Doctoral programmes in the nursing discipline: a scoping review

Investigating the implementation challenges of the research doctoral program and providing related solutions: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Doctoral programs have consistently garnered the attention of policymakers in medical education systems due to their significant impact on the socio-economic advancement of countries. Therefore, various doctoral programs have been implemented with diverse goals. In Iran, a research doctorate program, known as PhD by Research, was introduced primarily to engage in applied research related to healthcare needs. Nevertheless, the achievement of the program's goals has been questioned. This study aimed to identify the implementation challenges of the Research Doctorate Program and its solutions in Iran.

METHOD

This descriptive qualitative study followed the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research: A Synthesis of Recommendations and was conducted in two steps. Firstly, the challenges of the Iranian Ph.D. by research program were identified through the perspectives of the program's students and graduates. In the second step, relevant solutions to these challenges were determined by focus groups of key informant experts. The transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Five students and six graduates were interviewed in the first step and seven experts participated in the second one. The challenges and related solutions are explored in four main themes, including: (1) admission criteria, (2) program goals and expected outcomes, (3) curricula, and (4) financial and human resources. The study showed that various dimensions of the doctoral program are not aligned with each other and how to adapt the program in these dimensions.

CONCLUSION

The study revealed the importance of a systematic approach in defining various dimensions of doctoral programs according to program goals and provided specific solutions for defining a research doctorate program in the context of a low- and middle-income country.

Improved professional competencies and leadership in PhD-prepared nurses and doctoral students after participating in the cross-national and web-based Nurse-Lead program

BACKGROUND

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)-prepared nurses are expected to exercise leadership in their various roles. Therefore, European nurse scholars developed a cross-national web-based Nursing Leadership and Mentoring Educational (Nurse-Lead) program.

PURPOSE

To evaluate changes in leadership practices, professional and research competencies as well as career development of PhD-prepared nurses and doctoral nursing students after participation in the Nurse-Lead program.

METHODS

A pre-post-test evaluation was conducted. Surveys addressed leadership, professional and research competencies, and career development. Quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and paired sample t-tests. Content analysis was used for qualitative data.

DISCUSSION

The 30 participants showed significant improvements in all leadership practices, professional competencies, and most research competencies. Participants reported increased confidence in decision-making, taking on new responsibilities, and becoming more visible within research teams.

CONCLUSION

Web-based, international leadership and mentoring programs are promising tools for the leadership and professional development of PhD-prepared nurses and doctoral nursing students.

The development and evaluation of a short-term international student research and educational program

Objectives

This study aimed to describe the "how-to" details and processes for developing and evaluating a short-term international student research and education program.

Methods

This study included two parts: development and implementation, and evaluation of the program. A foreign doctoral nursing student requested to visit the West Virginia University School of Nursing for research training and academic teaching experience. The global nursing program coordinator and the lead mentor met and identified the program basis and team participants. Learning activities were related to this student's interest in older adults and in-home end-of-life care, included four contents: research; educational engagement; practice/clinical engagement; special activities & professional development training and courses. The program evaluation was conducted at the end of the six-month visit using a focus group and an anonymous short survey. Participants (n = 10) included the host university's faculty, graduate students, and one short-term international student.

Results

Content analysis of the participant's short survey answers and the focus group discussion resulted in three themes: 1) lessons learned from participating in the program (enhanced diversity in education and research, gaining new global healthcare knowledge, and self-reflection on and promoting cultural awareness); 2) program barriers and challenges (the visa application process, the English language barrier, the lack of public transportation in the town, and scheduling conflicts); and 3) strategies to overcome these barriers and challenges (adding cultural diversity information into curriculum; attending English proficiency with others in the class; using different communication techniques; continuous collaboration with the University's Office of Global Affairs for the Visa application process; providing interactive experiences). All participants rated their engagement in the program as very satisfactory (Mean = 4.67, SD = 0.50), and highly impacted their nursing skills in research, teaching, and clinical practice (Mean = 4.67, SD = 0.50).

Conclusions

All the participants have gained some experience in this program, which can be used for future teaching guidance. Further, international nursing students need assistance to adjust and thrive in the host university learning community. Faculty must be culturally sensitive, understand the visiting foreign nursing student' learning needs, and advocate for an environment suitable for enhancing the students' learning.

Doctoral Contribution to Nursing Science in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Document Review

Nursing science is at serious risk of extinction. The lack of funding for research, absence of healthcare policies underpinned by nursing science, and general lack of understanding of nursing metaparadigms all contribute to the stunted growth in nursing science. Doctoral research is a platform for the development and refinement of nursing science. The purpose of this qualitative retrospective document review was to describe the doctoral contribution to nursing in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Electronic dissertations for doctoral degrees in nursing within a 5-year period from universities in SSA were included. The extracted data comprising the purpose of the studies, the models used in the studies, and the studies' contributions to nursing science were analyzed against a knowledge contribution framework. In total, 166 documents were included, mostly from South African universities, with a predominant focus on developing models, frameworks, and strategies within nursing practice. Only 17% of the studies applied grand nursing theories or models, with the rest of the studies applying theories from other disciplines. The contribution to nursing science from the doctoral studies was poor. The low uptake of nursing models in doctoral research in SSA may significantly contribute to the lack of refinement of nursing science within SSA. Structured approaches focused on integrating the nursing metaparadigms, theories, and models and fundamental underpins for doctoral education in Africa are essential to influencing the refinement of nursing science.

Mentoring students in doctoral nursing programs: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Academic mentorship usually involves an ongoing, supportive relationship between experienced academics and research candidates, and is fundamental to establishing and nurturing scholarship and the skills for dealing with the changing demands of the academic environment. Mentoring is a valuable strategy for the development of students enrolled in doctoral nursing programs (Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing - PhD, Doctor of Nursing Practice - DNP, Doctor of Nursing Science - DNS, and Doctoral Education in Nursing - EdD).

PURPOSE

To report mentorship experiences among doctoral nursing students and academic mentors, identify positive and negative attributes of mentors and the relationship between mentors and students, and assess the benefits and barriers of mentoring.

METHODS

Relevant empirical studies published until September 2021 were identified using PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus electronic databases. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies published in English language which reported on mentorship among doctoral nursing students were included. Data were synthesized into a scoping review with findings presented as a narrative summary.

RESULTS

The review included 30 articles, mostly from the USA, which reported on the mentoring relationship, experiences, benefits, and barriers of mentoring for the student and the mentor. Students valued mentor attributes such as being a role model, respectful, supportive, inspiring, approachable, accessible, a content expert and a good communicator. Benefits of mentoring included enhanced experience of research endeavours, scholarly writing and scientific publication, networking support, improved student retention, timely completion of the project, and career readiness, as well as developing one's own mentoring skills for future mentoring of others. Despite the identified benefits, there are a number of barriers related to mentoring including access to mentorship support, limited mentoring skills among faculty, and lack of compatibility between students and mentors.

CONCLUSIONS

This review highlighted students' expectations versus their reality of mentoring, which suggested areas for improvement in mentoring doctoral nursing students, in particular the need for mentorship competency, support, and compatibility. Additionally, there is a need for more robust research designs to understand the nature and characteristics of mentorship programs for doctoral nursing students and to assess the expectations and wider experiences of mentors.

Strengthening Professional Values of Doctoral-Level Nursing Students

Introduction

Multiple recent critical societal/world events have impacted nurses' beliefs and emphasized the importance of the standards of behavior that frame nurses' professional values.

Objectives

This study focused on the professional values of students in a Doctor of Nursing program (DNP), including the relationship between professional values, time in program, and intentions to participate in professionalism-focused activities.

Methods

From fall 2019 through Spring 2021, 227 participants were invited to participate in this study through the completion of an online survey at several points in time. The survey contained various demographic variables, items from the Nurses Professional Values Scale-3 representing the dimensions of caring, activism, and professionalism, and Likert scale items that measured intentions to participate in professionalism-focused activities.

Results

The overall mean NPVS-3 score was 118.30 (out of a possible range of 28-140). The highest mean score among the three dimensions was for caring (45.38), followed by activism (40.20) and then professionalism (32.71). Students indicated high intentions to participate in activities focused on professionalism (5.77 on a scale of 1 to 7). A moderate correlation between intentions and professionalism (r = .44, p < .0001) was noted. The association of intentions to caring and activism was weaker but significant (r = 0.26; p = .012) and (r = 0.37; p = .0003), respectively.

Conclusion

DNP curricular efforts can strengthen nurses' professional values by focusing on the development of critically important professional attributes. Nurses, especially those who have a doctoral-level education, need to have strong professional values and understand the importance of their voice and impact as a leader in the profession.