Second generation professional doctorates in nursing.

Area of Science:

• Higher Education Studies
• Knowledge Management
• Nursing Education

Background:

• The landscape of professional doctorates has significantly expanded in number and diversity over the past two decades.
• This evolution reflects the emergence of the knowledge economy and new paradigms of knowledge production.
• The shift from first to second-generation doctorates signifies a move towards more applied and transformative research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the evolution of professional doctorates, distinguishing between first and second-generation models.
• To interpret these distinctions using Gibbons et al.'s taxonomy of knowledge production (Mode 1 vs. Mode 2).
• To explore the challenges and implications of second-generation doctorates for academia, particularly within the discipline of nursing.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and conceptual analysis of professional doctorate development.
• Application of the Mode 2 knowledge production framework to differentiate doctorate generations.
• Examination of the impact of Mode 2 knowledge on academic structures and professional practice, with a focus on nursing.

Main Results:

• Second-generation doctorates, aligned with Mode 2 knowledge production, demonstrate relevance to the economy and potential for practice transformation.
• The integration of Mode 2 knowledge presents challenges to traditional academic authority and university structures.
• Debates surrounding the rigor of professional doctorates and a potential return to traditional PhD models are influenced by these changes.

Conclusions:

• The discipline of nursing stands to gain substantially by embracing second-generation professional doctorates.
• These doctorates offer a rigorous academic pathway preparing nurses for active roles at the theory-practice interface.
• Adopting these evolving doctoral models is crucial for advancing nursing practice and research within the contemporary knowledge economy.