The PhD Journey: Tips for Success From Faculty and Graduates

The Institute of Medicine in their landmark 2011 report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, identified the importance of attaining more doctoral-prepared nursing faculty. The need for an increase of nursing faculty with doctoral degrees was emphasized further in the National League for Nursing’s Faculty Census Survey. The survey identified that only 33% of full-time faculty at all ranks had their doctorate (NLN, 2015a). This number was lower still in part-time faculty, with only 11% holding a doctoral degree (NLN, 2015b). These statistics become even more concerning when examining the types of degrees awarded each year. Of the 6885 nursing doctoral degrees awarded in 2017, only 795 of them were PhD degrees (Campaign for Action, 2017). Although the number of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduates has grown exponentially since its inception, the same is not true for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). PhD programs are only providing a small pool of individuals adequately prepared to conduct research, the essential component needed to ultimately improve patient outcomes.

While small numbers of nurses are entering PhD programs, a problem persists regarding their retention in these programs. Many entering students do not complete their degree. In 2010, the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) completed a seven-year research project aimed at identifying PhD completion and attrition rates. Unfortunately, the results of this study revealed that only 57% of students that begin their doctoral journey, complete it (CGS, 2010). As evidenced by this information, the completion rates are not optimal and further reduce the number of nurses prepared to conduct necessary research for the profession. More specific to nursing, there are several barriers preventing the pursuit of doctoral preparation including employment, family obligations, financial concerns, perceived program difficulty, and travel time to complete coursework (Taylor & Terhaar, 2018). Furthermore, Ellenbecker, Nwosu, Zhang, and Leveille (2017) conducted a national survey that identified students’ working role and types of programs (online versus in person) impacted student success. Understanding the impact these factors have on progression through doctoral programs, it is important for program administrators and faculty to work to strengthen PhD programs to meet the needs of doctoral students.

This session will provide strategies to assist with retention of PhD students and possibly improve doctoral program completion. These strategies will focus on three areas including program structure, success strategies, and the dissertation process. Each of these topics will be discussed in detail from both faculty and former student perspectives. These strategies involve activities that can begin early in the program to enhance student retention. As identified by Devos et al. (2017), students that feel as though they are making progress are more likely to persist within their doctoral studies. It is also important to recognize the impact student support has on the pursuit of doctoral progress. Mentoring students and teaching them the skills they need early in the program further facilitates degree completion (Ames, Berman, & Casteel, 2018). Implementation of the identified strategies may act as a catalyst for dissertation completion by providing not only a strong foundation for the concept of interest but also laying the groundwork for a solid support structure. Therefore, early implementation of these strategies is a critical key to success in promoting completion of doctoral coursework.