Associate Professor & Associate Dean of Research, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Nursing, Memphis, TN, USA.
Associate Professor & Director, PhD in Nursing Program, Georgia State University, Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions, Atlanta, GA, USA.
J Nurs Scholarsh. 2019 Nov;51(6):717-726. doi: 10.1111/jnu.12524.
Nurse scientists play an indispensable role in developing new knowledge to advance the health of patients, families, and communities. Yet PhD nurse enrollment has significantly dropped, and many later career nurse scientists are nearing retirement. The purpose of this article is to outline potential strategies to enhance the PhD nurse pipeline. Potential strategies are identified at three distinct time points along the PhD trajectory: (a) prior to a PhD program (increasing the pipeline), (b) during a PhD program (enhancing graduation rates and transitioning into research-focused careers), and (c) in the postdoctoral or early career period (establishing scholarly independence and an active program of research). Talented students should be approached early on in their education to ascertain interest in a scientific research-based career, and all students could be engaged in research opportunities while in undergraduate programs. During a PhD program, supportive mentors are a key component for student success and may provide assistance in obtaining ongoing funding and scholarship support. Throughout doctoral study and into early career, less structured opportunities can be influential, including conference support, online and face-to-face training, and ongoing funding and scholarship support for postdoctoral study or fellowships. At each career stage, there should be a focus on designing scientifically sound nursing research that will impact outcomes in measurable and sustainable ways. We must not focus our attention only on student recruitment. Public messaging efforts are needed to raise awareness of the role of nurse researchers. In addition, several stakeholders play a role in increasing the PhD pipeline and producing independent nurse scientists, and they should be acknowledged in these efforts. The strategies described may be beneficial for any nurse contemplating a research career as well as for those who may serve as mentors to these individuals. More broadly, these strategies may be employed by colleges and universities, funding bodies, professional nursing societies, and healthcare organizations in the United States and abroad. Increasing the PhD pipeline, and fostering a more robust field of independent nurse scientists, will translate into improved patient outcomes.
护士科学家在开发新知识以促进患者、家庭和社区健康方面发挥着不可或缺的作用。然而，护理博士生的入学率显著下降，许多职业后期的护士科学家即将退休。本文旨在概述增强护理博士管道的潜在策略。潜在策略是在博士轨迹的三个不同时间点确定的：(a) 在博士课程之前(增加管道)，(b) 在博士课程期间(提高毕业率并过渡到以研究为重点的职业)，以及(c) 在博士后或早期职业期间(建立学术独立性和积极的研究计划)。有才华的学生应该在他们的教育早期就接触到他们，以确定他们对以科学研究为基础的职业的兴趣，所有学生都可以在本科课程中参与研究机会。在博士课程中，支持性导师是学生成功的关键组成部分，他们可以帮助学生获得持续的资金和奖学金支持。在整个博士学习和早期职业生涯中，较少结构化的机会也会产生影响，包括会议支持、在线和面对面培训，以及为博士后研究或奖学金提供持续的资金和奖学金支持。在每个职业阶段，都应专注于设计具有科学意义的护理研究，以可衡量和可持续的方式影响结果。我们不能只关注学生的招聘。需要开展宣传活动，提高公众对护士研究人员作用的认识。此外，增加博士管道和培养独立的护士科学家需要几个利益相关者的参与，这些努力应该得到他们的认可。所描述的策略对于任何考虑从事研究职业的护士以及可能作为这些人的导师的人都可能是有益的。更广泛地说，这些策略可以由美国和国外的学院、资助机构、专业护理协会和医疗保健组织采用。增加博士管道，并培养更多独立的护士科学家，将转化为改善患者的预后。
