Doctoral Nursing Education in Asia: Current Challenges and Future Directions

Abstract

Dear Readers,

This special Supplement issue was conceived by this journal’s editorial team to stimulate discussion about nursing doctoral education in several Asian countries, and to begin vigorous dialogue among and between ourselves, involving doctoral educators and relevant stakeholders. Such dialogue should revolve around issues confronting us, changes in our societies and populations that might demand new approaches and new content, so that we may collectively work together to move toward creative ways of addressing them.

We were aided in our task by Dr. Shaké Ketefian, who is now Professor Emerita at the University of Michigan. We were fortunate that she agreed to serve as our Guest Editor of this issue of our Supplement. Her expertise in this area is well known, and has been recognized internationally. Dr. Ketefian has been active in doctoral education for over 35 years; as co-founder and Founding President of the International Network for Doctoral Education in Nursing for six years she worked to bring doctoral educators and students together to develop a shared vision of doctoral education internationally; in that role, and since then, she has continued to be active in international doctoral education by consulting, mentoring and collaborating with international colleagues on scholarly projects. Her understanding of various approaches used for doctoral study around the world is unrivaled.

This issue contains articles by guest authors writing on various issues of doctoral nursing education in their own countries, providing an overview of their doctoral nursing education, describing networks used to support their doctoral programs, marketplace issues, and challenges and future directions. The four countries represented from Asia were Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. I would like to thank Professors Drs. Horiuchi, Park, Kim, Lee, Dai, Lu, Srisuphan, and Tilokskulchai for their valuable contributions. I greatly value and thank Dr. Ketefian for her insights in analyzing and synthesizing the content of these four manuscripts. Dr. Ketefian has proposed future directions and important recommendations for improving the quality of doctoral nursing education in Asia; I hope that we will give them our earnest consideration; I further hope that collaboration and mutual exchanges will be developed between us, that will eventually lead to the strongest doctoral nursing education, benefiting our students, and most importantly, our citizens.

I hope that after you have read and reflected on the content of this Supplement, you will write to me to share your reflections as to next steps we might take together.

Yajai Sitthimongkol, RN, PhD

Editor-in-Chief
Email: yajai.sit@mahidol.ac.th