Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) celebrates the 10th anniversary milestone of the PhD in Nursing Program. The program was developed in the mid-2000s and admitted its first students in the fall of 2006. Created in response to both the School’s growth in research as well as producing the next generation of nurse researchers and faculty members, the program has grown tremendously in its faculty size, research focus and student enrollment since its inception.

The focus of the doctoral program, Trajectories of Chronic Illness and Care Systems, was designed to prepare nurse researchers for academic roles and to conduct longitudinal studies on aspects of chronic illness. Ruth Anderson, PhD, MSN, MA, RN, FAAN, professor emerita, served as the inaugural chair of the program and was followed by Linda L. Davis, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor emerita and Ann Henshaw Gardiner Professor of Nursing.  Current Program Director Debra Brandon, PhD, RN, CCNS, FAAN, associate professor, has led the program since 2011.

“Early in the program, there was a strong focus on young children, pediatrics and the elderly because at the time that was the focus area of our senior and junior faculty,” said Brandon. “As our faculty has grown, so has the research focus, which allows us to attract more students with diverse interests.”

Current studies with expert Duke faculty focus on a large variety of trajectories such as neonatal pulmonology, oncology, sickle cell disease management, transgender health, depression and mental health disparities, health equity and social justice with low-wealth women, informatics, HIV and adolescents and so much more.

As DUSON embarks on preparing nursing leaders who will shape the future as part of its new strategic plan, Brandon would like to see the program continue to respond to the needs of the future. “My hope for the next 10 years is that we remain on the cutting edge of innovation as we see new knowledge. For instance, as health systems continue to implement electronic medical records, there will be greater access to data of different types, and we want to be able explore these data to answer important health care questions.”

Second year PhD student Zhao Ni was born in Xichang, China and received a bachelor of medicine degree from Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2012. He then traveled to Durham to attend DUSON, where he received his BSN in May of 2014. “Duke is a really great school, and the environment and atmosphere here are supportive, and it encourages you to strive for excellence,” Ni said. “Even as an ABSN student, I gained so much knowledge, and now that I’m in the PhD program, it’s allowing me to expand on that knowledge and enhance my skills for my future career.”

Ni was so sure that DUSON would be the right choice for him that it was the only PhD program that he applied to after finishing his BSN. His research area of focus is in cardiovascular disease prevention and management. “In China, more and more people are using mobile technology. Therefore, my area of focus will study patients who’ve been diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease and how we can use mobile technology to improve things like medication adherence and other aspects regarding their health care,” he said.

Upon completing the program, Ni hopes to become a professor in either the United States or China. “I want to give back to students what I’ve been given here and educate them in my area of research,” said Ni. “I also would love the opportunity to work with the Chinese government to incorporate a research program that would expand my study in improving medication adherence for Chinese citizens.”

Each academic year, the PhD program admits a small number of highly qualified applicants to ensure that every student can work closely with one or more faculty members in a series of mentored experiences supported by formal course work.

Brandon agrees wholeheartedly with this approach. “One of our mainstays is that our program is very student centric. Mentoring is one of the primary components of our program, and it’s just not one-on-one with a faculty member who might chair the research with the student,” she said. “Our students will receive mentoring from a variety of faculty members. This component is what makes our students so successful because they’re able to see faculty functioning in a variety of capacities, which enhances their learning.”

Second year PhD student Dominique Bulgin said that a mentoring environment was extremely important for her as she began this academic journey. “Coming directly from a BSN into a PhD program, one of the most important things for me in considering which PhD program I would choose was mentorship,” said Bulgin. “In visiting Duke and talking with various faculty, I was able to clearly see that there was a strong mentoring environment, and students here are really put first.”

Bulgin, whose research focus is on sickle cell management, the stigma of the disease and quality of life for individuals diagnosed with the disease in the United States and Jamaica, says since coming to DUSON, she has learned so much and appreciates the access to resources that the program provides.

Upon completing the program, Bulgin will continue her research in hopes of improving the quality of life for those affected by sickle cell disease. “I’m also interested in teaching, but since I’m still fairly new to the program, I know there are so many opportunities to consider.”

Bulgin is correct in stating that there are many opportunities after completing the program. PhD graduates of the DUSON program have gone on to a variety of careers. Several are assistant professors or postdoctoral scholars at schools of nursing across the country.  Heather Elser, PhD'12, works as a senior manager of clinical operations for a specialty biopharmaceutical company for patients with rare diseases, and Tiffany Kelley, PhD'12, founded Nightingale Apps, an application that provides actionable insights and guides practitioners in achieving optimal health outcomes for their patients. Kyong Hyatt, PhD'13, works as a nurse scientist for a military medical center in the northeast.

As DUSON continues its journey in leading innovative nursing education nationally and globally, the PhD in Nursing Program pushes forward with its goal to better understand, develop, test and translate pioneering research into practice.