Professors’ view on the appropriate postgraduate degree in nursing education: A comparative study in two different sociocultural societies and literature review

Generally, studying and taking license in doctorate of nursing should be according tothe society's requirement for better applying of that doctorate degree. In this line,selecting appropriate doctorate program is one the most challenges for any nurses thatfulfill the different professional need of nursing disciplinary in academic and clinicalsettings. The purposes of present study were comparison of the PhD and DNPprograms aims and determining appropriate doctoral program from the American andIranian professor's perspective according to the academic and clinical contexts. Thedesign of study was a review and an internet-based cross-sectional research. Selectedgovernmental Universities in all over the Iran and the United States (presenting DNPprogram) were settings of study. The participants of study were lectures with theacademic position higher than instructor (Assistant professor = 32, Associate professor= 22, and Professor = 5). According to the first purpose, all of American's professorswere compared and declared clearly but the majority of Iranian's professors weren'tdifferentiated between the purposes and were explained their responses in theuncertainty halo. However, curriculum compatible with the interests and goals,increase in intellectual knowledge, career advancement, primary care clinical practice,and nursing education were described as the final purposes of PhD and DNP programs.About the second purpose, new PhD curriculum was developed according to theacademic and clinical contexts with two sections: theoretical (24 credits) and clinical(22 credits) courses. The evolution of such new doctoral program in nursing especiallyin the developing countries, due to their limitations, deficiencies, and even lacks ofresources, needs a multi and interdisciplinary partnership and cooperation toameliorate bridges and reducing barriers; because of the majority of doctoral courseshave dynamic nature and for that, need to modify and reconsider continuously.Furthermore, for better managing the new and sometimes challenging situations, suchpartnership and cooperation are so necessary.

کلیدواژه ها:

Postgraduate degree in Nursing ، Doctor of philosophy in nursing ، Doctorof nursing practice ، Nursing curriculum ، Hybrid curriculum ، New doctoratecurriculum in nursing ، Review Article