Doctoral Education and Faculty Development in Nursing
Summary
Doctoral education in nursing encompasses advanced academic preparation through pathways such as the research-focused Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and the practice-oriented Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). These programmes aim to equip nurses with the capacity to generate original knowledge, lead complex projects and advance healthcare delivery. Despite the emphasis on research rigour, many graduates report limited formal training in pedagogy and clinical teaching, challenging their transition into academic and clinical faculty roles. Effective mentoring models and leadership initiatives have emerged to bridge these gaps, fostering professional confidence, scholarly activity and collaborative networks. Concurrently, institutions are revisiting curricula to integrate teaching methodology, interprofessional competencies and global perspectives. Faculty development now extends beyond traditional workshops to include web-based leadership programmes, cross-national mentorship and structured career planning. These innovations address faculty shortages, enhance teaching effectiveness and position doctorally prepared nurses as pivotal agents of change in practice, education and policy. The global expansion of doctoral programmes underscores the need for harmonised standards, robust outcome measures and supportive infrastructures to sustain research capacity and educational excellence.
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Doctoral Education and Faculty Development in Nursing publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in doctoral education and faculty development in nursing across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Doctoral education: Advanced tertiary study culminating in a doctoral degree (e.g. PhD or DNP), focusing on original research or clinical practice improvement.
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy): A research-intensive doctorate designed to develop nurse scientists capable of generating and disseminating new knowledge.
DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice): A practice-focused doctorate aimed at translating evidence into advanced clinical and organisational leadership.
Mentoring: A structured relationship in which experienced professionals support the development, guidance and career progression of emerging scholars.
Scholarship: Rigorous inquiry and dissemination activities that contribute to the evidence base, including research, education, policy analysis and clinical innovation.
References
- To what extent has doctoral (PhD) education supported academic nurse educators in their teaching roles: an integrative review. BMC Nursing (2018).
- Challenges of PhD Graduated Nurses for Role Acceptance as a Clinical Educator: A Qualitative Study. Journal of Caring Sciences (2017).
- Doctoral programmes in the nursing discipline: a scoping review. BMC Nursing (2021).
- Improved professional competencies and leadership in PhD-prepared nurses and doctoral students after participating in the cross-national and web-based Nurse-Lead program. Nursing Outlook (2024).
- Consistent scholarship standards among DNP-prepared faculty needed: Actionable insights. Journal of Professional Nursing (2024).
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