Graduate Programs
Degree Programs
Ph.D. in Nursing
Focus Areas of Study w/ Wide Applications
Scholars are prepared in clinical nursing science and health systems. Ph.D. students work closely with faculty mentors, utilizing the resources available at IUSON, and participate in intensive research studies. Focus areas reflect faculty research strengths.
Clinical Nursing Science
Clinical nursing science concentrates on the interrelationships of health promotion, health behavior, and quality of life in acute and chronic illness throughout the life span. This focus area includes the prevention and early detection of disabilities across the continuum of care and the enhancement of the health and well-being for individuals, families, and communities. Examples of scholarship and faculty research topics in clinical nursing science include:
- Family adaptation to chronic illness
- Improvement of quality of life in persons with chronic illness, including epilepsy and renal disease
- Behavioral oncology across the cancer continuum (including cancer prevention, detection, and symptom management)
- Improvement of quality of life in patients with cardiovascular disease, particularly heart failure
- Tailored intervention studies to improve quality of life
- Patient care safety
- Childhood adaptation to chronic illness
Health Systems
Health systems operate to create structures and resources that enable individuals and communities to achieve optimal health. This focus area includes the science of nursing education, informatics, health policy, and administration. Examples of scholarship and faculty research topics within the focus of health systems include:
- Teaching and learning in Web-based courses
- Clinical reasoning
- Assessment of learning and program evaluation
- Health policy and public policy analysis
- Computer systems to enhance care delivery
- Nursing informatics
- Narrative pedagogies
- Patient care simulations
- Community-based care coordination
