Alternative Options for Doctorate

saheckler, PhD, RN · May 24, 2022

Congratulations on graduating and passing the AANP!

I would highly recommend choosing the type of doctoral degree you want based on your career goals. You didn’t say why you want a doctoral degree, so I can’t tell if you want one because you have career aspirations that would require it, or it’s something you just want to do for yourself, etc. I’m in my 4th year of a nursing PhD now, and I would enthusiastically dissuade anyone from getting a PhD (or probably any doctorate period) unless it’s necessary for what you want to do, because it is absolutely brutal. (This may vary widely from program to program, but I think this is pretty consistent at schools that bring in major NIH funding or that are highly ranked, not that the various ranking methods are great).

I was told when I started out that if I could achieve my career goals without a PhD, then I shouldn’t get one because it’s not worth the sacrifices (e.g., money, time, physical and mental health, relationships with family, friends, significant others, etc.). I disregarded this advice. I have been really disappointed in academia and plan to leave, and although I will be able to put my PhD to use in a research career outside of academia, I could have done the same with a master’s in epi or health policy. I have to keep my plans a secret from all faculty in my department -- in a lot of PhD programs, it’s really frowned upon to acknowledge any other career beyond academia. This is a common experience in PhD programs unfortunately. I’m not sure if other doctoral programs have this type of stance, where they limit their idea of success to one very specific career type, but it might be something worth asking as you explore different types of programs and degrees to be sure you won’t be pigeonholed.

That said, since you are really interested in research and statistics and it sounds like the only thing holding you back is the pay in academia, it might be good to know that there are other things you can do with a nursing PhD. You could work in industry (e.g., pharmaceuticals), at a think tank (e.g., Rand, Mathematica) or nonprofit, or be an administrator, etc. Many of these positions pay really well (especially pharma) and much better than academia. Also, academia can pay pretty well, depending on the school (keep in mind that higher paying schools will also require a lot more hustle and weekly time commitment to get the volume of publications and grants necessary for tenure). A PhD is a research degree, so if you don’t plan to use a PhD for a research career, regardless of which type of research job you get, then I don't think it's worth your time. Also, some of the positions I described above would be possible with a master’s in public health, as long as you choose research heavy courses and really build your research and stats skills. So, I think a PhD in nursing could potentially be a good fit for you, with some caveats.

If you’re interested in education, you could consider an EDD. I don’t know a lot about it, just that it’s an option that nurses sometimes do. I don't know much about a DNP at all. You could consider a DrPH, but that would probably lead you to the lowest paying jobs of any of your options.

I hope some of my ramblings are helpful for you. It sounds like a PhD might be a good fit for your interests and skills, but I would do some hard thinking about whether it’s required for the career you want. No matter what, I would really recommend starting by thinking about what your career goals are, then working backwards to identify what you need to get there. A doctorate may not be necessary, and if it isn't, I wouldn't recommend it.

Good luck! I’d love to hear back from you in this thread when you make a decision!

EricJRN, MSN, RN · May 29, 2022

I'm in a similar place in my program as saheckler. I have felt supported in my program, but it can be a struggle to perform well without sacrificing important family and personal things.

I would just add one career option to the above: Some hospitals or health systems hire nurse scientists to help nurses start EBP projects, publish articles and the like. I know a handful of people in these roles, all PhD-prepared. I don't think there are a ton of openings for the role though; in my current hospital system, there is one nurse scientist for 12 hospitals.

Guest1144461 · Jun 8, 2022

Acutal PhDs are intense by nature. Prior to nursing, I was in the humanities field and PhDs were known soul suckers. Not only did you have to get into a good program, it had to be funded and your job prospects were dismal afterward even in academia. Not too many Indiana Jones positions out there LOL....

If you don't have a clear goal or purpose for a PhD, I would definitely avoid.

203bravo, MSN, APRN · Jun 8, 2022

On 5/24/2022 at 3:35 PM, saheckler said:

I would highly recommend choosing the type of doctoral degree you want based on your career goals.

this is the best advice that you can receive.

MLTtonursing, BSN · Nov 17, 2022

I agree with saheckler, BSN, RN about choosing the type of doctoral degree you want based on your career goals. I knew when I finished my BSN program I wanted to further my education in healthcare leadership. I read a lot of helpful input from allnurses over the years. I ended up getting a master's and doctorate degree in healthcare administration. I finished my doctorate in healthcare this year and have been happy with my decision. I had to complete the degrees that were right for me. I wish you the best in your decision.

Mary Eunice, BSN, MSN, PhD · Jul 11, 2023

The Good Nurse said:

I am interested in a PhD because I'm a research/statistics nerd-but I'm afraid that degree wouldn't be put to much use because I don't plan on going into academia (I'm the sole financial support for my family).

So my question is what are some other good/useful options for doctorate degrees for practicing APRNs? I have a lot of interests so I'm open to anything.

Thank you!

I know this question was asked a while ago and so OP may not need any advice, but I'll write my comment in case anyone else has a similar question and finds this thread.

I got my PhD in Nursing recently and chose not to go the tenure-track assistant professor route. I had worked for a few different professors over the years at my school as a grad research assistant, and had been told during my PhD program that I would definitely get tenure-track if I wanted it. However, after spending so many years at the school I really just wanted to get a job in a different setting.

I found a postdoc program at a research hospital that I got accepted into and a year into that I was offered a permanent position as a nurse scientist.

In a nutshell, my role is to bring in lots of funding to the hospital for research. So I come up with a research project I want to carry out, write a grant in an attempt to secure funding for it, and (when successful) use the funds to get the study up and running. I'll be the Principal Investigator of the study and I'll hire people (usually already within the hospital) to execute it, e.g., someone to be the Study Coordinator, nurses to be Research Assistants, and other people in various roles which can vary greatly by the scope of the study (for instance, I've hired a couple engineers to make me some novel equipment I needed). And, of course, once the study is completed you are then trying to get it published in a journal.

This is similar to what I would have been doing if I went for tenure track at the university, with a few key differences. One is that I would say that while getting research published is still important in my current role, it doesn't have the same "publish-or-die" mentality that is prevalent in academia. Another obvious difference is that I am not teaching classes like I would be as an associate professor.

And another key difference is the pay. I have a couple friends who also got their PhDs in nursing and who both went the tenure-track route. From what they have told me their starting salary is in the $80k-$90k range. Whereas my starting salary is $180k, and this is in a hospital system known for being on the lower end of the wage spectrum.