Faculty Viewpoints on Doctoral Degrees for Nurse Educators: A National Q-Methodology Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Higher Education Administration

Background:

• Nursing education faces significant faculty shortages.
• Debates persist regarding the optimal doctoral degrees for nurse educators.
• Divergent views on nursing-specific versus non-nursing doctoral degrees impact faculty advancement and teaching efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and categorize the viewpoints of doctorally-prepared nurse educators regarding different types of doctoral degrees.
• To understand how these diverse perspectives influence perceptions of faculty effectiveness and career progression.

Main Methods:

• A Q-methodology study involving 38 doctorally-prepared nurse educators from U.S. nursing programs.
• Participants ranked 37 statements concerning doctoral degree types.
• Factor analysis and qualitative analysis of open-ended responses were used for interpretation.

Main Results:

• Four distinct viewpoints emerged, explaining 50% of the variance: Doctoral Degree Egalitarians, PhD Research Advocates, Nursing Degree Idealists, and Degree Hierarchists.
• Participants' viewpoints were associated with the type of doctoral degree they held.
• Factors such as years of experience, professional role, and geographic region did not differentiate these viewpoints.

Conclusions:

• Nurse educators tend to advocate for the doctoral degrees they possess, likely due to personal experiences and doctoral education socialization.
• Institutions should implement role-based evaluation criteria and transparent policies that acknowledge and value diverse academic preparations to manage differing opinions on degree types.