Investigating healthcare challenges and imparting knowledge

A Close-Knit Community of Scholars

Tremendous opportunities await PhD-prepared nurses more than ever. According to the American Nurses Association, this group constitutes less than five percent of the total nursing population, and many are expected to retire in the next ten years. The global nursing shortage has received a great deal of media coverage on the clinical side, but what about education and research?

The need for nursing leaders, scientists, and researchers is no less critical. Nurses with PhDs are in many cases the unsung heroes of the profession, for they establish the scientific evidence as the bedrock for nursing practice and policy and, via classroom instruction, mentorship, and publication, disseminate the seeds of their knowledge around the globe. PhD-educated nurse scientists and scholars continuously fortify and augment the foundation of evidence-based research to support and enhance the efficacy of nursing practice.

Merging Excellence in Nursing Research and Education

The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing (FPB), as a recognized leader in nursing education, is committed to bringing change in nursing practice based on evidence, and the PhD program was one of the first doctoral programs of nursing to gain worldwide recognition.

NOTE: FPB does not administer the PhD Program. This responsibility belongs instead to the Case School of Graduate Studies. The doctoral program that is overseen by FPB is the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

Highlights of FPB's PhD Program

• Over 80 years of history in research and advancement of nursing science and theory, as well as innovative and accommodating educational programs

• Four different entry points and scheduling options: traditional format, fast-track option, summers-only option, and accelerated option

• Strong clinical and research affiliations with some of the best hospitals in the country--namely University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, and MetroHealth Medical Center

• Opportunities to become full-fledged collaborators at FPB's Centers of Excellence

• Students get involved in a research practicum with an FPB faculty mentor, giving them a fully hands-on experience that directly applies concepts learned in the classroom to the day-to-day functioning of a live research study

• Six different research areas of faculty expertise: cardiopulmonary, gerontology, health services, maternal-child, mental health, and oncology/genetics

• Optional education courses that ensure that PhD graduates are prepared to assume the full faculty role upon graduation