Online Learning
Why has the curriculum changed to an online format?
Teachers College was the first academic setting to educate nurses. Nursing Education began at Teachers College in 1899. The Nursing Education Program has a long and distinguished tradition of commitment to the education of nurses who have diverse roles in academic and community settings in the United States and abroad. The newly revised curriculum for the EdD in nursing education was designed by a group of nursing education experts who recognized the importance of distance learning. Nurses from around the country can now collaborate and exchange ideas in an online asynchronous and synchronous format. The program was approved by the State of New York in 2015 as an online offering. The first group of doctoral students began in September 2016. Distance education has transformed the way learning takes place in allowing nurses to advance their careers. Teachers College is embracing this change and offers their exceptional program and curriculum to nurses around the country, producing nurse educator, leaders, researchers, and scholars.
The Nursing Faculty Shortage
Reports by the National League for Nursing (2007) and Institute of Medicine (IOM) (The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health, 2011), emphasize the need for additional faculty in nursing education. In 2011, AACN found that over 13,000 qualified applicants were turned away from master's programs, and over 1,100 qualified applicants were turned away from doctoral programs. The primary reason for not accepting all qualified students was a shortage of nursing faculty. The nursing education literature is replete with calls for a new future in nursing education by re-envisioning, redesigning, restructuring, and innovating. With a severe need for doctoral programs that will provide nursing faculty, TC’s new EdD program in nursing education helps meet the increasing demand for nurse faculty/educators. The 2011 Future of Nursing report highlighted the need for innovative ways to improve nursing education and decreasing the faculty shortage.
Why we are unique
Our new online program offers a flexible and practical alternative to nurses who wish to become faculty but who find it difficult or impossible to travel to an educational institution. Given that many current nursing education programs are offered online, faculty members who are comfortable with the online environment will be well-equipped to teach online. Coursework in the program is geared to online and classroom teaching as well as simulations and other types of clinical teaching. Course and project work (journal clubs and a research experience) will support collaboration of students with each other. While each student will be individually responsible for his/her own final dissertation and defense, doctoral dissertation research will be developed in collaboration with other students in the program, who will also cooperate in data collection.