When Ryan Page, MSN, RN, started his PhD journey at the Indiana University School of Nursing, he wasn’t just seeking another credential, he was searching for mentors who believed in his potential and a place where his ideas could make a difference. At IU, he found both.
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Explore funding opportunities, curriculum, and research projects on the IU School of Nursing PhD in Nursing Science program page.“IU School of Nursing's PhD program stands at the intersection of research, leadership, and education, and is world-renowned for developing nurse leaders in these domains,” Page said. “Many of my colleagues are IU PhD alumni and they have praised the quality of the education, experience, and outcomes of the program.”
Page is currently researching how unpredictable changes in the environment affect nurses at the bedside. He’s collaborating with Greg Carter, PhD, RN, AACRN, interim associate dean of the IU School of Nursing in Bloomington, and professor of the course, “State of the Science,” which teaches PhD students how to perform literature reviews and sparked Page’s current research project.
The two found that organizational support plays a significant role in determining how much environmental stability is present in the nursing practice environment, how it’s managed and how that, in turn, affects nurses.
“We found different outcomes associated with instability and the nurse practice environment,” Page explained. “One is increased complexity. Another is increased turbulence, which essentially is the cognitive distraction and the workflow disruption. You are seeing increased cognitive work and an increased amount of workaround to then complete a task. With increased workloads, there is association with increased turnover, decreased work satisfaction and decreased wellbeing.”
Through these collaborations, Carter plays a major role in helping PhD students grow as scholars through their research.
“I see students shift from simply absorbing information to creating it,” Carter said. “Through their research projects, they learn to think critically, work collaboratively, and solve complex problems. By the time they finish, they’re not just students anymore, they’re emerging scholars and professionals ready to lead.”
With faculty who are leaders in their fields and a curriculum designed to develop professionals like Page, the IU School of Nursing PhD program continues to attract nurses ready to make a lasting impact.
“This program equips nurses to add to the body of nursing knowledge and translate findings into organizational and community outcomes,” Page said.