2014-2015 Innovations Magazine

i nnovations • 23 gRADUATE pROgRAMS The Ph.D. in Nursing Education was an innova- tive degree when it was initiated in 2007 because few Ph.D. programs at that time focused on preparing nurses to utilize best practices in educat- ing new professionals and conducting research on those educational practices. This program extends the education of current nursing faculty from around the country and creates a path of entry into nursing education for prospective faculty members. The Ph.D. in Nursing Education program is not only for those seeking a nursing faculty career path, but also for those nurses who envision a role in re- search and evidence-based practice positions within health care organizations. This program is still highly sought after and competitive as the gray- ing of nursing faculty members is of major concern to both educational and health care institutions. Because the program is completely online, it draws students from around the nation due to its continued success, much of which is due to its dis- tinguished faculty members who possess strong curricular and higher education leadership experi- ence and are on the cutting edge of new technol- ogy and teaching strategies. All students come together once a year for a Summer Institute that serves as the orientation program for both new and current students and provides face-to-face opportunities to socially and professionally interact with the peers and faculty members they have been talking to in a virtual environment. The most valuable experience of this Summer Institute is the time set aside for scholarly dialogue. Students are invited to meet in an informal session with Ph.D.-prepared faculty members to discuss dissertation ideas and obtain feedback on those ideas from a community of faculty scholars. The program is known for its responsiveness to student suggestions to improve their doctoral ex- perience. A recent example is students mentioning that they have viewed the presentations associ- ated with proposals and final defenses as some- what anxiety-producing because of the lack of opportunity to attend other students’ defenses as the program is online. Our faculty has plans to videotape several students’ proposals and final defenses and make them available for student viewing. In addition, because students wish to be a part of the celebration of their colleagues’ suc- cessful final defenses, the faculty is investigating the use of the Go to Meeting platform for synchro- nous final defenses. pH.D. IN NURSINg EDUcATION pROgRAM p H .D. STUDENTS AND pROFESSORS cONDUcTINg DIAbETES RESEARcH ( FROM lEFT ): p AM S ANFORD , M.S.N., R.N., M ARIE H ANkINSON , M.S.N., R.N., p ATRIcIA W ElcH D ITTMAN , p H .D., M.S.N., cDE, AND J O A NN k lEIER , p H .D., E D .D., AcNp-bc.