This textbook is a practical, user-friendly and essential guide for doctoral students, their supervisors and advisors and administrators of doctoral programs in nursing and health sciences. Nurses and health scientists have a relatively young tradition of doctoral training, and this means students often come to doctoral studies without a clear understanding of what is required to be successful at this level of education. Supporting students to successful completion of doctoral studies involves a complex fusion of skills, and yet researchers and academics receive little specialist training in this crucial area of teaching and learning. Strong pedagogies around doctoral supervision and writing are essential because in addition to the scientific, research and educative skills required, it is important to be able to establish and maintain enabling professional relationships within which both parties can thrive, and that can withstand the years of critique needed for doctoral work. The authors offer supervisors, advisors, students and administrators practical advice on helping students thrive, and steering them through various challenges that can arise during doctoral candidature. With a focus on nursing and health sciences, the authors take a global approach, recognising the international focus of doctoral training in nursing and health sciences. The authors of this book are experienced supervisors and advisors to doctoral students and together, have well over 100 successful doctoral completions and more than 1000 publications. They draw on a series of interviews and case studies to share their knowledge and experience and provide insights and guidance to inspire and support student progression and ensure students get the most out of their doctoral studies.
Author Biography:
Debra Jackson AO, RN, PhD, SFHEA, FACN is Professor of Nursing at the University of Sydney and University of Technology Sydney. She holds a number of international roles including Professor of Nursing at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust (UK), Visiting Professor at Florence Nightingale Faculty, Kings College London (UK), Bournemouth University (UK), and Auckland University of Technology (NZ). In 2020 Professor Jackson was named Australia’s leading nurse researcher. In 2019 Professor Jackson was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to medical education in the field of nursing practice and research as an academic and author. She is a committed and experienced mentor and supervisor of developing researchers, scholars and leaders. She has supervised more than 50 students to completion and has won a Vice-Chancellors award for excellence in doctoral supervision and training (2007). Professor Jackson has published widely, with over 400 publications including journal articles, books and book chapters. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
Kim Usher AM, RN, PhD, FACMHN, FACN, is Professor of Nursing in the School of Health, Research Fellow Oxford-Brookes, Oxford, UK, Research Fellow, Ngangk Yira Research Centre for Aboriginal Health & Social Equity, and, Adjunct Professor, Murdoch University, Australia. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing and member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Clinical Nursing and Nursing and Health Sciences. To date, she has over 300 peer-reviewed journal publications and numerous book chapters. Her h-index is 25 (orchid), 41 (google scholar) with an i10-index of 120. Professor Usher was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia in 2017 in recognition of sustained contribution to nursing and midwifery education and research. She was recognised for teaching by the award of an Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2008) and a James Cook University Vice Chancellor’s Award for Higher Degree Research Supervision in 2009. Professor Usher has successfully supervised over 30 PhD students to completion, and continues to supervise a large number of higher degree research students. Her students have received numerous awards and most publish numerous outcomes from their research during their period of candidature.
Patricia M. Davidson RN, PhD FAAN Professor Patricia M. Davidson joined the University of Wollongong as Vice-Chancellor in May 2021. Prior to her current role, Professor Davidson was dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore in the United States. In 2021 she was the recipient of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) Distinguished Leader Award. This honour celebrates her exceptional contributions to the advancement of global health worldwide.
As aglobal leader in nursing, health care, and advocacy, Professor Davidson’s work focuses on person-centred care delivery and the improvement of cardiovascular health outcomes for women and vulnerable populations. She has extensively studied chronic conditions, transitional care, palliative care, and the translation of innovative, acceptable, and sustainable health initiatives across the world.
Professor Davidson serves as counsel general of the International Council on Women’s Health Issues, and was a past board member of CUGH and secretary general of the Secretariat of the World Health Organizations Collaborating Centres for Nursing and Midwifery. She also serves on the Board of Health Care Services for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in the United States.
