To describe the leadership trajectories of graduates of a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Education programme in a single university in the Philippines and examine how the doctoral programme influenced these trajectories.
Qualitative design, specifically thematic narrative analysis.
A total of 10 purposively selected graduates of the programme were interviewed with the aid of videoconferencing and life-calendaring methods.
The emerging central narrative theme is transformative potential. Leadership trajectories are characterised by expanding fields of transformative potential from within to beyond their organisations. Doctoral education shapes these trajectories through curriculum-driven capacity building, beyond-curriculum capacity building and character building.
The evolving leadership trajectories of graduates of the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Education programme are characterised by expanding and accumulating transformative potential.
The findings can help nursing academic institutions design and improve postgraduate degrees, which will develop transformational leaders in the profession.
What problem did the study address?
This study aims to map and describe the leadership trajectories of graduates of a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Education programme.
What were the main findings?
The leadership trajectories of graduates are characterised by expanding and accumulating transformative potential.
Where and on whom will the research have an impact?
The findings can inform the planning, design and evaluation of doctoral nursing degree programmes in higher education institutions, as well as continuing educational programmes for nursing leaders in academic and clinical settings.
Initial findings were sent to the graduates of Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Education programme to validate the qualitative insights as part of member checking.
To propose a normative framework that guides nursing professional organisations to act as human rights intermediaries in the governance of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
Discursive paper.
The paper presents a triaxial framework that conceptualises the role of nursing professional organisations in artificial intelligence governance. The framework consists of a domain axis, which identifies key areas of engagement; a modality axis, which aligns actions with the specific functions of these organisations; and a human rights axis, which defines their role towards rights claimants and duty bearers.
The proposed framework provides a practical tool for nursing professional organisations to strategically plan and implement initiatives to influence the advancement and regulation of artificial intelligence. Its application can help ensure that healthcare innovation is equitable and rights-based.
This paper provides a blueprint for nursing leaders and policymakers to engage proactively with the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence. It emphasises the salient roles of nursing professional organisations in advocating for the human right to health in a technologically driven healthcare landscape.
This paper addresses the gap in how the nursing profession can systematically engage with artificial intelligence governance. The main finding is a novel framework that provides a structured way for nursing professional organisations to act as human rights intermediaries. This research will have a significant impact on nursing leadership, patient advocacy groups, and policymakers involved in healthcare technology and ethics.
Initial parts of this paper were presented to allied health practitioners via a webinar, providing early feedback and dialogue that informed its development.
To explore the potential axiological shift in nursing, drawing upon a critical reading of the new definition of ‘nursing’ published by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) in June 2025, and to articulate its implications for research and doctoral education.
Critical discussion paper.
Guided by critical inquiry and emancipatory nursing knowledge development approaches, this paper deploys retroductive analysis to interrogate the axiological commitments that inform and are generated by the 2025 ICN definition and how it relates to nursing research. Consequently, it utilises the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF) to map strategies for doctoral programmes responding to this axiological shift.
A comprehensive axiological analysis of the 2025 ICN definition reveals a shift towards valuing human rights, relationality and care, planetary health and transformative leadership. However, an axiological analysis of prevailing nursing research definitions indicates a gap, particularly an explicit commitment to these expanded values beyond upholding scientific rigour. In response, an Axiologically-Driven Research Development Strategy Framework (ADRDSF) is proposed, integrating ICN's new axiologies across doctoral programmes in nursing.
This axiological shift signals the reorientation of nursing research to be explicitly value-driven, ethical and focused on social justice, relationality and planetary health. Doctoral programmes must cultivate scholars and leaders who are not only competent but also axiologically aligned, capable of driving this transformative research agenda for a more just and sustainable future.