PhD Nursing Studies
The PhD Nursing Studies programme is an advanced postgraduate research degree for students wishing to conduct in-depth independent research on an area to contribute to nursing knowledge and evidence. It offers the student a chance to make a significant contribution to knowledge in nursing.
| Name | PhD Nursing Studies |
| Start Date | September and January |
| Mode of Study | 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time |
| Programme Director | Larry Doi |
Please check the postgraduate Degree Finder to see the specific entry requirements, start date and application deadlines.
The PhD programme offers the possibility to work with and be supervised by a range of academics across many areas of Nursing Studies, who have international reputations and outstanding publications in their areas of expertise. Our programme is undertaken over three years full-time or six years part-time.
In the first year, students typically choose a number of optional taught postgraduate courses from within the School of Health, or other Schools within the University, as appropriate to their research programme, and as agreed with their supervisor. Subsequent years of the PhD programme primarily focus on recruitment of study participants, data collection and analysis of the main research, which can then be written up and completed by the end of the third year.
| Abdullah Alshehri | The Effects of High-Fidelity Simulation on Knowledge Acquisition and Retention of Advanced Cardiac Life Support among Final Year Undergraduate Nursing Students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
| Claudia Collado | Advance Care Planning (ACP) in Chile: Towards the construction of a model from the nursing care. |
| Christopher Sweeney | Understanding how new parents respond to childhood illness and use urgent care services within NHS Scotland. |
| Daniella Castillo Mansilla | Teaching sustainability: How sustainability education could empower nurses’ capacity to integrate sustainability in nursing care |
| Daniela Perucca | Teaching sustainability: How sustainability education could empower nurses’ capacity to integrate sustainability in nursing care |
| Esra Sinary | Perceptions of females with cardiac disease regarding cardiac rehabilitation in Saudi Arabia: a qualitative study |
| Fiona McIntosh | Investigating Nurses’ experiences and perceptions of caring for Forced Maternal Migrants in the UK; can lessons be learnt? |
| Febriana Sebrian | Developing a model for primary health care nursing practice in Indonesia |
| Hadham Al Rawahi | Experience of young Omani women and their caregivers after mastectomy for breast cancer. |
| Huda Alamri | Exploring the Methods of Teaching Fundamentals of Nursing in Saudi Arabia. |
| Huimin Chong | Regional difference of Chinese parental acceptance of the HPV vaccine |
| Kurnia Putri Yuliandari | Randomised Controlled Trial to Determine the Efficacy of Smartphone-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to Control Chronic Pain, Improve Coping and Quality of Life in Paediatric with Sickle Cell Disease at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital in Jeddah. |
| Lian Zhu | A Realist Evaluation of ICU Diaries: What Works For Whom in Which Circumstances |
| Louise Johnston | An exploration of Adult and Mental Health student nurses’ articulation journey from Further Education to Higher Education, Graduation and Employment via an Extended Practice Learning Experience (EPLE) transitional module. |
| Matias Faundez Aedo | The sustainability of values in the Chilean newly qualified nurses’ professional socialisation |
| Man Sao Lo | The eSexual Health Literage in Macau Adolescents: A Mixed Methods Study |
| Melanie Blanka Phillips | A study of non-adherence on an Edinburgh cohort of patients considered for simultaneoous kidney and pancreas transplant both pre and post-transplant |
| Mengying Zhang | Development of a mobile application tosupport the self-management of lung cancer patients |
| Ohoud Al Abo Nassir | Saudi Patients’ perceptions and experiences of living with diabetic foot ulcer in the Southern Region of Saudi Arabia. |
| Pachit Amsri | Life experiences in the sex work industry in Pattaya: the migrants ’perspective |
| Sahar Alshahrani | Exploring the Perception and Experiences of Nurse Educators Involved in Moving from Low Simulation Labs to High Fidelity Simulation Labs |
| Yin Wang | To Explore the Experience of Registered Nurses and Nursing Students of Caring for People Living with HIV/Aids in China |
| Yuet Man Lai | Explore Hong Kong educated nurses’ motivation and experience of transitioning into the United Kingdom’s healthcare environment |
| Tanawan Pitakkochakorn | Mental health among children with long-term conditions: A qualitative study |
Why choose this programme?
This programme is an advanced research degree enabling students to conduct in-depth independent research on a topic of their choice, thereby contributing to the knowledge and evidence base for nursing worldwide. Our current and past students have contributed to a range of research areas within nursing and healthcare more broadly.
A vibrant and inclusive research environment
The University of Edinburgh is a world-leader in research and innovation and an international centre of academic excellence. Students on this programme will become part of an active and diverse research community in the School of Health in Social Science and will have access to the wide-range of learning environments and outstanding resources that the University has to offer. Our postgraduate researchers work in close proximity to each other, enabling them to pool their expertise and knowledge to tackle complex challenges and push the boundaries of discovery. Students will be encouraged to engage with a wide range of seminars, talks, and events, and often have the opportunity to present their own research at national and international conferences. Our student-led postgraduate research blog provides a snapshot of the activities and events our PGR students organise and are involved in.
Our main areas of research activity and development in Nursing Studies currently relate to the themes of experience of health and illness, and organisation and policy for person-centred care. We have expertise in a range of qualitative and quantitative and mixed methods research approaches.
Supervisor Specialties:
| Topic areas | Potential supervisors |
|---|---|
| Alcohol education & training in pre and post registration curricula | Professor Aisha Holloway |
| Global Nursing Workforce | Dr Catherine Clarissa |
| Nursing Mental Health and Wellbeing | Dr Catherine Clarissa |
| Leadership developement in early career nursing | Dr Catherine Clarissa |
| Clinical decision making | Professor Tonks Fawcett |
| Examining dignity and respect in nursing for compassionate care | Dr Elaine Haycock-Stuart |
| Global Nursing Leadership | Professor Aisha Holloway |
| History of nursing workforce | Dr Marti Balaam |
| Nursing Education and Nursing Science | Dr Lissette Aviles |
| Organ Donation process and transplantation | Dr Lissette Aviles |
| Nursing workforce in critical and end-of-life care | Dr Lissette Aviles |
| Person-centered care in nursing education and practice | Dr Lissette Aviles |
|
Students with caring responsibilities |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
| Widening participation and increasing diversity in higher education | Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Navigating academia and research - Ethnic minorities |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
| Leadership | Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Herbal Medicine |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Influence of culture and traditions on health an illness experience |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Religion and spirituality |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Mentoring and professional development |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Advanced communication |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
| Interdisciplinary simulated learning | Dr Jenni Tocher |
| Image of nursing | Dr Marti Balaam |
| Leadership | Dr Elaine Haycock-Stuart |
| Nursing education | Dr Elaine Haycock-Stuart |
| Nurses’ roles in achieving behaviour change | Professor Aisha Holloway |
| Nursing workforce | Dr Marti Balaam |
| Service organisation and delivery | Dr Elaine Haycock-Stuart |
| Service evaluation using realist approaches (realist synthesis and realist evaluation) | Dr Larry Doi |
| Transition to care home - patient, family and professional perspectives | Dr Sarah Rhynas |
| Understanding skill mix in primary care for good nursing outcomes | Dr Elaine Haycock-Stuart |
| Workforce: nurses in critical care issues | Dr Susanne Kean |
| Topic areas | Potential supervisors |
|---|---|
| Alcohol Brief Interventions: evaluation in various settings e.g. hospital, workplace, prisons | Professor Aisha Holloway |
| Cancer care issues | Professor Tonks Fawcett |
| Compassion and well-being | Dr Marti Balaam |
| Individuals and families' experience of organ donation and transplantation | Dr Lissette Aviles |
| Experiences of individual and families when surviving stroke | Dr Lissette Aviles |
| Family and person-centered care in acute critical care and practice | Dr Lissette Aviles |
|
Cancer care experiences |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Critical care experiences |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
End of life and palliative care |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Men’s health |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Pathways to care (communicable and non-communicable diseases) |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Near death and 'death' experiences and impact on individuals and families |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Neurodiversity in children |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
| Development and evaluation of complex interventions | Dr Larry Doi |
| Experiences of families and patients with acute and/or chronic critical illness | Dr Susanne Kean |
| Intervention studies in critical care | Dr Susanne Kean |
| Post-stroke rehabilitation for young adults | Dr Catherine Clarissa |
| Multidisciplinary team in critical care | Dr Catherine Clarissa |
| Patient experience of intensive care | Dr Catherine Clarissa |
| Liver, renal and/or pancreatic surgery | Dr Jenni Tocher |
| Maintaining personal identity while in acute hospital when living with dementia | Dr Sarah Rhynas |
| Music interventions for people with dementia | Dr Sarah Rhynas |
| Nurses experiences of approaching relatives for organ donation | Dr Jenni Tocher |
| Pain | Professor Tonks Fawcett |
| Pain in critical care | Dr Jenni Tocher |
| Covid-19 and young people | Dr Divya Sivaramakrishnan |
| Personal and social identity when living with dementia | Dr Sarah Rhynas |
| Person and family centered care (PFCC) in critical care | Dr Susanne Kean |
| Recovery and/or survivorship after critical illness | Dr Susanne Kean |
| Topic area | Potential supervisor |
|---|---|
| Alcohol and Public Health | Professor Aisha Holloway |
| Global public health: traumatic brain injury and stroke | Dr Lissette Aviles |
| Global Public Health: health workforce, Covid-19 and wellbeing | Dr Lissette Aviles |
| Public health and community nursing | Dr Elaine Haycock-Stuart |
| Physical Activity | Dr Divya Sivaramakrishnan |
| Sedentary Behaviour | Dr Divya Sivaramakrishnan |
| Healthy Ageing | Dr Divya Sivaramakrishnan |
|
Virtual and Online Learning |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Climate change and implications for minorities |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Artificial intelligence in relation to ethical principles and inclusivity |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
| Digital education, app development and healthcare | Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Telehealth |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Social media |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
| Epidemiology | Dr Glenna Nightingale |
| Evaluation of public health interventions | Dr Glenna Nightingale |
| Modelling Longitudinal health related data | Dr Glenna Nightingale |
| Topic area | Potential supervisor |
|---|---|
| Exploring alcohol interventions within the prison population | Professor Aisha Holloway |
| Prison Health | Professor Aisha Holloway |
|
Marginalised groups |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Racism in academia |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Social injustice and whistle-blower protection |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
|
Improving access to care - developing countries |
Dr Michelle King-Okoye |
PhD by Distance
There is also an opportunity to undertake this programme through our PhD by Distance option. The PhD by Distance is available to suitably qualified applicants in the same areas as our on-campus programmes: Clinical and Health Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy, Health in Social Science and Nursing Studies.
The programme allows students who are unable to commit to basing themselves in Edinburgh full time to study for a PhD in a field of Health in Social Science from their home country or city - however this is not intended to be a fully online distance learning programme.
Students enrolled on this programme will be expected to come to Edinburgh at least once per year of study to meet with their supervisors. The length and timing of these visits are negotiable but students should expect to spend at least two weeks at the University of Edinburgh during each year of study.
Find out more about the PhD by Distance
Join our extraordinary Nursing Community
Nursing offers a profound sense of purpose and fulfillment as it involves caring for and making a positive difference in the lives of others. We are one of the top ten universities in the UK to offer Nursing, and our students' experience is second to none. Find out what it's like to join our close-knit community of international students and staff at the University of Edinburgh.
The School of Health in Social Science offers several fully funded MScR and PhD studentships each year. A variety of scholarships are available, which vary from full scholarships covering tuition fees and a stipend to cover living expenses, to partial scholarships.
Find out more about our scholarships and funding opportunities
Beyond the programme
The PhD Nursing Studies offers many opportunities. For instance, graduates who complete a PhD in nursing have gone on to obtain roles as a Director or leader in a variety of healthcare organizations, where they may supervise nursing research or projects. This can also include working for the government, where they may get an opportunity to influence healthcare policy and practice.