Why Are You Doing This Again?

Typical conversation between my husband and me:

Him:  [Insert friend’s name here] has [insert symptom or condition here], what do you think is wrong?

Me:  I’m not sure.

Him:  You’re almost a doctor, why don’t you know?

Me:  I’m almost a doctor of philosophy. 

Him:  What can you do with that?

Me:  I can philosophize about nursing. 

Him: Why are you doing this again?

I can’t remember making a thoughtful, conscious decision to start a doctoral program.  I must have thought about it and looked in to it before I started, but I can’t seem to remember even though it was only four years ago.  It seems like I just turned around and there I was, in a PhD program.

When people ask me why I’m earning a PhD, I usually tell them it’s a personal goal.  I mention my career goals, but those aren’t set in stone. 

Rice (2016) presents the role of a PhD prepared nurse as one who advances the science of nursing through research, in addition to other roles of advanced leadership roles in health care organizations and nursing faculty.  

Advancing the science nursing has become increasingly important to me and while earning a PhD remains a personal goal, I hope that it also allows me to put my mark on this profession that I’m so proud of.  I think that Monster.com says it best when it gives a reason for completing a PhD as this:

“you want to move the profession forward”.  

Yes, I do.

 

Reference

Rice, D. (2016). The research doctorate in nursing: The PhD. Oncology Nursing Forum, 43(2), 146-148. doi:10.1188/16.ONF.146-148

You can read the Monster.com article here