All About the Doctor of Nursing Education

While 2.6 million individuals were employed across the United States in 2008 as nurses, this number is far from adequate to meet the ever growing needs of the health care industry. As America's Baby-Boomer generation approaches retirement and their golden years, they place an increasingly heavy burden on the country's health systems. Nursing is the most in demand career field within health care with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating that 560,000 new nurses will be needed by 2018. One of the most in demand positions within nursing revolves around education and research. Earning a Doctor of Nursing Education is a great way to prepare yourself for a high level position within nursing.

The Doctor of Nursing Education degree is designed to prepare current nurses to apply for advanced positions within the health care field, responsible largely for the education of new nurses and conducting advanced research. This PhD level degree is available in traditional on-campus education programs or through various online institutions, and can take anywhere from four to six years to complete.

Those interested in enrolling in a Doctor of Nursing Education program need to meet certain requirements. While the requirements will vary from program to program, but typical requirements include:

• GPA over 3.0
• Transcripts from master's level education
• Completion of Master of Science in Nursing
• A current Registered Nurse license

Once enrolled in a program students will face a tough road that will include coursework, research, and a lengthy dissertation at the end. The first two years of the PhD process require students to complete their coursework. Typical PhD courses include but are not limited to the following:

• Nursing Science Foundations
• Health Care Ethics
• Nursing Education
• Adult Health Nursing Clinical
• Health Care Informatics

Courses will vary from program to program and can also vary depending upon the area of specialization that the student chooses. Students are encouraged to choose a specialization after their first two years of coursework are completed.

Upon graduating from a Doctor of Nursing Education program students will be able to pursue a career in advanced clinical practices, research, or nursing education settings. Examples of careers for PhD graduates include:

• Nurse Scientist
• Nurse Researcher
• Health Policy Analyst
• Professor

The nursing career field needs people, and only the best will be accepted into nursing PhD programs. If you have what it takes and want to make an impact in the health care industry, a Doctor of Nursing Education might be right for you!