A new PhD program at the University of New Brunswick will help address nursing faculty shortages in the province.
Approved in January, the PhD in nursing is a full-time, four-year program, designed to teach nurses with a masters-level education how to lead research, education and policy making.
UNB announced the initiative last week, which according to Sue O’Donnell, associate dean of research and graduate studies at the faculty of nursing and health sciences, is the first program of its kind in New Brunswick.
“Having a PhD in nursing is important, both in terms of ensuring that we are meeting the work sectors demands, as well to ensure we are able to contribute to the sustainability and ongoing advance in nursing education, research, and professional practice,” she added.
O’Donnell explained that like any other work sectors in Canada, nursing faculty is also facing an ageing workforce.
According to a survey by the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing, 45 per cent of permanent nursing faculty in Canada were over the age of 50, and another 18 per cent over the age of 60.
The survey also highlighted that the schools are not always able to fill faculty vacancies as there are just not enough PhD prepared graduates.
Before launching the program, professional nurses in New Brunswick that were interested in pursuing a doctorate had limited options, with many having to leave the province to complete their studies.
O’Donnell said by establishing the degree locally, nurses will have more opportunities to stay in the province and develop their career in New Brunswick.
O’Donnell added that the program will be primarily delivered online — with the exception of several short in-person residencies at the UNB Fredericton campus during the first year — to make it more accessible to interested candidates.
“We definitely recognize that in order to make our programs accessible and possible to pursue graduate education, that we need to think about minimize barriers,” she said.
O’Donnell said most graduate programs have an online component, but she believes UNB’s is unique as is the first to be launched mostly online.
The program will consist of a cohort of four or five students, who once admitted to the program will complete six required courses in their first year, and complete comprehensive exams.
After their first year, the students will work on their dissertation under the supervision of supervisory committee for the last three years.
As the province faces a health-care crisis, and as New Brunswick struggles with the second-worst retention rate of young nurses — according to a report by the Montreal Economic Institute — O’Donnell said the PhD program will help train faculty to prepare nurses who can play a larger role in addressing the crisis.
“It’s contributing to the ongoing sustainability of nursing programs because we need faculty to teach those programs and then also serve that research mandate that ensures the ongoing research science that is necessary for informing practice,” she added.
