| Nursing professionals represent one of the largest groups of healthcare professions in the United States. Nurses who educate in academic institutions across the states require higher education. Many nurse educators have completed master's level education and are considering obtaining doctoral education for various reasons. This study explored the lived experiences of these academic nurse educators' decision-making process for deciding whether or not to pursue doctoral education. Fifteen nurse educators were individually interviewed guided by a phenomenological methodology. Following transcription of the audio taped interviews, each interview was analyzed and themes were noted. Six themes were evident through the participant narratives. These were: advantages for pursuing doctoral education, disadvantages for deciding to pursue doctoral education, obstacles, beliefs about the need or requirement of doctoral education, life stability: life must be stable, streamlined, and organized, and finally, personal and developmental themes. The nature of this study depends on an insiders' view of the topic of graduate education in the nursing profession. The academic nurse educator participants shared experiences that were enfolded into and originate from multiple personal and professional loyalties. As will be reviewed, more nurses are needed at the bedside and because of this more nurses are needed in academic settings. The Institute of Medicine (2010) report has indicated a need for nurses to advance their education in a progressive manner. That document also provides guidance and recommendations for the future of nursing, and this is especially enlightening in this era of healthcare reform. Therefore this study provides a personal and in many ways, an intimate look into the life of academic nurse educators practicing in this evolving environment. |
