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Using Learning Outcome Measures to assess Doctoral Nursing Education
Published on: June 21, 2010
Mitigating Barriers to Doctoral Education for Nurses
Laura A Taylor1, Mary F Terhaar
1About the Authors Laura A. Taylor, PhD, RN, is a professor, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland. Mary F. Terhaar, DNSc, RN, is Arlene H. & Curtis F. Garvin Professor and associate dean for academic affairs, Case Western Reserve University Francis Payne Bolton College of Nursing, Cleveland, Ohio. The work reported here was supported by a Nursing Support Program award from the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission (NSPII13-107). The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the Department of Defense, or the United States government. For more information, contact Dr. Taylor at laura.taylor@usuhs.edu.
Aim:
This article reports preliminary outcomes of the Guiding Initiative for Doctoral Education, which promotes success in doctoral study.
Background:
Nurses face challenges as they move intentionally, effectively, and expediently toward earning the doctorate. Selecting the doctoral education best suited to individual career goals is essential for success.
Method:
An intensive, daylong program focused on setting goals, generating personal action plans, and mobilizing resources to promote success in application and return to the role of student.
Results:
Based on 70 nurses who participated in seven programs, 22 (31 percent) were admitted to their doctoral program of choice (6 PhD, 15 DNP, 1 EdD).
Conclusion:
Nurses benefit from and value learning about the options for doctoral study, requirements for educational opportunities, the nature of the commitment required, challenges commonly encountered during the process, and the impact advanced education can be expected to have on immediate and long-term career opportunities.
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