@article{fabac52bb50c4d65829a951a07504fe5,
title = "Breaking new ground? The dual (PhD-DNP) doctoral degree in Nursing",
abstract = "Purpose: 1) Provide background information on the PhD-DNP dual doctoral degree, specifically historical perspectives and existing programs; 2) Describe one PhD-DNP program as an exemplar to illustrate program data challenges and solutions; and 3) Discuss the national landscape of the dual doctoral degree program. Principal results: PhD-DNP dual doctoral degree programs have existed for 10 years; there are five known programs nationally. Reported here for one dual doctoral degree program are data collected from the program's inception (2010) through 2019. These data include demographic program characteristics, time to degree, and achievements during and after the program. Challenges pertaining to mentorship, progression to degree, socialization and student productivity also are described. Strategies for moving the dual degree forward nationally depend on a collaborative effort for data generation and collection from existing PhD-DNP programs. These data can be instrumental for seeking funding for dual doctoral degree programs. Conclusions: The dual PhD-DNP degree has not yet gained a foothold nationally. There is demand for the program by nursing doctoral students and availability of these programs is slowly increasing. National nursing leaders and organizations can consider developing metrics and collecting data that will lend support to future funding initiatives for the dual degree.",
keywords = "Dual DNP/PhD degree, Dual PhD-DNP degree, Dual doctoral degree, Nursing doctoral education",
author = "Loescher, {Lois J.} and Rene Love and Terry Badger",
note = "Funding Information: PhD-DNP-prepared nurses uniquely function on the borders between research and practice, where clinical observations beget clinical questions, which then can be transformed into clinically relevant studies ( Kwan et al., 2017 ; Mackay, 2009 ). Mackey observed that “Straddling this border also provides the opportunity for active translation of research knowledge into practice” ( Mackay, 2009 ). (p. 290). Thus, PhD-DNP nurses are well-positioned to accelerate the knowledge cycle from clinical problem, to research questions and results, to clinical practice change, and ultimately, to policy ( Mackay, 2009 ). PhD-DNP nurses also are well positioned to compete for funding from the National Institutes for Health and other federal funding. Funding Information: Dual doctoral degrees in healthcare are not new. The Medical Doctor (MD)-PhD degree originated in 1956 at Case Western University, nearly a decade before the National Institutes of Health (NIH) developed the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) to support this type of training, which had by then spread to other universities ( Case Western Reserve University, 2019 ). Currently there are 90 MD-PhD programs affiliated with medical schools, and of those 45 are partially supported with training grants from the MSTP programs ( Association of American Medical Colleges, 2018 ; National Institute of General Medical Sciences, 2015 ). As of 2018, there were 649 students matriculating in these programs and there were 5458 MD-PhDs trained ( Association of American Medical Colleges, 2018 ). Typically a MD-PhD spends 75% of available time on research and research trainee mentoring and 25% time devoted to patient care and educational activities (e.g. teaching medical students or postgraduate trainees), usually at academic health centers ( Kwan et al., 2017 ). This dual doctoral degree uniquely positions physicians to participate in knowledge generation and the rapid translation of research knowledge into clinical practice and policy ( National Institutes of Health, 2014 ). However, the majority of MD-PhD students receive their PhD in biomedical laboratory disciplines such as cell biology, biochemistry, genetics, immunology, pharmacology, neuro-science, and biomedical engineering ( Brass, 2018 ). In some cases, this emphasis differs from Nursing PhD research foci; therefore, dual doctoral degree programs in nursing may reach into other areas such as behavioral research and practice-related research. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 Elsevier Inc.",
year = "2021",
month = mar,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1016/j.profnurs.2020.05.001",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "37",
pages = "429--434",
journal = "Journal of Professional Nursing",
issn = "8755-7223",
publisher = "W.B. Saunders Ltd",
number = "2",
}