Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science

Purpose

The purpose of the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science is to promote the career advancement of learners in the field of Nursing by enabling them to conduct independent, novel research within a specific Nursing Sciences discipline or through a multidisciplinary approach relevant to health-care needs.

The qualification will therefore provide advanced scientific research, education, and training for experienced nurse practitioners in the various nursing specialities and related fields. The qualification will equip learners with high-level scientific research, academic leadership, and innovation skills in a nursing context. This qualification is designed to further the scientific experience, competence, and knowledge of engagement and leadership of candidates in Nursing Science.

The qualification consists of pure research rather than coursework. Candidates will be required to plan and undertake a rigorous and advanced research project focusing on defined and conceptualised nursing and health related research problems culminating in the submission, assessment and approval of a final research report comprising an original thesis or another form of suitable submission that is commensurate with the nature of the discipline or field and the specific area of enquiry.

The qualification aims to broaden the range of the graduate's ability and prepare him or her to be at the forefront of health-care management and professional practice in the nursing field, empowered to demonstrate ethical and socially responsible behaviours and effective teamwork, high level critical and problem-solving skills, as well as communication and presentation skills.

The qualification is designed to prepare learners for development of complex, industry-driven nursing and health related research The defining characteristic of this qualification is that, in addition to the demonstration of high-level research and analytical capability, it will test the candidate's ability to integrate theory with practice through the application of theoretical knowledge to highly complex problems in a wide range of nursing and health related professional contexts.

Rationale

The changing healthcare needs and challenges require innovation to deliver relevant and appropriate solutions at the national and global levels. In South Africa, there is a need to develop highly skilled nurse researchers with skills and competencies required for active participation in solving health-related problems, as well as developing and empowering younger nurses as nurse researchers. This qualification will strengthen graduates' skills and competencies as healthcare institutions require evidence-based practitioners to function effectively and ensure the achievement of positive health outcomes. The nursing field requires graduates with a doctoral degree to maintain a high-ranking profession and enhance the delivery of quality healthcare, as well as to produce graduate nurses.

There is also a need to increase the number of PhD holders among academics in all universities. South Africa currently has about 35% of its academic staff holding a doctoral qualification. This is far below the National Development Plan (NDP) target to achieve 75% of academics with a doctoral qualification by 2030. The low number of registered nurses with doctoral degrees is also evident in the nursing field. Due to the limited number of supervisors with adequate qualifications, universities offering nursing doctoral degrees handle many applications that exceed the supply of supervisors. This qualification will provide an opportunity to bridge the gap. Graduates of this qualification will be able to join higher education institutions as academics and contribute to the development of new nurse graduates, research projects, and solve health problems to achieve better health outcomes. In addition, graduates will remain in the clinical setting as practising nurses and as research champions, with the research skills and competencies to enhance evidence-based practice and address healthcare issues in their practice.

Nursing professionals are the backbone of health-care services, as they form the core of health-care provision. According to the 2020 State of the World Nursing Report, nursing is the largest occupational group, accounting for approximately 59% of the health professionals in the health sector. The current global nursing shortage is a widespread challenge resulting in a lack of professional and skilled nurses needed to care for individual patients and the population. The challenges include nurse staffing, nursing research and education resources, the increasing complexity of healthcare and care problems, technology, and the rapidly ageing populations in developed nations. Because studies have shown that an inadequate professional nurse in clinical settings has a significant negative impact on patient outcomes, including mortality, the nursing shortage is taking lives, and impairing the health and well-being of millions. It is a global public health crisis. The training of nurse practitioners with doctoral degrees will facilitate improvement in nursing education and practice, as the developed competencies will be applied in practice by these graduates. The literature review highlights that currently, most South African doctoral graduate nurses move to academia. However, there is a need to ensure assimilation of these graduates into practice, and that can be achieved through the production of more nurses with doctoral qualifications.

To address the shortage by 2030 in all countries, the total number of nurse graduates would need to increase by 8% per year on average, alongside an improved capacity to employ and retain these graduates. Current trends indicate 36 million nurses must be trained by 2030, leaving a shortage of 5.7 million, primarily in the African, South-East Asia, and Eastern Mediterranean regions. The case for investing in nursing education requires immediate action and has also been highlighted in the NDP 2030. The qualification will address the community's needs.

This qualification will contribute to research and strengthen the nursing services. It will empower professional nurses in basic and specialist nursing categories. The qualification will contribute to the creation of new knowledge through conducting various types of research in the field of nursing. Nursing and leadership in South Africa are committed to meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), addressing the complex burden of disease, and ensuring responsiveness to population health needs. The qualification will prepare nursing science specialists to play a leading role in addressing these issues, enabling a legal, policy, and fiscal environment through research activities and findings in evidence-based nursing practice.

The demands on the knowledge, skills, and competencies of professionals in the health sector are increasing exponentially. There is therefore a dramatic increase in the demand for nurse scientists and professionals who can function not only as clinical nurses but also as sufficiently skilled and qualified nurse practitioners who can contribute to the creation of new knowledge and effectively engage with the problems, challenges and demands of the health sector in the broader economic environment and communicate their science effectively. The qualification has a strong academic and research focus. The institution has an established Department of Nursing with an existing Master of Nursing as a firm foundation on which to build the PhD. The qualification has a well-developed, integrated structure of learning domains. Learners with this qualification will effectively engage with the competence conceptual-contextual spectrum, representing the distinctive knowledge base, skills base, and application of these competencies, without being excessively complex.

The qualification was developed in consultation with stakeholders to provide the necessary information on the required learner profile, knowledge, and attributes from nursing education institutions, the public, and private sectors. National and Provincial policy documents issued by the Department of Health were included in the development of the curriculum. Guidelines provided by professional educational bodies such as the Nursing Education Association (NEA), the Forum for University Deans in SA (FUNDISA), the Council for Principals and Staff (CPAS), and the South African Nursing Council, as the accrediting body, guided the philosophical approach and the content of the curriculum. The Health Sciences Advisory Board Members and lay activists represented the community. The internal stakeholders, namely the nursing academic and clinical educators from the institution, contributed to the development of the qualification.

The demand for competent and skilful professional practitioners and managers with doctoral degrees to engage in the changing health-care environment is growing significantly. This qualification will consolidate the professional and academic proficiency of graduates through increased knowledge, conceptual and practical skills, motivation, and competence to:

• Demonstrate sufficient expertise and critical knowledge in nursing theory and practice with an ability to independently conceptualise new research initiatives and create new knowledge and/or practice in their professional environment.
• Contribute to scholarly debates around theories of knowledge and processes of knowledge production in his/her area of nursing study or practice.
• Develop new methods, techniques, processes, systems or technologies in original, creative and innovative ways appropriate to specialised and complex nursing and health-care related contexts.
• Apply specialist knowledge and theory in critically reflexive, creative and novel ways to address complex practical and theoretical problems in specialised and complex nursing and health-care related contexts.
• Identify, address and manage emerging ethical issues, and to advance processes of ethical decision-making, including monitoring and evaluation of the consequences of these decisions in specialised and complex nursing and health-care related contexts.
• Making independent judgements about managing incomplete or inconsistent information or data sets and systems in an iterative process of analysis and synthesis, for the development of significant original insights into new complex and abstract ideas, information, or issues in specialised and complex nursing and health-care related contexts.
• Produce substantial, independent, in-depth and publishable work which meets international standards, that is new or innovative by peers and makes a significant contribution to specialised and complex nursing and health-care related contexts.
• Develop a communication strategy to disseminate and defend research, strategic and policy initiatives, and their implementation to specialist and non-specialist audiences using the full resources of an academic and professional or occupational discourse in specialised and complex nursing and health-care related contexts.
• Apply theoretical underpinnings in the management of complex systems to achieve systemic change and an ability to independently design, sustain, and manage change within a system or systems in specialised and complex nursing and health-care related contexts.
• Demonstrate intellectual independence, research leadership, and management of research and research development in specialised and complex nursing and health-care related contexts.
• Operate independently and take full responsibility for his or her work, and where appropriate, to lead, oversee, and be held ultimately accountable for the overall governance of processes and systems in specialised and complex nursing and health-care related contexts.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL is a process of identifying the knowledge and skills of an applicant against the admission requirements of a qualification. The process involves the identification, mediation, assessment, and acknowledgement of knowledge and skills obtained through informal, non-formal, and/or formal learning to define possible areas of recognition of acquired competence and knowledge levels.

The RPL is a multi-dimensional and multi-contextual process. The institution has an approved RPL Policy applicable to equivalent qualifications for admission into the qualification. The RPL process includes guidance, counselling, and the preparation of a portfolio of evidence for the past 10 years to be presented by the RPL candidate to meet institutional requirements. The applicant's documentation and portfolio or learning outcomes will be evaluated by the department to determine whether the applicant is competent for the requested level of study. A recommendation will be made and submitted for further engagement or further assessments to show proof of research skills and proficiency to be enrolled in the desired qualification. An appeal procedure is also in place to accommodate queries. RPL in this qualification will relate to gaining access to the qualification and/or advanced standing as described in institutional guidelines.

Candidates are selected against the admission requirements of the programme. The guidelines of the institution's RPL policy will be adhered to. Advanced standing in doctoral studies is determined. RPL will be prioritised, as levels of legacy qualifications may pose a problem for admission to the doctoral degree. Applicants are required to give an overview of their qualifications and career, reflecting on the knowledge they have developed as a result, to be able to access the doctoral programme. In addition, they are required to indicate the topic for their thesis.

RPL for access

• RPL for access applies to applicants who do not hold a master's degree in nursing or its equivalent at NQF Level 9
• To be considered for admission in the qualification based on RPL, applicants should provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that they have acquired the relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to cope with the qualification expectations should they be allowed entrance into the qualification.
• Applicants may gain access to the qualification if they provide evidence of research activities in the last 3 years, and they have at least two article publications in a peer-reviewed, accredited journal as first author.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Master of Health Sciences in Nursing, NQF Level 9.

Or

• Master of Nursing, NQF Level 9.

Or

• Master of Nursing Science, NQF Level 9.

Or

• Master of Science in Nursing, NQF Level 9.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 10, totalling 360 credits.

Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 10, 360 Credits

• Research and Thesis, 360 Credits.

1. Demonstrate the ability to formulate and effectively conceptualise nursing-related research and development problems to investigate research and interrogate such problems to contribute effectively and accurately to credible solutions in the field of nursing.
2. Demonstrate mastery of the skills and methods of research and ability for advanced critical analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of new and complex ideas through the development and successful conclusion of an independent research project in the nursing field.
3. Demonstrate ability to communicate and defend scientific process, methodology, findings, and conclusions of such research project with academic and professional peers and the broader health sector (specialist and non-specialist audiences).
4. Demonstrate the proficiency to conduct the research project and follow the research process in an ethical and accountable manner.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Conceptualise a relevant research problem within the nursing environment
• Apply sound knowledge of the theoretical aspects of the subject matter in the research project.
• Conduct a critical evaluation of appropriate literature to support the research.
• Develop and design a suitable and appropriate research strategy, research methods, and techniques to collect relevant and accurate data to address the research question/s towards the creation of new knowledge.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Apply appropriate research methods and techniques to address the research question/s of the research project towards the creation of new knowledge.
• Apply, develop, and/or design suitable scientific data management and analytical tools and methods to analyse and interpret the collected data about the stated research question/s.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Compile, logically structure, and coherently develop a thesis report or another form of suitable submission, reporting on, interrogating, and developing coherent lines of reasoning and appropriately addressing the research questions.
• Successfully produce a thesis report or another form of suitable submission, meeting national and international standards as evaluated by experts in the nursing field.
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals offering original perspectives and thinking on the research problems under investigation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Adhere to all ethical principles in the process of conducting a research project and the dissemination of research findings.
• Comply with all the relevant regulations and legal requirements, such as the Protection of Personal Information Act, in the research process.