purpose of PhD in nursing??

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Just as the title suggests, what is the purpose of this? A PhD implies research and original contribution to the field of study. I don't understand what "cutting edge" research is being done in nursing. Nursing is a vocational career, you can't really do much else with a nursing degree other than be a nurse. Nursing is also limited in its scope of practice as it is a medical support role (albiet the backbone of hospitals and most medical facilities).

I didn't say nurses were incapable of research those are your words. I said NPs don't do research as they are not meant to. You take my words and twist them because you want me to be a troll on this forum, for the third time half my family are nurses, do you think I would disrespect them as you claim I am the nursing profession? I think you are only threatend by my argument.[/quote']

Speaking of twisting words, mine were that you insinuated they were incapable of research. Insinuated.

I don't know what your family situation is, nor do I know you, so I don't really know if you would disrespect a third of your family. Maybe this is your way of doing that...

I am not threatened by your argument, but I'm happy to point out your tasteless and tactless behavior.

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I'm 99% certain this is a troll thread, but here's a link to all the fake research being done by nurses and affiliates at UCSF. What a pretend field! Look at these nurses with their fake PhDs - who do they think they are, pretending to drive the field forward with scientific inquiry? We all know that nursing is nothing more than inserting foleys and cleaning up vomit, after all!

Facuty Research Activities | UCSF School of Nursing

eta: It wasn't so long ago the medicine was considered purely vocational, btw.

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I would type out a full response to this, but I think your ignorance on the subject speaks for itself.

In addition, I would seem to think that a PhD in math would pretty much be for vanity too (especially considering the lack of cutting edge mathematics research that is making news these days).

Teeheehee. Yup.

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I guess what I don't understand is that if our lovely guest knows soooo many people in the nursing profession and soooo much about the nursing profession, why is said poster on AN asking us questions? Go back under your bridge.

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I guess what I don't understand is that if our lovely guest knows soooo many people in the nursing profession and soooo much about the nursing profession why is said poster on AN asking us questions? Go back under your bridge.[/quote']

Oh man! I always fall for these!

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
Oh man! I always fall for these!

Maybe we should go troll at "All Mathematicians."

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I think it would be funny for you to get ripped apart in the math forums, so by all means. I think im going to bow out of this debate as all but about 3 posts have been helpful, and I refuse to continue this battle of wits with unarmed individuals. Good luck to you all, I can't wait to hear about all of the exciting breakthroughs in nursing.

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I think it would be funny for you to get ripped apart in the math forums so by all means. I think im going to bow out of this debate as all but about 3 posts have been helpful, and I refuse to continue this battle of wits with unarmed individuals. Good luck to you all, I can't wait to hear about all of the exciting breakthroughs in nursing.[/quote']

Good game... Thanks for playing!

Seriously, you should see a therapist about your feelings toward nurses. You may have a breakthrough...

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Good game... Thanks for playing!

Seriously, you should see a therapist about your feelings toward nurses. You may have a breakthrough...

But make sure your therapist has a PhD!

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Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.
"I know a family friend works for ST Jude's, and the nurses and nurse practitioners actively participate in research studies and make major contributions with MDs."

This is not true, it can not be. No nurse or NP is doing medical research. A nurse does not do research unless they have PhD in front of their name. NPs are practitioners, not research associates. They do not have the academic background to be doing any research, just like no one else in a STEM field is doing research unless they have a PhD. That is the purpose of a PhD.

This is a joke, right???

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

Physicians Diagnose, treat and cure, perform surgery, prescribe medications and other treatments, delegate, and have hospital admitting privileges. That is the medical model.

Nursing is advocacy for individual patients and the health of the community, holistic consideration of both physical and psychosocial, restorative, rehabilitative, education, teaching the patient, family, and community,

The Nursing Process is a scientific problem solving method. Data collection and observation, analysis and synthesis of same, formulating a care plan, performing interventions (assigning some to others within their scope), evaluation of the results of the intervention, and ALL in the best interest of the patient. Patient advocacy drive the process.

Ongoing assessment is required in acute care. Insufficient nursing staff impedes the ability of the nurse to perform ongoing assessments as needed to prevent "failure to rescue".

Thanks to Linda Aiken, PhD, RN the concept, causes, and part of the solution for deaths due to "failure to rescue" are known and in some place implemented.

Knowlege is not power by itself. When nurses use their knowlege to influence change we have the power to save lives and promote safe, therapeutic effective care delivered with compassion.

Hospital Nurse Staffing and Patient Mortality, Nurse Burnout, and ...

www.nursing.upenn.edu/.../Linda Aiken in the News PD

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

Looks like the OP decided to abandon this thread.

I'll have to say that nursing did struggle to legitimize itself as a field of scientific inquiry and what we're seeing now as an evolving field of nursing science and research is the result of hard work from leaders who paved the way. Just look at the history of the National Institute for Nursing Research (one of the Institutes of the NIH). The creation of this agency in the 1980's (started as a center and not an institute) was met with resistance and was even vetoed by then President Reagan.

If one is interested in how nurses make a difference in advancing the science of caring look to the following agencies:

National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars Program

Nurses have been elected to the Institute of Medicine for their contribution to advancing health in the US every year and in 2012 alone, 3 were elected:

Diana Wilkie

Marilyn Rantz

Jack Neeldeman

Institute of Medicine Includes Three Nurse Leaders in 2012 Membership Election | Home | Campaign for Action | Champion Nursing

Various other related articles:

CDC Recognizes Nurse Leader for Groundbreaking Research on Domestic Violence - Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

On the Cutting Edge: Nurses Using Genetic Research to Improve Patient Care, Conduct Groundbreaking Research - Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Cedars-Sinai

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