Increasing PhD Prepared Nurses Takes More Than Federal Initiatives: Opportunities Exist at the Institutional Level to Improve the Application Process

A master's prepared nurse's experience navigating the PhD application process revealed systemic inefficiencies at the institutional level that could deter qualified nurses from pursuing doctoral education. While financial assistance programs like the Nurse Faculty Loan Program help address faculty shortages, they do not resolve barriers such as inconsistent online program definitions, lack of transparency in application and tuition costs, outdated application processes and unresponsive admission offices. Nursing schools should adopt a continuous improvement process mindset and streamline the application process from the perspective of the applicant. Modernizing the application process and improving internal communication within the academic institution could lead to an increased interest in a school's program. Identifying barriers to transitioning to an online program will also potentially expand the pipeline of doctoral-prepared nurses. Using the Lean management methodology can provide academic institutions with the tools needed to create meaningful and measured improvements.