These days, the topic of research and practice-based approach in nursing doctoral education remains of interest to a significant part of medical workers. The future specialist needs to be able to work with patients; therefore, educational processes should necessarily include practical exercises. Nevertheless, prospective nurses should have a deep knowledge of the problem since medical education differs from any other with a colossal amount of information that needs to be remembered. It is crucial to implement both types of nursing doctoral education: research and practice-focused.
At present, there is an imbalance in nursing doctoral education types. Broome and Fairman (2018) note that nursing science is experiencing the challenge regarding practice-focused and research-focused doctorates. For instance,
according to Broome and Fairman (2018), in 2016, the total number of doctoral degrees was well above 4,855, whereas only 773 were PhDs. The focus was shifted to the doctor of practice degree (DNP), adopted in most schools granting graduate degrees (Broome & Fairman, 2018). The Ph.D. programs, aimed mainly at creating knowledge and testing medical advances’ effectiveness, are less popular (Broome & Fairman, 2018). According to Broome and Fairman (2018), research-based education interprets studies’ results into policy. Thus, there is a tendency to practice-focused approaches, gradually diminishing the share of research in the education process.
However, nursing doctoral education should unite these two types to prepare competent specialists in this field. Broome and Fairman (2018) emphasize that the nurse profession depends on the knowledge provided by nursing scientists analyzing research programs. The latter benefits promoting health care; nurses’ studies are translated into practice (Broome & Fairman, 2018). According to Broome and Fairman (2018), clinicians provide the services considering reliable research. It supports their actions towards communities, patients, and their families (Broome & Fairman, 2018). Yancey (2020) argues that faculty without significant research-based courses are less likely to provide students with the necessary underpinnings of the discipline. According to Yancey (2020), such nurses show excellent clinical practice results, but insufficient theoretical knowledge affects the overall performance. Hence, nursing doctoral education should support theoretical elements in the learning process, strengthening the focus on expanding the amounts of nurses who intend to advance their careers in medical education.
Despite the benefits of research-based education, it should not replace or exceed practice. Yancey (2020) claims that, in case a PhD-prepared nurse applies to teach a clinical course in a nurse practitioner program without clinical practice, he or she would not be hired. Education without a significant portion of the practice-based approach cannot be considered complete (Yancey, 2020). Practice as an element of the educational process is carried out to consolidate and expand the knowledge gained by students (Yancey, 2020). It stimulates acquiring the necessary practical skills to work and mastering advanced technology and labor methods (Yancey, 2020). Thus, due to practical focus, nurses learn to independently select and systematize information and apply the researched knowledge gained; it also promotes teamwork skills and self-control.
To sum up, both approaches are needed in nursing doctoral education. Practical-based learning should be carried out in medical institutions. In the healthcare system, it is essential to distinguish between theory and practice; however, they complement each other. The first helps to improve critical thinking skills, allowing analyzing advances and new findings in medical science. At the same time, the latter helps assess the level of nurse competence and determine the need to adjust it in the learning process.
References
Broome, M. E., & Fairman, J. (2018). Changing the conversation about doctoral education in nursing.Nursing Outlook, 66(3), 217-218. Web.
Yancey, N. R. (2020). DNP or PhD as a credential for nurse faculty: Choices and consequences.Nursing Science Quarterly, 33(3), 217-221. Web.