Beyond the Lecture Hall: Overcoming Barriers to Non-Academic Roles for Doctorally Prepared Nurses
In recent years, the nursing profession has witnessed an impressive rise in nurses pursuing doctoral degrees. Whether through a PhD focused on research excellence or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) emphasizing clinical leadership, these individuals bring exceptional levels of experience and expertise to the table. Yet, despite their advanced credentials, many find that meaningful career paths still need to be expanded mainly to academic environments. As the healthcare landscape evolves—and the need for innovative leadership intensifies—it is time to address why the profession struggles to establish and normalize non-academic roles for doctorally prepared nurses.
The Predominance of Academia
The conventional trajectory for doctorally prepared nurses has long pointed toward academia. Universities actively seek out faculty with the research skill set typified by a PhD, often giving preference to this credential in hiring decisions. Although this practice is frequently driven by archaic bias and standards to exclude individuals from the tenured faculty ranks, the need to produce the next generation of nursing scholars can inadvertently sideline other forms of doctoral preparation. As a result, many DNP-trained nurses—though clinically adept and expertly qualified to lead transformational initiatives in care delivery—encounter hiring bias that positions them as "less academic" than their PhD counterparts. The outcome is a system where doctorally prepared nurses may see academia as the default endpoint of their advanced education regardless of their degree focus. This long-standing academic stronghold can discourage exploration of alternative, non-academic opportunities and reinforce the perception that doctoral education in nursing is synonymous with a university-based career.
Core Challenges
Undefined Roles Outside Academia:
Despite doctorally prepared nurses' distinct skill sets—such as data-driven decision-making, systems-level thinking, and evidence-based practice—healthcare and related organizations often lack clearly articulated roles that tap into these competencies.
Organizational and Cultural Hurdles:
Entrenched perceptions frequently limit nurses to traditional caregiving or mid-level leadership positions, even when they hold doctoral degrees. Executive leadership, strategic decision-making, and systems innovations are still directed by individuals with administrative or medical backgrounds, leaving doctorally prepared nurses without clear pathways to top-tier positions.
Limited Visibility in Other Industries:
Beyond clinical and academic settings, fields like technology, policy, and the nonprofit sector remain largely unaware of the value doctorally prepared nurses can offer. Without concerted efforts to market these nurses' skill sets and capabilities, key decision-makers in these industries remain uninformed.
Economic Considerations:
The higher salaries and resource investments associated with hiring doctorally prepared nurses can deter organizations from creating roles that might fully leverage their expertise. The immediate cost often overshadows the long-term gains—improved patient outcomes, enhanced system efficiencies, and stronger organizational strategies—that these professionals can deliver.
Paths Toward Progress
Crafting Advanced Clinical Leadership Positions:
By explicitly defining and promoting clinical leadership roles that require doctoral training—such as chief nurse executives, directors, quality directors, Nurse strategists, CEO, CFO, COO, professional development directors, and nurse informaticists… —healthcare systems can capitalize on the evidence-based and systems-level thinking that these nurses offer.
Promoting Policy and Advocacy Opportunities:
Doctorally prepared nurses possess the scholarly rigor and clinical insight to shape healthcare policy meaningfully. Their voices are needed in think tanks, government advisory bodies, and health policy organizations, ensuring that decisions benefit from bedside experience and research acumen.
Interprofessional and Cross-Sector Collaborations:
Nursing associations, healthcare leaders, and innovators must establish alliances with industries outside traditional healthcare domains. Such partnerships highlight the versatile skill set of doctorally prepared nurses, demonstrating their value to consulting firms, biotech companies, and beyond.
Fostering Entrepreneurship and Innovation:
Equipped with a keen understanding of healthcare challenges and a knack for evidence-based solutions, doctorally prepared nurses are well-positioned to launch health-focused startups, consulting practices, and patient advocacy initiatives. Encouraging these entrepreneurial efforts diversifies their career pathways and brings novel solutions to persistent health issues.
Integrating Doctoral Expertise into Strategic Initiatives:
By involving doctorally prepared nurses in senior-level strategy sessions and innovation committees, healthcare organizations acknowledge their expertise. This integration empowers them to influence quality improvement efforts, patient safety initiatives, and broader systemic reforms.
We need TRANSFORMATIVE ACTION
For nursing to remain at the forefront of healthcare innovation, it must move beyond the prevailing assumption that doctoral education is synonymous with academic careers. The time is right to forge new paths, ensuring that doctorally prepared nurses can thrive in roles that extend well beyond the university setting. Achieving this vision demands coordinated efforts—from nursing leaders and healthcare administrators to policymakers and professional bodies—to recognize, validate, and champion these nurses' specialized contributions.
By designing clear, impactful roles and career pathways that expand beyond traditional academic confines, we empower these highly educated professionals and bolster the future of healthcare. Doctorally prepared nurses represent an underutilized resource capable of driving transformative practice, policy, and innovation change. It is time to fully leverage their talents across the entire spectrum of healthcare, community, and beyond.
