Oct 05, 2024  
2022-2023 Nursing Student Handbook 
    
2022-2023 Nursing Student Handbook [FINAL EDITION]

Nursing PHD Curriculum and Standards of Practice


Degree Requirements

The student must complete at least 48 credits of approved doctoral course work beyond the master’s degree in nursing. The student must also successfully pass the comprehensive examination, submit a manuscript for publication, and defend a dissertation for graduation. Only doctoral courses will be accepted for doctoral credit. Please note that the program director must approve a waiver of any requirement for the degree in writing.

Curriculum


The course of study consists of three related units designed to prepare competent, scholarly nurse educators, scientists, and leaders in nursing education. Throughout the doctoral program, students are challenged to explore the historical, social, philosophical, ethical, and organizational implications of emergent issues that affect nursing education.

Unit I


Unit I emphasizes nursing science. It includes philosophy, epistemology, theoretical thinking, and knowledge synthesis, as well as nursing theory and nursing science development.

UNIT I COURSES CREDITS
NURS 702 - Nursing Science I: Epistemology 3
NURS 813 - Nursing Science II: Synthesis in Nursing 3
NURS 814 - Nursing Science III: Theory Development in Nursing 3
TOTAL 9

Unit II


Unit II is related to general and nursing education. It consists of specialized courses in contemporary nursing education, curriculum development, teaching concepts, and evaluation methods. Students work closely with faculty in teaching/learning situations through seminars and projects.

UNIT II COURSES CREDITS
NURS 705 - Psychology of Learning 3
NURS 706 - Philosophy of Education 3
NURS 720 - Curriculum Design and Evaluation 3
NURS 750 - Assessment, Measurement, & Evaluation  3
NURS 820 - Current Issues in Higher Education Organizations 3
NURS 822 - Leadership in Nursing Education 3
NURS 853 - Evidence-Based Teaching Practice 3
Total 21

Unit III


Unit III addresses research methods.  It includes qualitative and quantitative design, statistical analysis, and data interpretation while fostering disciplined inquiry as students develop and implement a dissertation proposal that will contribute to the scientific basis of nursing education or practice.

UNIT III COURSES CREDITS
NURS 815 - Qualitative Research I 3
NURS 825 - Advanced Research Design  3
NURS 826 - Quantitative Analysis I  3
NURS 827 - Quantitative Analysis II  3
NURS 900 - Dissertation Seminar I 3
NURS 901 - Dissertation Seminar II  3
NURS 950 - Dissertation Advisement* 3
Total 21

Total Credits: 48


*Dissertation Advisement (NURS 950) must be taken each fall, spring, and summer until the dissertation is completed.

Standards of Practice

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program is guided by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Research- Focused Doctoral Program in Nursing: Pathways to Excellence (AACN, 2010) and the National League for Nursing Nurse Educator Competencies (Halstead, 2007, 2019).

Approved 5/97, Revised 10/02, 8/05, 4/06, 11/09, 5/10, 9/11 update

Comprehensive Examinations


Comprehensive examinations will be taken subsequent to the successful completion of all course work. After passing the comprehensive examinations, the student is accepted as a doctoral candidate and proceeds into NURS 901 Dissertation Seminar II.

Submission of a Manuscript


Prior to program completion, all PhD students are required to submit a manuscript for publication to a peer-reviewed journal. The manuscript may be the product of a course or course requirement. The student must be the first author on the manuscript. A copy of the manuscript, documentation of submission, and cover letter is to be submitted to the program director for the student’s file.