Jolley Jeremy
University of Hull, Hull, UK.
J Clin Nurs. 2007 Feb;16(2):225-33. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2007.01582.x.
The development of education options for nurses has been inexorable and it is increasingly the case that senior nurses are considering a doctorate as the logical next step in their educational career. Such individuals need to make important decisions as to whether they should embark on a taught doctorate, professional doctorate or a traditional PhD. Each of these options will necessitate a considerable investment in time and money as well as the sacrifice of quality time and spare time over a significant number of years. A doctorate is not for everyone. Those still reading this text may be asking 'could this possibly be for me'? This paper will try to help the reader decide which if any option to take.
It is suggested that nurses will now turn to the doctoral degree as their next adventure in academic study. It is argued that this development is not being controlled by management forces and indeed cannot be controlled by them. This last is chiefly because the move towards doctoral education is led by individuals who choose to study for a doctorate simply because they can. The paper considers what choices are available to nurses who wish to pursue a doctoral programme of study. In particular, this paper considers what new developments in doctoral courses are becoming available and what advantage there may be in studying for one of the newer professional doctorates rather than a traditional PhD.
The material here is the result of a review of the literature on recent developments in doctoral education for nurses. The existing provision by UK and other universities was also reviewed, the data being collected by an informal review of universities' advertising material.
It is inevitable that some nurses who are already qualified to degree and masters degree will take advantage of the doctoral degree opportunities which now newly present themselves. For nurses in practice, the advantages of the professional doctorate is that it is more structured, enables more peer and academic support and is more practice orientated. It is suggested that the move towards doctoral programmes for nurses will present one of the most important evolutionary changes in the practice of nursing.
It is suggested that doctoral education for nurses will increase in prevalence and that this process of change is already underway. Doctoral education will provide practitioners with the experience and skills required to conduct research and further develop practice. For individual practitioners, doctoral education will enhance self-confidence in an increasingly technical and complex arena and in a practice discipline that is becoming ever more politically charged. The professional doctorate appears to be particularly suited to senior nurse practitioners. What remains is for us to accept this new challenge and to shape its development for the benefit of the practice of nursing.
护士教育选择的发展势不可挡，越来越多的高级护士将博士学位视为其教育生涯中合理的下一步。这些人需要做出重要决定，即是否应该攻读授课型博士学位、专业博士学位或传统的哲学博士学位。这些选择中的每一个都需要在时间和金钱上投入大量精力，并且在相当长的几年里要牺牲大量的优质时间和业余时间。博士学位并非适合所有人。仍在阅读本文的人可能会问“这会适合我吗”？本文将试图帮助读者决定选择哪种（如果有的话）选项。
有人认为，护士现在将转向攻读博士学位，作为他们学术学习的下一个探索。有人认为，这一发展并非由管理力量控制，实际上也无法由他们控制。这主要是因为向博士教育的转变是由那些仅仅因为能够而选择攻读博士学位的个人引领的。本文探讨了希望攻读博士课程的护士有哪些选择。特别是，本文探讨了博士课程有哪些新的发展，以及攻读较新的专业博士学位之一而非传统的哲学博士学位可能有哪些优势。
此处的材料是对有关护士博士教育最新发展的文献进行综述的结果。还对英国和其他大学现有的课程设置进行了综述，数据是通过对大学宣传材料的非正式审查收集的。
一些已经获得学士学位和硕士学位的护士利用现在新出现的博士学位机会是不可避免的。对于从事实际工作的护士来说，专业博士学位的优势在于它结构更严谨，能获得更多同行和学术支持，并且更以实践为导向。有人认为，向护士博士课程的转变将是护理实践中最重要的演变之一。
有人认为，护士博士教育的普及率将会提高，而且这一变革过程已经在进行中。博士教育将为从业者提供进行研究和进一步发展实践所需的经验和技能。对于个体从业者来说，博士教育将在一个技术日益复杂且政治色彩越来越浓的实践领域增强自信心。专业博士学位似乎特别适合高级护士从业者。我们剩下要做的就是接受这一新挑战，并为护理实践的利益塑造其发展。
