Scholarly writing is required for doctoral program graduates who plan to disseminate their work and advance the discipline of nursing. However, nurses enter doctoral programs with varying ability and experience with scholarly writing (Gazza, Shellenbarger, & Hunker, 2013). Further compounding this issue are the curricular differences noted amongst programs. Additionally, there may be differences in students, their educational and experiential backgrounds, and whether they are enrolled in a PhD or a Doctor of Nursing Practice program (AACN, 2014).
Nursing faculty may expect that doctoral students have advanced scholarly writing ability due to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes developed at the baccalaureate and masters level. Doctoral nursing students often face challenges with writing and may struggle to write proficiently at the expected level (Ryan, Walker, Scaia, & Smith, 2014). This causes frustration for both the student and the faculty. Prior studies have suggested that scholarly writing develops throughout nursing education and requires that students learn the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to writing at each level of nursing education (Gazza, Shellenbarger, & Hunker, 2013). Limited information is available that can guide faculty and students to develop their writing. Most of the information available is not evidence based (Hawks et al, 2015).
The purpose of this study was to assess doctoral nursing students’ use of an evidence-based set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes specific for scholarly writing.
Methods:
After obtaining IRB approval, an email invitation was sent to nursing program administrators of doctoral programs in the United States that were listed on the Discover Nursing website. Administrators were asked to distribute the email invitation along with an electronic link to a self-assessment to all enrolled doctoral nursing students. Consenting students completed a 35- item tool using a 5- point Likert scale assessing evidence–based knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA) of scholarly writing (Hunker, Gazza & Shellenbarger, 2014). Respondents used ratings from 1- Never, 2-Rarely, 3-Sometimes, 4-Usually, to 5–Always. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results:
Seventy-three doctoral students enrolled in PhD and DNP programs responded to the self-assessment. Seventeen PhD students from six different states completed the tool. They were primarily female, Caucasian, and enrolled part-time in their doctoral program. PhD respondents had a mean age of 44. PhD program delivery was diverse with traditional, hybrid, and online program represented in the sample. Using Fisher’s Exact test, data analysis revealed no associations between self-assessment of KSAs and gender, age, enrollment status, GPA, or mode of delivery. While students responding to the self-assessment were at different points of completion of their PhD program, all were at least half way through their program. Analysis of the mean for each item on the electronic self-assessment revealed that PhD students either “sometimes” or “usually” used all of the KSAs.
Fifty-six DNP students representing 11 states also responded to the self-assessment. They were primarily female, Caucasian, and enrolled full-time in their doctoral program. They had a mean age of 37. Program delivery was primarily a hybrid format. Using Fisher’s exact test, there was a positive association between age and item response (P=.0378) suggesting that students who were older in age tended to rate the items higher on the self- assessment. The investigators were unable to determine where the DNP students were in terms of program completion.
Analysis of the mean for each item from the electronic self-assessment revealed that DNP students, like PhD students either “sometimes” or “usually” used the KSAs. However, within the DNP student sample, there were two items that had a mean score less than 3, indicating they “rarely” used the KSA. Those items were: “I create abstracts and written summaries of written material that has already been published”, and “I serve as a mentor and role model for undergraduate and master’s students, and colleagues about scholarly writing”. The two items identified are both “skills” typically acquired at the BS level; therefore, it appears that the DNP students have the knowledge and attitudes but lack some of the skills identified at the beginning level.
Conclusion:
All of the evidence-based KSAs for the PhD students and all but two of the KSAs for the DNP students were at least “sometimes” used. This suggests that most doctoral students at least recognize scholarly writing KSAs from their earlier programs. Often times student success in a doctoral program hinges on the ability to write well. Strategies are needed for purposeful learning activities that will help to promote scholarly writing development and further enhance student writing. More specifically, recommendations for faculty at the doctoral level include assessing KSAs at the time of entry into the program, and tailoring writing assignments, guidelines and rubrics to help support and develop writing at the doctoral level. Nursing programs should plan to provide general writing support and build curricula that offer sequential writing assignments that work to develop the students’ scholarly writing development over time.
Based on the study results, it can be inferred that DNP students are rarely creating abstracts or written summaries of written material. As expert clinicians, they may need to provide those written summaries to share with others. Nurse educators should be encouraged to consider assignments and learning activities that allow DNP students to develop abstract writing and summarize work. Data also suggests that DNP students are not role modeling scholarly writing for others. As emerging leaders, they may be expected to use those role modeling skills to lead others during writing activities. Nurse educators need to further explore this issue and provide opportunities for DNP students to develop this essential skill.
This small convenience sample of doctoral students provides beginning information about scholarly writing knowledge, skills, and attitudes; however, further study with a larger more diverse sample is needed. By effective development of doctoral student writing, faculty can support and promote the transformation of knowledge and practice to advance global health and nursing.