Healthcare research is central to offering evidence-based and high-quality care.It’s achieved bystudying for a Ph.D.innursing, which equips nurses with research abilities so that they can propel improvements in patient care.
Comparing DNP vs Ph.D. in nursing, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)is a little different from a Ph.D. in Nursing, which is a research-focused degree.While a DNP preparesyou to gain advanced knowledge in clinical practice to provide effective and safe care for patients,a Ph.D. in nursing will prepare you for a career in research, administration, education, or program evaluation.
As it stands, the number of American nurses that hold aPh.D. in nursing is less than one percent. Due to this shortage of an educationally prepared nursing faculty, the role of nurses as researchers is being supported andpromoted nationally.
In addition to the opportunity of working in different cities and states in the United States, here are other careers that a Ph.D. in nursing will expose you to:
1. Nurse Researcher
As a nurse researcher,you will be required to provide hard data evidence to convince hospital staff and administrators that changes, and reforms are necessary. You may alsowork for a teaching hospital, hold a university position, or work in any academic healthcare organization.
2. Nurse Educator
With a Ph.D. in nursing, you will get an opportunity to train the next generation of nurses.There are many open faculty positions in nursing schools across the US that require one to hold a doctoral degree in nursing.
3. Chief Nurse Anesthetist
Aside from usual patient care for the RNs and NPs, a nursing career will expose you to many other opportunities.You can become a nurse anesthetist through an MSN qualification, but in order to supervise an anesthesia team, you’ll need a Ph.D. in nursing. In this case, you’ll oversee other anesthetists and be responsible for organization and scheduling.
4. Nursing Manager
A nursing manager is responsible for managing a nursing staff with the responsibilities to hire and train new employees, as well as evaluateand supervise the nurses. You will also have the mandate to analyze reports about the quality of services at your hospital and its patient outcomes, as well as dealing with budgeting issues and information.
5. Nurse Practitioner
To become a nurse practitioner, you only need an MSN for now;however, this is boundto change. The pandemic has caused changes to occur in the health sector, which is also likely to change how things work. A Ph.D. in Nursing will prepare you for a higher-level advanced practice role;you can lead a clinical team, or even open your own practice if you choose to practice in one of the states that allow it.
A Ph.D. in Nursing provides you with opportunities that you simply cannot get when you are only a BSN or an MSN holder. For the widest array of career options and greatest job security, you can’t go wrong with a Ph.D. in nursing. The degree will prepare you to do any type of nursing work you set your mind on,from academic, clinical, and administrative among many others.
