ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of Central Florida’s PhD in Nursing program takes the top spot in the country, according to a ranking by RegisteredNursing.org.
The nursing advocacy organization said the programs were judged on factors like how well a program supports students during school, towards licensure, and beyond.
“Nurses can perform different professional roles aside from caring for patients in a hospital or clinical setting. From conducting original research to teaching, nurses can pursue their Ph.D. in Nursing online at the University of Central Florida. Students learn to contribute to the discipline as an academic,” read the description for the top-ranked program at UCF.
The top five schools are as follows:
- University of Central Florida
- Endicott College
- Mercer University
- Texas Woman’s University
- William Carey University
In February, NEWS 6 anchor Justin Warmoth sat down with Mary Lou Sole, the dean of UCF’s College of Nursing, on “The Weekly” to discuss the nursing shortage.
Florida is projected to have a shortage of 59,100 registered nurses and licensed practical nurses by 2035, according to a report by the Florida Hospital Association.
“We know that Central Florida’s growing,” Sole said. “We’re trying to partner with our health care facilities on how we can educate more nurses and more faculty to teach those nurses and then keep everybody engaged and retained once they’re hired at the facilities. It’s so important to address Central Florida and Florida as a whole.”
According to RegisteredNursing.org, candidates seeking a PhD in nursing focus on research and education, helping to pave the way to “shape the next generation of nurses.”
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