Exploring data management content in doctoral nursing handbooks.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Data Management
• Scholarly Communication

Background:

• Doctorally prepared nurses increasingly manage data, yet their educational preparation in data management (DM) is not well-understood.
• Student handbooks are key documents reflecting institutional expectations and educational content for doctoral nursing programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the extent and nature of data management (DM) content within doctoral nursing student handbooks.
• To identify how DM education is integrated into the curriculum as reflected in official program documentation.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search identified 346 doctoral nursing programs from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).
• 261 handbooks from 215 institutions were textually reviewed to locate and analyze data management (DM) content.
• Statistical analyses compared DM content presence based on institutional characteristics and program type.

Main Results:

• Data management (DM) content was identified across 1,382 codes, predominantly within project requirements sections.
• The most frequent DM mentions concerned data collection and analysis, while data publishing, sharing, and preservation were least addressed.
• Significant variations in DM content frequency and location were observed based on program type and institutional classification.

Conclusions:

• Nursing doctoral handbooks predominantly focus on data collection and analysis, indicating a gap in comprehensive data management (DM) life cycle education.
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs show particularly limited inclusion of DM life cycle content.
• Enhanced collaboration between nursing faculty, librarians, and professional organizations is crucial to integrate DM best practices for future clinicians and scholars.