TY - JOUR
T1 - Selecting US research-intensive doctoral programs in nursing
T2 - Pragmatic questions for potential applicants
AU - Jones, Kim D.
AU - Baggs, Judith G.
AU - Jones, Megan R.
N1 - Funding Information:
Choosing your school and faculty is critical to your long-term success. Begin to narrow your search by first investigating several PhD programs. The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research publishes annual lists of medical and nursing programs ranked by the amount of National Institutes of Health (NIH) dollars garnered ( http://www.brimr.org ). However, the top ‘ranked’ school, may not be your best match. You can investigate schools with an eye toward identifying faculty whose work is interesting to you ( https://www.report.nih.gov/award/index.cfm .) This is important because students who want to become researchers should plan their doctoral study to include work with faculty who are actively engaged in externally-funded research. This website also provides insight into funded areas of excellence at selected universities. A similar website describes mechanisms of funding https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/funding_program.htm . For example, a T32 is a training grant that signifies that the institution and faculty have a rich research and training environment often in a specific area of inquiry. Similarly, P20 or P30 awards (center grants) are research grants given to schools demonstrating they have faculty with specialized expertise in a common research problem. ‘R’ awards are granted to the university on behalf of individual investigators, with the largest awards being R01s. Programs that have one or more of these funding mechanisms generally have additional training and student financial support opportunities. The Department of Defense, Veterans Administration, other federal agencies and some foundations (e.g., Jonas, Robert Wood Johnson), and professional organizations (e.g., American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association, Sigma Theta Tau) offer either scholarship or research funding, to individuals or to institutions. In addition to funding, it is important to learn how to assess PhD program curricula. Most PhD programs offer courses in philosophy of science, theory, qualitative and quantitative methods, and seminars during the dissertation phase. However, programs that optimally launch new graduates into independence will require integrating specialized knowledge in emerging areas of research, technology, and health. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2010) recommends core curricular areas for U.S. research-intensive doctoral programs.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2018/7/1
Y1 - 2018/7/1
N2 - Nurses hoping to enter a research intensive doctoral program have a choice of program delivery modes, faculty expertise, and multiple points of entry in addition to the traditional post masters. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) lists doctoral programs in nursing in over 300 universities in the United States (U.S.) and Puerto Rico, with most institutions offering more than one type of doctorate. For prospective students who want to maximize their likelihood of significant, sustained scientific impact, identifying research-intensive Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs with faculty who have a topic match is key. Embarking on a scientific career requires assessing the curricula and faculty at several institutions. The purpose of this paper is to give prospective students pragmatic guidance in selecting a U.S. research-intensive doctoral program in nursing. We provide a list of published quality indicators in PhD programs as well as potential questions to be addressed to key persons in schools.
AB - Nurses hoping to enter a research intensive doctoral program have a choice of program delivery modes, faculty expertise, and multiple points of entry in addition to the traditional post masters. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) lists doctoral programs in nursing in over 300 universities in the United States (U.S.) and Puerto Rico, with most institutions offering more than one type of doctorate. For prospective students who want to maximize their likelihood of significant, sustained scientific impact, identifying research-intensive Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs with faculty who have a topic match is key. Embarking on a scientific career requires assessing the curricula and faculty at several institutions. The purpose of this paper is to give prospective students pragmatic guidance in selecting a U.S. research-intensive doctoral program in nursing. We provide a list of published quality indicators in PhD programs as well as potential questions to be addressed to key persons in schools.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85034065118&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85034065118&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.profnurs.2017.11.005
DO - 10.1016/j.profnurs.2017.11.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 30055683
AN - SCOPUS:85034065118
SN - 8755-7223
VL - 34
SP - 296
EP - 299
JO - Journal of Professional Nursing
JF - Journal of Professional Nursing
IS - 4
ER -