Enrollment in Doctor of Philosophy nursing programs across the nation is down more than 3% in the last year. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) says those findings from its survey pose a threat to meeting the nation’s health care needs.
But a new $3 million investment from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation aims to reverse that downward trend. It offers to lower the cost for students in the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership Program at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis.
“We are grateful that the same foundation that launched this school continues to invest in the future of our students and programs,” said School of Nursing Dean Stephen Cavanagh, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N. “To advance nursing practice, shape health policy and improve health, rigorous scientific inquiry is needed. And it’s needed from a diversity of students and perspectives.”
With many Ph.D.-prepared faculty members retiring, there is an urgent need for incoming Ph.D. graduates to fill these positions. Nursing programs face a faculty shortage of nearly 9%, a percentage expected to grow. In addition to fewer faculty, a 2019 report expressed concerns about the future of the profession: if nursing research fails to sufficiently inform clinical practice, the report stated, not only are patients’ health outcomes jeopardized, but the very professional identity of nursing is also at risk. Fewer than 1% of nurses have earned a Ph.D.
“Ph.D.-prepared nursing scientists are essential in developing the evidence base that informs clinical practice, evaluating and enhancing current nursing interventions, and innovating new approaches to enhance the quality of life for individuals across the lifespan,” said program director Sheryl Catz, Ph.D. “We must also create a diverse community of nursing scholars to teach future generations of nurses.”
