Doctor of Nursing

The Doctor of Nursing (DNurs) programme is a professional doctorate with coursework and research components that aims to equip nurses with competencies in theoretical, methodological and analytical approaches for knowledge discovery and translation of knowledge to practice.

The Programme emphasises on scholarly practice, practice improvement, innovation, evaluation of health care outcomes, expertise to inform health policy and leadership for establishing clinical excellences. Graduates of the Programme are expected to take up leadership roles in clinical practices or healthcare administration; or to be experts in specialized advanced nursing practice; or nurse educators in a practice or academic setting.

Programme Structure

The curriculum consists of four core courses (26 contact hours per course totaling 104 contact hours), three track courses (26 contact hours per course totaling 78 contact hours), a course on Research Ethics (12 contact hours) and a thesis (104 contact hours).

Core Courses

• NURS6001 Scientific Progress in Nursing
• NURS6002 Advanced Quantitative Research Designs and Methods
• NURS6003 Naturalistic and Interpretive Approaches to Nursing Research
• NURS6004 Health Policy for Advocacy in Health Care

Track Courses

Research Ethics Course

GRSC6031 Research Ethics for Graduate Students.

Thesis

Students are required to complete a thesis of 50,000 to 60,000 words that represents an original scientific study grounded in practice and contains material worthy of publication; students are also required to participate in thesis seminars which will serve as forums for presenting their work in progress on a regular basis and hone their research skills.

Upon completion of the programme, graduates are able to:

1. use analytic methods to critically evaluate existing evidence in order to select the best evidence for clinical practice and/or nursing education;
2. design and implement programmes to evaluate outcomes of clinical practice and/or nursing education;
3. design, direct, and evaluate innovations to enhance healthcare and/or educational outcomes;
4. translate research into practice to improve healthcare outcomes;
5. integrate practice, education and research to better meet society's health needs;
6. demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills in practice or academic environments;
7. disseminate findings from evidence-based practice to improve clinical practice and/or nursing education;
8. reflect on their own practice so that they can construct, articulate and evaluate their own philosophy, self-reflection and professional ethics in health care, nursing practice, and research; and
9. provide leadership in clinical practice and nursing education.

Scholarships and Sponsorship

Dr Serena Yang Scholarship for DNurs Programme
Two prizes shall be awarded to newly enrolled candidates who hold a bachelor's degree with 1st class honors or equivalent outstanding academic achievement; and whose research proposal (2-3 pages) has demonstrated scientific rigor. The value of each of the prizes shall be HK$30,000.

Scholarship for Doctor of Nursing (Full-time)
Two scholarships, each of the value up to 50% of the tuition fee, shall be awarded each year to non-local students admitted to the Doctor of Nursing Programme on the basis of academic merit and financial need.  Students may be invited to a selection interview if necessary.

International Conference Participation Sponsorship
Opportunities are available for students to have educational exchange in renowned international universities, and financial support will be provided to encourage students to present at international conferences.