PhD-Prepared Nurses' Areas of Inquiry.

Area of Science:

• Nursing science research
• Nurse scientist demographics
• Research agendas

Background:

• Nursing science relies on well-funded nurse scientists.
• Alignment of research with organizational priorities is crucial.
• Data on nurse scientist demographics and research alignment is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify research areas of PhD-prepared nurses.
• To assess the congruence between nurse scientists' research and organizational agendas.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive, exploratory study design.
• Data collected from PhD-prepared nurse scientists.
• Inquiries included PhD program, dissertation, work status, productivity, and recommendations.

Main Results:

• Dissertation topics were diverse and aligned with research priorities.
• Factors influencing research productivity were identified.

Conclusions:

• Understanding nursing science stewardship is key for future strategy.
• Tailoring PhD programs to research needs will enhance future research, academia, and practice.