Pathways to the PhD in Nursing: An Analysis of Similarities and Differences.

New educational pathways are needed to increase the number of doctor of philosophy (PhD)-prepared nurses. To address this need, an early-entry PhD option designed to engage students in PhD coursework and research during the undergraduate nursing major was developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. An evaluation comparing the early-entry option with two more conventional entry points was conducted.

A prebaccalaureate PhD option: shaping the future of research-focused doctoral education.

The future of PhD education in nursing is at a crossroads. Our current practice of primarily enrolling post-master's students with years of clinical experience is not producing an adequate number of graduates who are able to make significant and sustained contributions to nursing research. Therefore, it is timely to consider educational innovations that encourage a different population of students to consider doctoral research training.