The story of the doctorally prepared nurse

This chapter presents the history of the doctorally prepared nurse. It starts by providing an overview of nursing education from the early 20th century forward and then describes the gradual shift toward earning an academic degree along with clinical education, and away from hospital-based nursing programs. The focus then shifts to changes in nursing education to include more and more nurses seeking advanced degrees, to include clinical (Doctor of Nursing Practice) and research (Doctor of Philosophy) degrees. The final section of the chapter provides a brief summary of nurses who created grand, mid-range, and practice nursing theories and then introduces the reader to nurses making a difference in several key areas: research, education, healthcare systems, quality and safety, public policy, the military, and on the global stage. The purpose of this chapter is to connect nursing education (especially doctoral education) to improving the quality of care and the health of the public..