This textbook is a practical, user-friendly and essential guide for doctoral students, their supervisors and advisors and administrators of doctoral programs in nursing and health sciences. Nurses and health scientists have a relatively young tradition of doctoral training, and this means students often come to doctoral studies without a clear understanding of what is required to be successful at this level of education. Supporting students to successful completion of doctoral studies involves a complex fusion of skills, and yet researchers and academics receive little specialist training in this crucial area of teaching and learning. Strong pedagogies around doctoral supervision and writing are essential because in addition to the scientific, research and educative skills required, it is important to be able to establish and maintain enabling professional relationships within which both parties can thrive, and that can withstand the years of critique needed for doctoral work. The authors offer supervisors, advisors, students and administrators practical advice on helping students thrive, and steering them through various challenges that can arise during doctoral candidature. With a focus on nursing and health sciences, the authors take a global approach, recognising the international focus of doctoral training in nursing and health sciences. The authors of this book are experienced supervisors and advisors to doctoral students and together, have well over 100 successful doctoral completions and more than 1000 publications. They draw on a series of interviews and case studies to share their knowledge and experience and provide insights and guidance to inspire and support student progression and ensure students get the most out of their doctoral studies.

Debra Jackson AO, RN, PhD, SFHEA, FACN is Professor of Nursing at the University of Sydney and University of Technology Sydney. She holds a number of international roles including Professor of Nursing at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust (UK), Visiting Professor at Florence Nightingale Faculty, Kings College London (UK), Bournemouth University (UK), and Auckland University of Technology (NZ). In 2020 Professor Jackson was named Australia's leading nurse researcher. In 2019 Professor Jackson was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to medical education in the field of nursing practice and research as an academic and author. She is a committed and experienced mentor and supervisor of developing researchers, scholars and leaders. She has supervised more than 50 students to completion and has won a Vice-Chancellors award for excellence in doctoral supervision and training (2007). Professor Jackson has published widely, with over 400 publications including journal articles, books and book chapters. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Chapter 1. What is doctoral training?