Are all doctorates equal or are some “more equal than others”? An examination of which ones should be offered by schools of nursing

SummaryThis paper examines the typical and varying routes to doctoral degrees in the UK and other developed countries. It raises the important question of whether university schools of nursing should offer a whole range of options with the potential for sub-optimal higher degree training and therefore “mediocre” academics, or resist the “path of least resistance” and offer more limited pathways that ensure that only the highest quality training and candidates are associated with what should be the pinnacle of the profession. As such, it seeks to clarify which of the commonly offered routes to doctoral degrees might be most suited to the academic integrity and value of the profession to our patients and the health care system.