Other Titles
Rising Star Poster/Presentation
Abstract
This research project studied nursing PhD students at East Carolina University’s College of Nursing. These students have the opportunity to serve as graduate research assistants (GRAs) throughout their enrollment in the program. GRAs work with faculty on various research projects, including transcription services, recruitment, and data analysis. Given that less than 1% of nurses hold a PhD in nursing and that many who enroll do not graduate, evaluating the perspectives of current and former GRAs can provide valuable insights into our research question: How does serving as a GRA impact PhD nursing students’ academic progress and career trajectories? Answering this question can inform the effectiveness of this strategy in engaging students through unique teaching and learning experiences.
Additionally, this research bridges the gap between our understanding of similar programs in non-nursing PhD education and the experiences of nursing PhD students, a group underrepresented in studies of terminal degree education. Data-backed insights from this study contribute to strategies for creating an engaging academic environment, enhancing student and program excellence, and improving health outcomes as these students enter the workforce.
Data collection began with a demographics questionnaire distributed via REDCap to current and former GRAs. The survey also identified individuals interested in participating in a focus group. Eight surveys were completed, and six respondents expressed interest in the focus group. After scheduling, three participants attended a virtual session via Teams, which included automatic transcription and video recording. Thematic analysis of the focus group identified six key themes. Academic impacts included opportunities to apply lecture material, fund their education, and receive faculty support. Career impacts included relationship-building, personalizing their practice as nursing scientists, and making informed career decisions post-graduation.
By identifying these themes, programs can use GRA perspectives to create opportunities that are both attractive and beneficial to prospective students. Further development of such initiatives could increase retention rates in nursing PhD programs and provide students with a meaningful experience, potentially encouraging them to engage with similar GRA programs as future nurse scientists.
Notes
References: Abbott-Anderson, K., Gilmore-Bykovskyi, A., & Lyles, A. A. (2016). The value of preparing PhD students as research mentors: Application of Kram's temporal mentoring model. Journal of Professional Nursing: Official Journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 32(6), 421–429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2016.02.004.
Acosta, L. A., Overgaard, P. M., Pool, N. M., Renz, S. M., & Crist, J. D. (Nov. 2019). You learn when you teach: A narrative pedagogy for faculty and graduate teaching assistants. The Qualitative Report, 24(11), 2891-2902. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/you-learn-when-teach-narrative-pedagogy-faculty/docview/2322631611/se-2.
Anderson, K. M., McLaughlin, M. K., Crowell, N. A., Fall-Dickson, J. M., White, K. A., Heitzler, E. T., Kesten, K. S., & Yearwood, E. L. (2019). Mentoring students engaging in scholarly projects and dissertations in doctoral nursing programs. Nursing Outlook, 67(6), 776–788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2019.06.021.
Ayoola, A., Kamp, K., Adams, Y. J., Granner, J. R., DeGroot, L., Lee, H., Zandee, G., & Doornbos, M. M. (2021). Strategies to promote and sustain baccalaureate students' interest in pursuing a PhD degree in nursing. Journal of Professional Nursing: Official Journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 37(5), 935–941. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2021.07.006.
Cleary, M., Thapa, D. K., West, S., Lopez, V., Williamson, M., Sahay, A., & Kornhaber, R. (2023). Mentoring students in doctoral nursing programs: A scoping review. Journal of Professional Nursing: Official Journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 45, 71–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2023.01.010.
Fisher, M. C., Gray, T. F., Uveges, M. K., Heinze, K. E., Pellathy, T. P., Parrillo, E., Hravnak, M., & Nolan, M. T. (2022). Strategies for success in a nursing PhD program and beyond. Journal of Professional Nursing: Official Journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 39, 187–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2022.01.004.
Muñoz L. R. (2022). Interventions to boost enrollment in nursing Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs. Nursing Outlook, 70(1), 166–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2021.07.007.
Paul, P., Olson, J. K., Spiers, J., & Hyde, A. (2021). Becoming scholars in an online cohort of a PhD in nursing program. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 18(1), 10.1515/ijnes-2021-0024. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2021-0024.
Porat-Dahlerbruch, J., Arnold, O., Lamoureux, J., Flores, D., & Hodgson, N. (2021). Implementation and preliminary evaluation of a nursing PhD constellation mentorship model. Nursing Outlook, 69(6), 1090–1100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2021.05.013.
Quay, C., Kabigting, E-N, R., Wall, C.L., Farrell., R., Suzan, Z., Washington, S., Pajarillo, E.J.Y., Seibold-Simpson, S., & Bajwa, M. (2023). The Academic nurse educator shortage: A qualitative study and a call for collaboration with professional nursing. Journal of the American Nurses Association-New York, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.47988/janany.44233655.3.1.
Saldaña J. The coding manual for qualitative researchers. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications; 2021.
Waddington, J. (2023). Self-efficacy. ELT Journal, 77(2), 237-240. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccac046.
Sigma Membership
Beta Mu
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Nursing Education, Advances in Education, PhD Nursing Students, Graduate Research Assistants
Recommended Citation
McIntire, Caden; Pestaner, Mitzi; and Bolin, Linda, "Exploring the Graduate Research Assistant Experience: Perspectives of Nursing PhD Students" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 76.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/posters_2025/76
Conference Name
48th Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Invited Presentation
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-12-09
Exploring the Graduate Research Assistant Experience: Perspectives of Nursing PhD Students
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
This research project studied nursing PhD students at East Carolina University’s College of Nursing. These students have the opportunity to serve as graduate research assistants (GRAs) throughout their enrollment in the program. GRAs work with faculty on various research projects, including transcription services, recruitment, and data analysis. Given that less than 1% of nurses hold a PhD in nursing and that many who enroll do not graduate, evaluating the perspectives of current and former GRAs can provide valuable insights into our research question: How does serving as a GRA impact PhD nursing students’ academic progress and career trajectories? Answering this question can inform the effectiveness of this strategy in engaging students through unique teaching and learning experiences.
Additionally, this research bridges the gap between our understanding of similar programs in non-nursing PhD education and the experiences of nursing PhD students, a group underrepresented in studies of terminal degree education. Data-backed insights from this study contribute to strategies for creating an engaging academic environment, enhancing student and program excellence, and improving health outcomes as these students enter the workforce.
Data collection began with a demographics questionnaire distributed via REDCap to current and former GRAs. The survey also identified individuals interested in participating in a focus group. Eight surveys were completed, and six respondents expressed interest in the focus group. After scheduling, three participants attended a virtual session via Teams, which included automatic transcription and video recording. Thematic analysis of the focus group identified six key themes. Academic impacts included opportunities to apply lecture material, fund their education, and receive faculty support. Career impacts included relationship-building, personalizing their practice as nursing scientists, and making informed career decisions post-graduation.
By identifying these themes, programs can use GRA perspectives to create opportunities that are both attractive and beneficial to prospective students. Further development of such initiatives could increase retention rates in nursing PhD programs and provide students with a meaningful experience, potentially encouraging them to engage with similar GRA programs as future nurse scientists.
Description
Attendees of this session will gain insights into how serving as a graduate research assistant (GRA) influences nursing PhD students' academic progress and career trajectories. By exploring firsthand experiences and key themes identified in this study, participants will learn how GRA roles can enhance student engagement, improve retention, and shape the next generation of nurse scientists.