Any PhD's here?

There is at least two: llg, and, I assume UVA Grad Nursing who is the Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Services at the University of Virginia. There are several of us who are on the road -- personally, I am in dissertation phase (data collection), BBFRN and VickyRN have both, I believe just finished their first year in a PhD program. Did you know there is a graduate forum? While it is dominated w/people pursuing masters there are also some PhD (and DNP) threads. Do you have specific questions, or are you just musing the possibility at this time?

I am working on it now.

Hi, Joe.

I got my PhD in 1997 and I work for a children's hospital doing staff development, running a summer nursing student extern program, being the liaison between the hospital and all the local schools of nursing, chairing the Research and Evidence-Based Practice Commttee, and assorted other odd projects. I've recently been doing some preliminary work getting us started on a Magnet journey. I also teach part time at a local university.

I'll be online a lot this weekend (as usual) and would be happy to partcipate in a discussion of PhD-related topics.

llg

Joe, you talk about salaries, and it's true that (depending on where you are) starting academic salaries can be less than you get bedside but:

It can range fairly far, and if one moves up into more administrative roles (dean, associate or vice deans, department heads) it can be commiserate. The rise is not necessarily as quick or as direct, but I'd say there are lots of opportunities for growth. Not to mention that there are still tenure-track positions out there, and has the potential for a fair amount of job security.

You also talk about geographic limitations, and I'm wondering what you mean? Reports state that the need for instructors is even greater than for bed-side nurses. So, while you can't just pick any town, you probably have a fair range of options of where to wind up. That said, if what you want to do is be in a large, research-based institution, you are more limited because there's just fewer of them.

In terms of non-academic positions, as llg pointed out, there are hospital-based positions, not only in education but in administration, and in some systems, like the VA, there are even research positions.

The other place that I think is really important, and that more people are thinking about are positions of leadership and policy. There are those who say we need to have an office of the National Nurse. I'm not sure about that, but I do wish that more of the health policy advisers were nurses rather than physicians! I do know of nurses at the state level who do head up these kinds of departments, but the more our voices can be heard, I think the better for the country.

Hope that gives you a few ideas, and yes, I think probably any of us who have spoken up would be happy to talk to you about our experiences.

miriam

dianacs, hi! I'm sorry I had forgotten about you -- how is it going?

I am now a rising 2nd year PhD (in nursing) student, besides working fulltime (as faculty). BBFRN, llg, and marachne have been a source of strength and encouragement for me.

I just started a thread over in the graduate student forum for people to talk about how their year went -- please come share!