campus and online students is reflected in our continued placement in these and other rankings.”

The UC College of Nursing was the first in the U.S. to offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and remains a nationally recognized institution for its academic standards, diversity and inclusion efforts, technology application and research activity. Today, the college's more than 20,000 living alumni proudly reflect its tradition of leadership and core values as they work to improve the health of individuals and communities around the world.

These recognitions confirm the college’s commitment to preparing advanced-practice nurses ready to have a positive impact on their patients’ health and well-being by designing, providing and assessing quality and safe care to all.

Featured photo at top of Procter Hall. Photo/University of Cincinnati.

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Learn more about the new sites launched on Bearcats Landing, UC's new intranet.

Future of Nursing 2020-2030 report to be released

May 5, 2021

The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: “Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity” is being released on Tuesday, May 11. Greer Glazer, PhD, dean of the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing is one of the 15 people who served on the committee composing the report. The report explores how nurses can work over the next decade to reduce health disparities and promote equity, while keeping costs at bay, utilizing technology and maintaining patient and family-focused care.

UC Day of Giving kicks off with celebration of scholarship gift

April 15, 2021

UC Day of Giving is kicked off with an important scholarship gift for nursing and engineering.

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Nursing Rises in ‘U.S. News’ Best Graduate Schools Rankings

April 9, 2024    |   By Mary Therese Phelan

Continuing its mission of shaping the nursing profession and the health care environment by developing leaders in education, research, and practice, the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) has again ranked in the top 10 across the board for public schools of nursing — and moved up in all six categories in which the school is ranked — in the newly released 2024 edition of U.S. News & World Report ’s “ America’s Best Graduate Schools ,” out of 651 accredited nursing schools surveyed.

Both UMSON’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and its Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs climbed in the rankings among all schools surveyed, with DNP tied at No. 8 (up from No. 15 last year) and MSN at No. 20 overall (up from No. 25 last year). Among public schools of nursing, the DNP program is tied at No. 4 and the MSN is ranked No. 9.

Two UMSON specialties lead the way in the rankings, both ranked No. 1 (tied) nationwide among public schools of nursing:

• The DNP Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty, tied at No. 4 among all ranked schools
• The MSN Health Services Leadership and Management specialty, No. 2 among all ranked schools

UMSON also is ranked in the top 10 among public schools of nursing for its:

• Family Nurse Practitioner Doctor of Nursing Practice specialty (No. 3)
• DNP Nurse Anesthesia specialty (No. 7, tied)

“It is gratifying to continue to be recognized nationally for our Doctor of Nursing Practice program and our Master of Science in Nursing program,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD, NNP, FNAP, FAAN , the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing. “The School of Nursing plays a vital role in our collective efforts in Maryland and nationally to increase the number of nurses with advanced education, particularly at the doctoral level. It is essential that we have nurses who are well prepared to meet the changing needs of patients, their families, and our communities at a time when we face increasing complexity in our health care system, growing diversity in our population, and persistent gaps in access to needed care.”

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on a variety of indicators, including student selectivity and program size, faculty resources, and research activity, and on survey data from deans of schools of nursing that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

In fall 2023 and early 2024, U.S. News surveyed 651 nursing schools with master’s or doctoral programs. In total, 292 nursing programs responded to the survey. Of those, 216 provided enough data to be included in the rankings of nursing master’s programs and 188 provided enough data to be eligible for inclusion in the ranking of DNP programs. Many institutions were ranked in both, using overlapping data.

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Leadership of PhD‐prepared nurses working in hospitals and its influence on career development: A qualitative study

Lisa j. c. van dongen.

1 Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku Finland

2 Nursing Science Department, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht The Netherlands

3 CWZ Academy, Canisius Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis, Nijmegen The Netherlands

Thóra B. Hafsteinsdóttir

4 Nursing Science, Program in Clinical Health Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht The Netherlands

Associated Data

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Aims and objectives

To explore leadership experiences and the influence of leadership on career development of PhD‐prepared nurses working in hospitals.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) represents the highest level of education for a career in research and scholarship. PhD‐prepared nurses have an important role in advancing the nursing discipline by conducting and implementing research finding. Given the rapidly changing health care environment, there is a clear need for PhD‐prepared nurses with strong leadership competences. Currently, there is a dearth of studies exploring leadership of PhD‐prepared nurses working in hospitals.

A descriptive qualitative study.

A purposive sample with PhD‐prepared nurses employed at clinical departments was used. Twelve interviews were conducted with participants from seven hospitals. Perceptions towards leadership, leadership experiences, leadership barriers and the influence of leadership on career development were discussed. Interviews were thematically analysed. Reporting followed the COREQ guidelines.

Three themes addressing leadership experiences were found: (1) “Leadership is needed for career development” describes how participants took initiative and received support from colleagues and mentors; (2) “Practicing leadership behaviours” describes leadership behaviours and feelings associated with leadership and (3) “Leadership influenced by the hospital setting” describes the working environment including struggling nursing research cultures and infrastructures with limited positions, managerial support and opportunities for collaboration.

Although participants showed leadership to advance their careers, barriers related to working environment were found. Stakeholders should invest into opportunities to develop and utilise leadership competences and development of strong nursing research cultures and infrastructures with sustainable career frameworks and positions.

Relevance for clinical practice

There is a need for ongoing efforts to build strong leadership competences as well as nursing research cultures and infrastructures with career pathways and suitable positions for PhD‐prepared nurses within hospitals to empower them to strengthen nursing.

What does this paper contribute to the wider global clinical community?

• Although PhD‐prepared nurses generally did not felt supported by the organisational structures within the hospitals, they remained highly motivated to use leadership to strengthen nursing care and patient outcomes.
• The hospital setting was perceived as a complex work setting since many hospitals lacked a nursing research culture and infrastructure resulting in limited suitable positions, limited managerial support and limited opportunities for collaboration. In order to move the nursing discipline forward, an ongoing effort should take place by building strong nursing research cultures and infrastructures with career pathways and positions for PhD‐prepared nurses.
• Leadership development of PhD‐prepared nurses within hospitals should be supported by providing access to educational programmes for leadership development, mentoring as well as developing structures for collegial support and research collaboration.

1. INTRODUCTION

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) represents the highest level of education for a career in research and scholarship (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2010 ). PhD‐prepared nurses have an important role in advancing nursing care in complex health care environments with ageing populations, a rise of chronic conditions and staff shortages (Berthelsen & Hølge‐Hazelton, 2018 ). PhD‐prepared nurses build inter‐ and intra‐disciplinary networks to generate high‐quality innovative, evidence‐based knowledge and apply it meaningfully in clinical practice, education and policy development (Cashion et al., 2019 ; van Oostveen et al., 2017 ). PhD‐prepared nurses have the potential to be leaders in the clinical setting by developing nursing practice, be clinical leaders and be clinical teachers for nurses and students (Dobrowolska et al., 2021 ).

Although many PhD‐prepared nurses work in nursing faculties with roles in research and teaching, some continue to work in clinical settings (Andreassen & Christensen, 2018 ; Dobrowolska et al., 2021 ). Clinical academic careers for nurses are highly valuable as they support research on clinical relevant topics and implementation of evidence to support nursing care and clinical decision making by nurses (van Oostveen et al., 2017 ).

1.1. Background

The nursing profession highly depends on PhD‐prepared nurses who generate and implement research findings into clinical practice. Clinical nurses rely on this knowledge to support and validate the care for patients, families and communities (Broome & Fairman, 2018 ; Cheraghi et al., 2014 ). Also, PhD‐prepared nurses also have the responsibility to prepare the next generation of nurse scientist (Broome & Fairman, 2018 ). The shortage of PhD‐prepared nurses is a barrier for advancing the profession, nursing education and nursing care since more PhD‐prepared nurses are needed to build the scientific foundation for the discipline and to expand nursing programmes for a growing number of nursing students (Bednash et al., 2014 ; McNelis et al., 2019 ).

Given the current turbulent and rapidly changing health care environment and the increased emphasise on evidence‐based nursing practice, there is a clear need for PhD nurses who can lead cutting‐edge research, quality improvement and teaching (Broome, 2015 ; Broome & Fairman, 2018 ). Most conceptualizations of leadership include a person who is effective in influencing and engaging others in achieving a common goal that reflects a common vision (Cummings et al., 2018 ; Northouse, 2016 ). PhD‐prepared nurses have the potential to become academic leaders as they have advocacy skills and the courage to continue to seek new innovative approaches (Broome, 2015 ). Various systematic reviews have shown leadership to be positively associated with improved patient, professional and organisational outcomes (Cummings et al., 2018 ; Wong et al., 2013 ). It is assumed that most PhD‐prepared nurses learn basic leadership skills during doctoral education when working in research teams. However, it is unknown how many doctoral nursing students and PhD‐prepared nurses have access to opportunities to develop leadership competences (McKenna, 2021 ). Also, for those who have access, the exposure to leadership theory and practice is inconsistent as they often work alone and have no access to situations or programmes to further develop their leadership skills (Broome, 2015 ; Hafsteinsdóttir et al., 2017 ).

Over the last decade, it has been well reported that PhD‐prepared nurses often experience barriers related to career development including a lack of nursing research cultures and career frameworks (McKenna, 2021 ). As a result, PhD‐prepared nurses experience limited opportunities for career progression and work in challenging working environments with poor salaries, short‐term contracts, high workloads, insufficient time for research, high competition for research funding, limited administrative support and limited recognition for their contributions (Al‐Nawafleh et al., 2013 ; Bullin, 2018 ; Hafsteinsdóttir et al., 2017 ; de Lange et al., 2019 ; McKenna, 2021 ). Mentoring by experienced doctorally prepared nurses as well as support by colleagues and peers was found to support leadership and career development of doctorally prepared nurses. Mentoring supported them in their academic work, strengthened academic skills and supported them in developing an academic identity (Al‐Nawafleh et al., 2013 ; Cullen et al., 2017 ; Hafsteinsdóttir et al., 2017 ; Nowell et al., 2017 ). However, to this day, only a limited number of doctorally prepared nurses has access to these resources (McKenna, 2021 ).

Only small numbers of PhD‐prepared nurses find their career in the clinical setting (Andreassen & Christensen, 2018 ). A recent scoping review reported limited career opportunities for doctorally prepared nurses in clinical settings due to the lack of clinical academic career frameworks and positions (Dobrowolska et al., 2021 ). Also, doctorally prepared nurses in clinical settings experience difficulties with obtaining research funds, dividing time among research and other (clinical) commitments, and they experience limited opportunities for collaboration as well as limited support from managers and nurses at the bedside (Andreassen & Christensen, 2018 ; van Oostveen et al., 2017 ; Trusson et al., 2019 ).

Although clinical academic positions promote transfer of evidence into nursing practice, which supports quality and cost‐effectiveness of nursing care (van Oostveen et al., 2017 ), still there is limited insight into the work experiences of PhD‐prepared nurses in hospitals. Currently, there is a dearth of studies exploring leadership experiences of PhD‐prepared nurses (Al‐Nawafleh et al., 2013 ; Hafsteinsdóttir et al., 2017 ; de Lange et al., 2019 ), and there are no studies focussing on the influence of leadership on career development or the hospital setting. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the leadership experiences and the influence of leadership on the career development of PhD‐prepared nurses working in hospitals.

2.1. Design

A qualitative descriptive study with semi‐structured interviews and thematic analysis was conducted between February and June 2018 in the Netherlands. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed as this type of design enables a comprehensive description of the PhD‐prepared nurses' leadership experiences and its influence on career development without being aligned to specific methodologic roots (Polit & Beck, 2017 ). Thematic analysis was performed using the steps of Braun and Clarke ( 2006 ), which enabled the development of a comprehensive understanding of the phenomena being explored. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) checklist was used for reporting of the research findings (Appendix S1 ; Tong et al., 2007 ).

2.2. Setting and sample

Although doctoral education has been offered to nurses in the Netherlands for the last 30 years (Flore n ce Nightingale Instituut, n.d), the exact size of the PhD‐prepared nursing workforce is unknown due to a lack of central registration (Regelink, 2017 ). At the time of the study, a national database included 140 doctoral dissertations of nurses ( Proefschriften Verpleegkunde , n.d.). Earlier research estimated that approximately 41 PhD‐prepared nurses worked at clinical departments of hospitals (Regelink, 2017 ). At the time of the study, no Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programmes are offered in the Netherlands.

Participants were eligible for this study if they had a PhD degree in nursing (not referring to a postdoctoral position) and were employed at a clinical hospital department. Maximum variation sampling was used to recruit participants with different ages, years of experience as PhD‐prepared nurse, positions and hospitals across the country (Polit & Beck, 2017 ).

2.3. Data collection

Eligible participants were recruited through a database based on earlier research (Regelink, 2017 ). Potential participants were approached using e‐mails (LD). Those who agreed to participate were asked to send their Curriculum Vitae to the researcher used to gain insight in the participants' careers and to extract demographic information. Interviews were planned at a date, time and location preferred by participants. Interviews were conducted by a female junior researcher who had no prior relationship with the participants (LD). The same interviewer carried out all interviews to ensure consistency. The interviews were conducted based on a pre‐defined interview guide based on earlier studies (Al‐Nawafleh et al., 2013 ; Hafsteinsdóttir et al., 2017 ; van Oostveen et al., 2017 ). In the interviews, leadership was defined as: “being able to see the present for what it really is, see the future for what it could be and take action to close the gap between today's reality and the preferred future” (Cummings, 2012 ). This definition was presented to participants and followed by the question: “How would you define leadership in your position as postdoctoral nurse?” to understand the participants' views on leadership. Then, open‐ended questions were used to explore their leadership experiences (Table ​ (Table1). 1 ). The researcher used probes to gain in‐depth insight in participants' leadership experiences by asking participants to elaborate on the topics and describe exemplary situations. The interview guide was piloted in two interviews. Since no changes were needed, these interviews were included in the analysis. The interviews, conducted in Dutch, were audio‐taped, and afterwards, memos were written to capture non‐verbal and contextual information. Member checks were performed by means of sending summaries of the transcripts to participants to check interpretations made by the researchers (Noble & Smith, 2015 ).

Interview guide

2.4. Data analysis

Data collection and analysis were performed iterative. Data saturation determined the sample size and was defined as the point when no additional codes was identified (Hennink et al., 2017 ). The researchers agreed that data saturation emerged after ten interviews. Two additional interviews were conducted to confirm saturation which found new experiences, but no new codes.

Steps of thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke ( 2006 ) were followed in the analysis (Table ​ (Table2). 2 ). Interviews were transcribed verbatim (LD), read and reviewed by both researchers. Open coding was applied to identify meaningful paragraphs using Nvivo 11 ( QRS international , n.d.) (LD). After coding the first two interviews, agreement on the coding was checked by both researchers. After coding five interviews, the development of themes started by classifying codes into (sub)themes based on their similarities (LD). Constant comparison was used to refine (sub)themes throughout the analysis. After analysing 10 interviews, the researcher (LD) drew a thematic map to construct the overall story. The researchers carefully selected quotes and established names for the themes. To avoid unintended interpretation, translation to English took place after the final themes emerged (Patton, 2015 ). Translations were conducted by the first researcher (LD) and checked by the second researcher (THB). Two experts provided feedback on the manuscript.

Steps of thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke ( 2006 )

The researchers had regular meetings to discuss methodological considerations and the development of codes and (sub)themes. The background of the researchers enabled credibility of the analysis since the researcher, who collected the data, had limited experience within the research area and thereby no pre‐existing assumptions towards the research topic (LD) and second researcher had thorough experience with research on leadership, doctorally prepared nurses and in qualitative research (TBH). A reflective approach was used to ensure that the findings were an accurate reflection of the participants' experiences. This meant that researchers remained aware of own experiences and positions and the potential influence on interpretation of the data (Carpenter & Suto, 2008 ).

2.5. Ethical issues

The study received ethical approval from a Medical Research Ethical Board. The principles of the Declaration of Helsinki were followed (World Medical Association, 2013 ). Prior to the interviews, participants received written and oral information emphasising voluntary participation and the option to withdraw at any time. Written informed consent was obtained before the interviews. Extra attention was paid to the confidentiality of participants because of the small population of eligible participants. Individual characteristics were not disclosed preventing linking quotes with specific persons.

3. FINDINGS

Thirty‐three PhD‐prepared nurses were approached, and 12 agreed to participate. The eight women and four men had a median age of 54 years (range 39–61 years). At median, participants finished their PhD three years prior to the study (range 1–12 years). Participants worked in four academic and three general hospitals and were primarily employed as researcher ( n  = 7), clinical nurse specialist ( n  = 4) or manager ( n  = 1) and combined part‐time positions in research, clinical practice, teaching and/or management. Six participants were working in clinical practice at the time of the study (Table ​ (Table3). 3 ). Most interviews took place at the participants' workplace with only the participant and researcher present in the room. The mean interview length was 58 min (range 47–75 min).

Demographic characteristics ( n  = 12)

b The frequencies do not add up to the sample size because not all participants practiced within these roles.

Three main themes and eight subthemes derived from the data elaborating on leadership experiences. All themes start with an introduction followed by substantive subthemes. The first theme “Leadership needed for career development” focussed on experiences with career development and the role of leadership in it. This theme includes the subthemes “taking the lead” and “support of mentors, supporters and motivators.” The second theme “Practicing leadership behaviours” focussed on leadership experiences in daily working practices and includes the subthemes “effective leadership characteristics” and “feelings associated with leadership.” The third theme “Leadership influenced by the hospital setting” describes the hospital as work environment and includes the subthemes “struggling nursing research culture and infrastructure,” “the importance of suitable positions,” “the importance of managerial support” and “the importance of collaborations” (Figure ​ (Figure1 1 and Table ​ Table4 4 ).

Coding tree. This figure includes a simplified version of the coding three including the most frequently described codes in the interviews

Themes, subthemes and quotes

3.1. Leadership is needed for career development

Some participants followed linear career paths, starting with a Bachelor in Nursing followed by a Master and doctoral degree, while others made career decisions along the way. Although the variance in career paths, leadership was demonstrated by participants having a vision for their career and taking initiative to accomplish career goals. Participants did not do this alone; they searched and received support from others throughout their career.

3.1.1. Taking the lead

Career development of the participants was characterised by taking initiative and planning of their career. Participants shared the importance of showing leadership by means of developing a career vision and a plan of action. They saw their careers as an intentional process, and all felt responsible for planning and taking next steps in their career, even if these were challenging. One participant said:

I am convinced that you have to seize opportunities to realize your ambitions. You have to jump in there. You have to show courage and accept challenges. (Participant 9)

Some participants described facing challenges related to being the first PhD‐prepared nurse at the department or even the hospital. This made them feel like they were pioneering and had to find out everything by themselves. This was experienced as waste of time by some as this did not contribute to their ambitions. One participant explained the higher meaning:

When you are pioneering, you are spending much time on arranging things, not only for yourself but also for others. (Participant 4)

For some, pioneering only occurred at the beginning of their career, whereas others have this feeling to this day. For those who needed to pioneer, it did not stop them from chasing their ambitions.

3.1.2. Support of mentors, supporters and motivators

The participants acknowledged the importance of mentoring and having support from others while building their careers. This gave them confidence to progress in their careers, for example, by applying for higher positions. Support often came from professors or managers with a medical background working at the department. Professors were seen as motivators and valuable discussion partners because of their expert knowledge and scientific background. Managers were described as motivators and facilitators. One participant said:

I received much support from my former manager, a physician. He was very supportive of nursing. He strengthened my career development and positioning. I noticed: when you put people in their strength, they reach their full potential and this is what happened in my case. (Participant 7)

Despite many participants having someone to provide career guidance, some participants felt less supported regarding their leadership development described as becoming a more experienced and senior professional. Some missed having a more senior colleague as role model. Although some were mentored by a more senior researcher and experienced this as beneficial, others described being in need of mentoring. One participant said:

I missed a mentor, someone with the same background, someone you can discuss with. I still miss that and I’m looking for that. Currently I'm pioneering alone. (Participant 7)

3.2. Practicing leadership behaviours

Participants shared how they used leadership competences in their daily work. Some described this in a detailed way, while others had more abstract ideas. In general, participants described leadership frequently as leading research activities and quality improvement initiatives to strengthen nursing care in collaboration with the nursing discipline and within multidisciplinary settings.

3.2.1. Effective leadership characteristics

The participants described various characteristics important to leadership in their daily work like having expert knowledge, passion for nursing and courage to stand out. Important personal characteristics were being enthusiastic, communicative, persevering, motivating, decisive and visionary. One participant said:

For me leadership is about taking the lead. It is important to have a vision and being able to realize changes in collaboration with others. (Participant 12)

Being sensitive for the organisation was found to be important, which was defined as having insight in organisational processes, influence within the organisation and insight in health care systems. The participants also agreed that self‐determination was important as it was not evident to have the opportunity to conduct research. One participants stated:

As nurse or even as doctorally prepared nurse you have to fight, if you want to achieve anything you have to fight, work hard and keep going. This is also the case when you to do research. (Participant 2)

3.2.2. Feelings of “being a leader”

The participants recognised own leadership behaviours, which they described in a modest way. Participants described feeling like a leader based on their experiences with being experts in specific areas of nursing or having national or international collaborations. One participant described this like:

When you are asked as an expert to submit a research proposal for a closed call and mine gets granted, then you probably can say that you are an important leader within your specialism. (Participant 3)

Others, however, did not feel like leaders in nursing or nursing science, but they described feeling more like leaders within their specialism or at their department. Some participants associated leadership with hierarchal management positions. One participant explained:

I do not have a leadership role, because I am not the manager who is responsible for making decisions, however I do give my opinion, but I am not the one making decisions. (Participant 9)

Others stated that they did not feel like leaders because for them leadership is associated with having followers. One participant explained this:

In my current function I work quite solo. I am collaborating mostly with physicians, so I do not feel like a leader in nursing. (Participant 1)

3.3. Leadership influenced by the hospital setting

The hospital environment influenced the participants' leadership and career development. Some felt it was hard to use their competences and advance their careers, while others experienced the hospital as supporting and facilitating.

3.3.1. Struggling nursing research culture and infrastructure

The participants described hospitals generally lacking strong nursing research culture and infrastructure for nursing research. They described the hospitals as being medically orientated. One clinical nurse specialist described:

They [the managers] said: you cannot spend your time on research, you are hired to conduct patient care. You are not a researcher. They don't want me to do research. (Participant 1)

The lack of a strong nursing research culture in the organisational culture of hospitals was reflected by limited research infrastructures and career opportunities for nurses. Others described that nursing research cultures were improving as the importance of nursing science was increasingly being recognised. They described that considerable progress was being made with more nurses being appointed as professors, increased attention towards career pathways for nurse researchers, implementation of joint clinical academic positions and more grant opportunities for nursing research.

3.3.2. The need for suitable positions

The participants stated that there were limited suitable positions. Many participants developed positions in collaboration with their manager. One participant explained this:

We [the manager and participant] shared our ideas on a suitable position and the manager explained his vision. He valued the contribution of doctorally prepared nurses and me as a person. Therefore he really supported the development of my position. (Participant 4)

Integrated joint clinical academic positions were valuable to participants as they enabled combining research activities and quality improvement projects with roles in clinical practice or teaching. Combing these roles was highly valued but experienced as challenging due to the priority on patient care. One clinical nurse specialist explained this:

If you do not watch out, you will be swallowed by patient care, you have to come up for yourself and detach yourself from patient care sometimes otherwise you will be interrupted constantly. Sometimes I hide myself outside the department. (Participant 10)

3.3.3. The need for managerial support

Some participants described having positive experiences with their managers as they co‐created positions and secured access to resources. Participants described that their ability to conduct research was highly dependent of their manager. One participant said:

The manager decides how I spend my time. A colleague on a different department gets much more time for research. There is no organization‐wide policy. (Participant 6)

Some other experienced insufficient managerial support and described managers’ having different priorities. One participant explained:

Improving nursing care is difficult to express in money, but this [finances] is what makes managers enthusiastic. (Participant 3)

These participants felt more tolerated than appreciated. Some participants explained that managers had limited knowledge about research or the importance of evidence‐based practice. One participant said:

Many managers do not understand the importance of nursing research as they have no academic background. So, for them it is difficult to stimulate nursing research, because they lack knowledge and are not familiar with it. (Participant 2)

3.3.4. The need for collaborations

Some participants described missing collaborations with other researchers and felt isolated. This was especially the case with participants working in general hospitals, where only a small number of (or even no) PhD‐prepared nurses worked. They emphasised the importance of collaborations with other nurse researchers at University Medical Centers or universities.

Although some participants had research collaborations with physicians, many felt like they had to compete with them for resources. Clinical nurse specialists described more collaboration with physicians, while some participants with other backgrounds emphasised the need for more interdisciplinary research collaborations. One participant explained:

Within our department the physicians conduct large clinical studies. I think there are easy ways to include nursing components where we could collaborate. What would be more beautiful? However, at the moment it is strictly separated. (Participant 8)

Collaboration with other nurses working on the ward was described as highly valuable, and these nurses often volunteered to contribute to their research. Some participants, however, described a distance between them and the nurses on the ward. One participant explained:

You are not one of them [the nurses] anymore. I did not become nurse scientist because I did not want to be a nurse anymore. I have different interests. You grow apart, you do not have same frame of reference anymore. (Participant 5)

4. DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This is the first study exploring leadership experiences and the influence of leadership on career development of PhD‐prepared nurses working in hospital settings. The PhD‐prepared nurses worked at clinical hospital departments and had positions in research, quality improvement, education and/or management. Data analysis revealed three main themes: (1) Leadership needed for career development; (2) Practicing leadership behaviours and (3) Leadership influenced by the hospital setting. The PhD‐prepared nurses showed leadership as they took initiative to advance their careers by developing a career plan and making intentional decisions to take steps in their careers. All participants highly valued the support and mentorship provided by others. Although the participants practised leadership behaviours in their working practices, not all participants felt like leaders due to various reasons. Our findings also demonstrate that leadership experiences of PhD‐prepared nurses working were influenced by personal characteristics and behaviours of PhD‐prepared nurses, like taking initiative and leadership behaviours and supportive relationships with colleagues and managers. Leadership experiences were also influenced by organisational factors, like the nursing research culture and infrastructure, availability of suitable positions, availability of managerial support and the opportunities for collaboration (Figure ​ (Figure2 2 ).

Leadership of postdoctoral nurses: organisational factors, supportive relationships and personal characteristics. This figure provides an overview of factors influencing the leadership experiences and career development of doctorally prepared nurses [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com ]

In the theme “Leadership needed for career development,” participants described taking intentional steps in their careers. This is in line with the study of de Lange et al. ( 2019 ) who also acknowledged that PhD‐prepared nurses showed leadership by making serious and conscious considerations towards their careers. In both studies, leadership experiences were linked to challenges related to the work environment including high workload and the search for balance between various commitments for those who are worked at the bedside (de Lange et al., 2019 ). Although the participants were able to advance their careers, the working environment was often experienced as complex and difficult. This is in line with the scoping review of Dobrowolska et al. ( 2021 ) who described that hospitals can be considered as complex organisations for doctorally prepared nurses to work in. This is especially due to the lack of clarity around the functions, roles and responsibilities. The participants in our study described struggling nursing research cultures and infrastructures within hospitals with limited numbers of suitable positions, insufficient managerial support and limited (multidisciplinary) collaborations. Dobrowolska et al. ( 2021 ) reported similar challenges for doctorally prepared nurses, including difficulties with obtaining research funding, the division of time between research and clinical commitments, lack of recognition for their work and lack of collaboration with other doctorally prepared nurses. Although our findings are in line with findings from earlier studies, our study adds important and innovative knowledge. Earlier studies did not specifically focus on leadership experiences (Dobrowolska et al., 2021 ; van Oostveen et al., 2017 ), did not merely include doctorally prepared nurses (van Oostveen et al., 2017 ) and/or did not primarily focus on clinical settings (de Lange et al., 2019 ; McKenna, 2021 ). Our study provides new knowledge in areas including leadership experiences of PhD‐prepared nurses and the hospital as working environment for PhD‐prepared nurses.

Based on our findings, the question arises how well PhD nurses are prepared to lead research and quality improvement in the complex hospital setting as the traditional PhD focussing on the development of research competences without reference to a specific working context. Also, there is limited attention for the development of leadership competences. Therefore, the question can be raised whether PhD‐prepared nurses are well‐trained to utilise leadership competences in clinical settings. In line with this, recently, it has been debated that traditional research‐orientated doctoral education may have a (too) narrow focus since it primarily focuses on the development of research competences and, therefore, may not sufficiently prepare PhD‐prepared nurses to become autonomous scientists and effective leaders, well equipped to work in the complex clinical setting (McKenna, 2021 ; Morris et al., 2021 ). Currently, PhD‐prepared nurses find their career in a broad range of fields including the clinical setting (Broome & Fairman, 2018 ). It, however, seems that current PhD programmes provide limited training opportunities for nurses to develop the wide range of skills and competencies needed for them to develop successful careers in the wide range of setting where they may work. It is important for doctoral nursing students and PhD‐prepared nurses to develop strong leadership competences early in their careers (Broome, 2015 ; Hafsteinsdóttir et al., 2017 ). The development of leadership competences should be a part of doctoral education, and PhD‐prepared nurses should have access to further leadership development opportunities throughout their careers as this will supported them in establishing advanced and sustainable careers where they can practice to the full extent of their competences.

The theme “Practicing leadership behaviours” describes how doctorally prepared nurses frame leadership in their working practices by formulating leadership behaviours. Consistent with our study, Halcomb et al. ( 2016 ) found that most PhD students and PhD‐prepared nurses had clear ideas about leadership and were aware of its importance. They however, found that participants lacked confidence and autonomy which affected their ability to identify their leadership strengths or to see themselves as leaders (Halcomb et al., 2016 ). Although not all participants in our study identified themselves as leaders and levels of confidence varied, all described practicing important leadership behaviours. Limited autonomy was recognised by some as they were dependent on their managers to make changes in clinical practice. This might be challenging for participants since managers have different priorities (van Oostveen et al., 2017 ). Managers were often found dealing with operational care delivery challenges and, therefore, were unwilling or unable to facilitate nursing researchers (Trusson et al., 2019 ). However, to support evidence‐based practice and quality improvement, it is vital that nurse managers recognise the important contributions of doctorally prepared nurses (Dobrowolska et al., 2021 ).

Leadership is often referred to as the art of guiding, directing, motivating and inspiring a group or organisation towards the achievement of common goals. It includes the management of people information, and resources and it requires commitment, communication, creativity and credibility (Marshall, 2011 ). Transformational leadership includes identification of the needed changes, creating of a vision to guide the change through inspiration and executing the change with the commitment of others. Transformational leaders often are visionary, charismatic and inspiring (Marshall, 2011 ). Systematic reviews have provided robust evidence that relational oriented leadership style, including transformational leadership, is linked to improved patient, workforce and organisation outcomes when compared to task‐focussed leadership styles (Cummings et al., 2018 ; Wong et al., 2013 ). The fundamentals of transformational leadership can be recognised in the leadership behaviours identified by the participants. They characterised leadership by means of having expert knowledge, passion for nursing, being self‐determined and having the courage to stand out as well as important personal characteristics like being enthusiastic, communicative, persevering, motivating, decisive, visionary and being sensitive for the organisation. These findings are also consistent with leadership behaviours identified in earlier studies focussing on academic nurses as they identified leadership behaviours like the ability to communicate effectively, take risks and solve complex problems while being thoughtful, courageous, inspirational, visionary, confident and assertive (Delgado & Mitchell, 2016 ; Halcomb et al., 2016 ). It is interesting to note that although the participants used different wording, there is strong alignment between leadership behaviours described by participants in our study and leadership behaviours identified in earlier studies. Although no studies have been conducted on leadership styles and outcomes of leadership of PhD‐prepared nurses, the authors expect that leadership by PhD‐prepared nurses contributes improved patient, workforce and organisational outcomes as these academic leaders have the potential to advance nursing care and the nursing discipline by responding to challenges within the complex health care environment (Broome, 2015 ).

The third theme “Leadership influenced by the hospital setting” describes varying experiences with the hospital working environment as some described the research culture and infrastructure for nursing research as adequate, while most described limited nursing research cultures and infrastructures. This is consistent with earlier research that acknowledged that nursing has not moved along to a profession with a strong research culture in many organisations due to a lack of academic tradition (van Oostveen et al., 2017 ; Trusson et al., 2019 ). This lack of academic tradition might be caused by the strong focus on direct patient care (Berthelsen & Hølge‐Hazelton, 2018 ). It is understandable that the needs of clinical practice are considered important, but such short‐term thinking demonstrates lack of knowledge on the importance of research for evidence‐based practice to improve patient and health care outcomes. This also shows a short‐sighted view as this prevents nurses from using their leadership competences to evaluate and improve current nursing care. It also shows a lack of appreciation for the potential long‐term benefits of research and the important contribution PhD‐prepared nurses make to clinical practice (Broome & Fairman, 2018 ).

In the Netherlands, nurses are trained at the vocational, bachelor, Master and/or doctoral level. Hence, although most hospitals have established positions for nurses with a Master of Advanced Nursing Practice, only few hospitals have developed positions and career pathways for nurses with academic degrees like Master in Nursing Science or the PhD degree. Integrated joint clinical academic positions, where PhD‐prepared nurses integrate the work in research and clinical practice, have only been successfully established in a few Dutch hospitals. Until recently, only few nurses were involved at board or strategic levels of hospitals or health care facilities. Today more PhD‐prepared nurses are moving into advanced positions within hospitals. However, limited career opportunities for nurses who pursue advanced (joint) positions within the hospital setting remain.

At this moment, there is no shared responsibility by governmental bodies, hospital boards and the PhD‐prepared nursing workforce for strengthening leadership and career opportunities within hospitals (de Lange et al., 2019 ; McKenna, 2021 ). There still is a lack of clear models for career progression for academic nurses in clinical practice as well as joint positions with integration of research, education and practice (Avery et al., 2021 ; Dobrowolska et al., 2021 ; Henshall et al., 2021 ). To realise this, it is imperative to define clinical entry criteria, models for career progression and develop bridges between the faculty and clinical settings (Baltruks & Callaghan, 2018 ). Also, careful investments should be made to support PhD‐prepared nurses by means of orientation into the academic work by developing supportive networks (Bryant et al., 2015 ; Rice et al., 2020 ), access to mentoring (Cullen et al., 2017 ; Hafsteinsdóttir et al., 2017 ; Nowell et al., 2017 ) and leadership and professional development programmes (Bryant et al., 2015 ; Rice et al., 2020 ; van Dongen et al., 2021 ). Although opportunities like these are more common in North America, some initiatives are taking place in European countries, like the Dutch Leadership Mentoring in Nursing Research Programme (Hafsteinsdóttir et al., 2020 ; van Dongen et al., 2021 ) and the European NurseLead programme, which acknowledge and take seriously the need to educate both doctoral nursing students and PhD‐prepared nurses in the wider range of competences to build sustainable careers in various areas of health care, education and academe (Hafsteinsdóttir et al., 2017 ).

To strengthen the vital role of PhD‐prepared nurses in the clinical setting, further research should focus on what competences are needed to build suitable careers. Also, increased attention should be paid to the development of leadership competences in doctoral programmes, in addition to research competences, so that doctoral students have the opportunity to strengthen their leadership competences early in their careers and become well prepared to lead research and quality improvement in clinical environments (Broome, 2015 ; McKenna, 2021 ). Leadership development of PhD‐prepared nurses should be supported within hospitals by means of providing access to mentoring and (collegial) support structures as well as facilitating opportunities for (research) collaboration (Hafsteinsdóttir et al., 2017 ). Career development should be supported by establishing career frameworks with (joint) positions in the clinical setting, support nursing research cultures by implementation policies that facilitate research activities and thereby creating a stimulating work environment for PhD‐prepared nurses, in which they can make a difference for patients (Avery et al., 2021 ; Henshall et al., 2021 ).

4.1. Limitations

Despite the small sample size, data saturation was reached. Results of this study should, however, be generalised carefully since this study includes PhD‐prepared nurses from seven Dutch hospitals. Also, although we expect the findings to be relevant for PhD‐prepared nurses globally, it is important to be aware of differences in career opportunities, doctoral education, leadership development opportunities and working environment globally. Therefore, we emphasise the importance of conducting more international research on leadership and career development of PhD‐prepared nurses with robust designs and larger samples of participants.

5. CONCLUSION

The PhD‐prepared nurses acknowledge the importance of demonstrating leadership while building their careers and contributing to nursing care by conducting research and leading quality improvement projects. The working environment had a strong influence on the leadership and careers of PhD‐prepared nurses as participants reported challenges related to limited career opportunities and struggling nursing research culture and infrastructure reflected limited managerial support, limited availability of positions and insufficient collaborations within the hospital setting. In order to support PhD‐prepared nurses within hospitals, an ongoing movement is needed to establish sustainable nursing research cultures and infrastructures with career frameworks and opportunities to develop leadership competences.

6. RELEVANCE FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

Earlier research demonstrated that doctorally prepared nurses have the ability to improve nursing care (Beeber et al., 2019 ; Trusson et al., 2019 ; Udlis & Mancuso, 2015 ). In order to advance nursing care and the nursing discipline, they need strong leadership competences. Strong leadership competences would enable PhD‐prepared nurses to be better equipped to use their expert knowledge in research, education, evidence‐based practice and quality improvement and thereby strengthen nursing care and the nursing discipline. Hospitals should facilitate leadership development of PhD‐prepared nurses by providing access to educational programmes for leadership development, mentoring as well as developing structures for collegial support and research collaboration. The development of leadership competences of individuals alone is not sufficient to improve the position of PhD‐prepared nurses. In order to develop strong and sustainable careers, organisational structures and policies to support career development should be in place. Hospitals should implement advanced career frameworks with integrated joint positions in research, quality improvement, administration and access to educational programmes for PhD‐prepared nurses as well as policies facilitating research activities.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS

THB and LD designed the study. LD conducted the interviews, data analyse and drafted the final report. TBH supervised the process of data collection and analysis and provided support and feedback during all study phases. Both authors have contributed to the manuscript. Also, both authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Supporting information

Appendix S1

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank the PhD‐prepared nurses who participated in the interviews. Also, the authors want to thank H. Blom for assistance in the analysis as well as Prof. H. Leino‐Kilpi and Prof. R. Suhonen for their contribution to the manuscript.

van Dongen, L. J. C. , & Hafsteinsdóttir, T. B. (2022). Leadership of PhD‐prepared nurses working in hospitals and its influence on career development: A qualitative study . Journal of Clinical Nursing , 31 , 3414–3427. 10.1111/jocn.16168 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]

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