oductùthe doctorally educated nurse. The need to create opportunities for nurses in practice and service leadership (whose interests do not necessarily coincide with those of academics and scholarly researchers) to pursue studies at the doctoral level, thus, is becoming increasingly evident.
This study will investigate the demand for doctorally educated nurses in Southwest Georgia. Southwest Georgia is a region wherein the population proportion of African Americans is far higher than the national average. Thus, the findings and conclusions of this study will hold implications for job and educational opportunities for minority population groups, as well as for professional nurses.
Five research questions will be investigated in this study. These research questions are as follows:
1. Is a need for doctorally educated nurses likely to develop in southwest Georgia?
2. If a need for doctorally educated nurses is likely to develop in southwest Georgia, over what time span will such a need likely develop?
3. If a need for doctorally educated nurses is likely to develop in southwest Georgia, in what types of organizations would such a need likely develop?
4. If a need for doctorally educated nurses is likely to develop in southwest Georgia, in what functional areas would such a need likely develop?
5. If a need for doctorally educated nurses is likely to develop in southwest Georgia, is it probable that relevant employing organizations would have access to the financial resources necessary to fund such positions?
The contribution that well-educated nurses can make to health care planning and service management has been recognized by a World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee. The committee urged nurses to become involved in legislation relating to health care planning and priority setting. Further, the committee cited evidence that nurses with more education deliver more cost-effective health care.
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