Program Overview

Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) in Nursing

The PhD in Nursing program offered by Dalhousie's School of Nursing prepares nurse scientists and scholars. Our graduates advance nursing knowledge, theory, and practice, as well as health policy, through scholarly research.

Program Overview

The PhD (Nursing) program is a full-time, research-based degree that is focused on preparing students for a career in research. Students are expected to complete the program in four years.

Key Features

• Dalhousie's PhD in Nursing is the only nursing doctorate degree offered in Nova Scotia.
• PhD in Nursing students have been successful applicants for national funding (CIHR, Killam, Vanier).

Program Focus

The doctoral program is geared toward the study of short and long-term impacts of nursing practice at the individual, family, community, and population levels, with a particular emphasis on nursing-sensitive and/or women's health outcomes.

Research and Study

Each PhD student organizes the program around his or her investigation of a particular research question relevant to nursing. In required classes and doctoral seminars, students analyze and critique health concepts and social policies from a nursing perspective.

Graduate Outcomes

Graduates leave with an advanced understanding of research methodology, ready to contribute to the development of nursing theory and practice.

Philosophy

Graduate studies at Dalhousie's School of Nursing are guided by a philosophy of primary health care that recognizes the unique strengths of individuals, families, and communities. The program emphasizes the five principles defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the 1978 Alma Ata International Conference on Primary Health Care and reaffirmed in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion in 1986, which are:

• Accessibility of health care for all people regardless of their geographic location, income, culture, race, etc.
• Health promotion, injury/illness prevention focus as opposed to illness treatment and curative care focus
• Participation of individuals, families, groups, and communities in decisions that affect their health
• Intersectoral collaboration, which acknowledges that health is determined by social, economic, and physical environment factors
• Appropriate technology, which is affordable and accessible to people and communities