![[ Visit Client Website ]](images/banner.gif)
Increasing the number of nurses with doctoral degrees is one of the recommendations of the IOM's Future of Nursing report: less than 1% of the U.S. nursing workforce has a doctoral (PhD) degree. The GNLC wanted to understand students’ perspectives regarding selecting and completing nursing doctoral programs in Georgia-based schools in order to determine best practices for recruiting and retaining students. In March of 2014, the GNLC conducted an online survey of students currently and recently enrolled in Georgia’s brick-and-mortar nursing doctoral programs in nursing in Georgia. The findings are being disseminated to all doctoral programs in nursing and it is hoped that this information and the strategies developed will help increase the number of nurses with doctoral degrees.
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the number of research-focused doctoral programs increased from 124 in 2010 to 133 in 2013 (7% growth), while the number of DNP programs increased from 153 to 241 in the same period (58% growth) (AACN, 2014). Georgia’s doctoral programs increased more during the same time frame: the number of research-focused doctoral programs increased from 5 to 6 (20% growth), and the number of DNP programs increased from 3 to 7 (133% growth). Enrollments grew accordingly. Nationally, the number of students enrolled in DNP programs grew from 7,037 to 14,699 (108%) and the number of students enrolled in DNP and DNS programs grew from 4,611 to 5,124 (11%). In the same time frame, enrollments in Georgia in in DNP programs grew from 69 to 141 (104%) while enrollments in research-focused programs increased from 86 to 109 (27%) (although this includes EdD programs as well).
Methods:
The GNLC co-leads received a State Implementation Program (SIP) Grant in February 2013 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The GNLC staff conducted an online survey in March, 2014, of students currently and recently enrolled in doctoral programs in nursing in Georgia brick-and-mortar schools. The survey was developed by the GNLC with review and feedback from the Georgia Health Policy Center and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The Doctoral Steering Committee also determined that inclusion criteria for “recent graduates” was students who graduated in the five years prior to this study, so any time after December of 2008. An email was sent to all Deans and Directors of doctoral programs in nursing three weeks prior to opening the survey to explain the goal of the project, who the target populations were, what the timeline was, and request their help in disseminating the survey via emails. The survey was distributed by the schools to their students and graduates in March, 2014. Schools were sent an email for them to distribute to students and recent graduates with a description of the project and a link to the survey on March 10. Reminder emails were sent the Monday of each week that the survey was open as well as on the last day. As a means to ensure that the survey had been disseminated by all the programs, the Principal Investigator (PI) checked the survey results periodically to see if students from all programs had submitted responses. If certain schools had no responses, the PI then contacted that Dean/Director to find out what was happening. To incentivize Deans/Directors to be diligent about disseminating the survey and encouraging responses, the PI also sent out two emails reporting the number of students for each program that had responded. For participants, incentives of $10 iTunes gift cards were offered to the first ten people who completed the survey and there were also four drawings for $25 iTunes gift cards.
The survey responses were collected by Survey Monkey®. The PI, who has experience in qualitative research methods, used content analysis to analyze open-ended responses.
Results:
In the fall of 2013, there were 271 students enrolled in doctoral programs in Georgia schools: 141 DNP students and 130 PhD (or DNS or EdD students). A total of 190 students and graduates completed the survey: 151 current students and 38 graduates (and one respondent currently on leave). The response rate for current students was therefore 56%. Between 2007 and 2013, these schools graduated 186 doctoral students: 135 DNP students and 51 PhD (or DNS) students. Therefore, the response rate for possible graduates was 20%. (However, understanding of the instructions for this may have been inconsistent. Schools were asked to distribute the survey to students who graduated after December of 2008, yet six respondents graduated in 2007. Thus, it is unclear which schools may have contacted graduates outside of the stated inclusion criteria.) Given these response rates and data collection issues, the results cannot be generalized beyond Georgia.
Response rate by current doctoral students was 55% (20% for recent graduates). 53% were enrolled in DNP programs and 47% in research programs. Part time attendance increased by 17% and enrollment in online programs increased by 32% between the recent graduate group and the current students. Georgia has met its goal of doubling the number of nurses enrolled in doctoral study by 2014 rather than 2020. Going from enrollment of 155 to 334 in 2010 to 2014 respectively. Number of males have increased from .07% in 2010 to 14% in 2014. Diversity or lack thereof in doctoral programs remains a concern. In research program, African American and Hispanic enrollment remain flat with 40% growing in numbers of African Americans and 60% increase in Caucasian students. In practice doctorates, 800% Asian, zero in 2010 to 8 in 2014, African American increased 105%, Hispanic 67% and Caucasian 191%.
Not representative of the state. Two hundred sixty one percent growth total in numbers of graduations with Georgia mirroring the national trend in nurses choosing the DNP. Georgia had a 354% increase from 20110 to 2014 and 150% increase in graduations from research doctorates.
Georgia doctoral students are older with the modal age being 50 and next most frequent age category being 55 years old. Sixty one percent attend school online and 62% pursue their studies full time with a wide variation in full and part time study between PhD students and DNP student with 76% of PhD students studying full time and 52.6% of DNP students going full time.
Respondents indicated factors that were important in several aspects of their doctoral education, including selection of a program, staying in a program and future plans to remain in the state.
PhD students are borrowing a great deal more money to go to school that DNP students with 33.3% of the PhD student borrowing more than $7,500 per semester vs 3% of DNP students.
Doctoral students indicated personal goal/satisfaction was the most rewarding aspect of doctoral education and balancing work/life/career was the most difficult. Thirty seven percent stated they had seriously considered quitting school and the top three reasons were difficulty balancing responsibilities, difficulty with faculty, disillusioned with the program. The top three reasons they stayed in the program was personal motivation or they did not like to quit, already invested time, money and effort, and faculty/mentor support.
Best way to support doctoral students fee into three main categories: finances and strategies were to increase amount of scholarships, develop repayment plans, and options so they are able to maintain benefits at job. Second category was scheduling. Classes need to be flexible for work and work must be flexible to attend school. Both need to adapt and be flexible for this to work. Lastly, support is needed through mentoring and from faculty.
Conclusions: There is very little research if any that examines the perspectives of a statewide cohort of students in nursing doctoral programs. There has been real change over time in enrollment and graduation trends in doctoral education within the state of Georgia. Percent of students enrolling in research doctoral programs and practice doctoral programs has changed. More students are choosing the practice doctorates. Gender diversity has increased overall, particularly in research programs with more males choosing doctoral education. Racial and ethnic diversity has decreased overall however.
Reasons why and when students choose different types of doctoral programs was presented offering insight into how various strategies can be developed to assist students choose the right program and remain in the program until graduation. This information can be helpful in workforce planning as well as targeting recruitment and developing retention strategies.
See more of: Research Sessions: Oral Paper & Posters