RWJF Future of Nursing Scholars experience and recommendations: Focus group results at final convening

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched the Future of Nursing Scholars program to support nurses to complete PhDs in 3 years in schools across the United States.

To explore why scholars participated in the program and to articulate challenges and facilitators to successful completion of their doctoral degrees.

Thirty-one scholars representing 18 different schools participated in focus groups at a convening in January 2022.

Scholars identified that funding and planned length of degree completion were important factors in their choosing the accelerated program. Mentorship, networking, and support were identified as facilitators to program completion with the tight timeline of three years noted as a challenge.

Accelerated students require adequate resources including access to data, mentoring, and financing to overcome challenges presented by accelerated PhD training programs. Cohort models provide support and clarity of expectations for both students and mentors is critical.