Career opportunities for doctoral-prepared nurses.

Abstract

As we face the 21st century, transitions fare occurring in all of society's major institutions. Nowhere is this transition more evident than in education and the health care industry. There is an explosion of information and the use of educational technology is now opening doors never entered before. In health care, greater influence by third-party players and consumers can be seen as major factors in a new and more highly competitive health care system. With the advent of managed health care, clearly more money must be spent in nursing research since in mos instances, nursing is a big ticket item in any health care agency's budget. Determining best practice models and testing them, participating in outcomes research that looks in multidisciplinary practice, and developing new knowledge to serve the needs of our rapidly changing and diverse population requires more and better prepared nurse researchers. The 21st century will also bring unprecedented numbers of nursing faculty who are part of the baby boomer generation face-to face with retirement. The retirement of these doctoral-prepared faculty will create a huge vacuum that will demand to be filled. Clearly, given the demographics in our country, as these doctoral-prepared nurses reach retirement age, they and their peers will begin to experience the chronic illnesses that are characteristic of our older citizens. More, not less, professional nurses will be needed to meet the demand for health promotion, disease prevention, and care of the acute and chronically ill. More, not less, nursing faculty will be needed to produce the require number of professional nurses and to replace their retiring colleagues. A doctoral degree in nursing will be the key to many opportunities and will bring greater rewards than those who hold the same degree today. For the next generation of graduates, the doctor degree in nursing will truly be a "hot ticket item".