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Doctoral research in nursing is central to advancing scientific knowledge, strengthening professional identity, and informing evidence-based practice, education, and health policy. Analyzing the thematic content of doctoral theses offers insight into research priorities and national variations in nursing scholarship. Yet, no systematic cross-country analysis has examined the thematic focus of such work.
To explore and describe the diversity and scope of doctoral nursing research themes across eight countries in the Sigma Europe Region, identifying key areas of scholarly focus and shared priorities.
A document-based qualitative study using reflexive thematic analysis, as outlined by Braun and Clarke, to examine patterns of meaning within thesis summaries.
The study included doctoral nursing thesis summaries defended between January 2020 and December 2023, sourced from national and institutional repositories in eight countries of the Sigma Europe Region. A total of 15 repositories (4 national, 11 institutional) were systematically searched, and additional summaries were obtained via direct contact with universities offering doctoral nursing programmes.
Data were collected between September 2024 and February 2025 using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. In total, 431 eligible thesis summaries were analyzed following Braun and Clarke's six-phase framework, supported by MAXQDA software for data management and coding.
Thematic analysis identified three overarching domains: (1) foundations of nursing practice and care philosophy, (2) systemic and organizational dimensions of nursing, and (3) clinical innovation and public health impact. Ten interrelated themes emerged, including holistic and patient-centred care; emotional, psychological, and quality-of-life dimensions; communication in healthcare; workforce challenges; transforming nursing practice; maternal, neonatal and pediatric health; digital and virtual health innovations; public health and chronic disease management; and disease management, caregiving, and outcomes. Cross-cutting elements such as cultural sensitivity and resilience spanned multiple themes.
This cross-national synthesis demonstrates the breadth and depth of doctoral nursing research in the Sigma Europe Region. Findings highlight nursing's pivotal role in addressing healthcare needs through innovative, person-centred, and evidence-informed solutions, and underscore the value of international collaboration in shaping resilient, equitable, and future-ready healthcare systems.
To explore and map the landscape of doctoral nursing research across eight countries.
A scoping review.
This review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and included doctoral theses in nursing defended between 2020 and 2023 in Austria, Italy, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.
Searches were conducted across 15 national and university repositories (4 national, 11 university) in the eight participating countries.
This review included 431 doctoral nursing theses, the majority of which employed quantitative methodologies and focused on patient populations and healthcare professionals. Key topics included clinical nursing care, quality of care, quality of life, home care, perinatal care and the work environments.
Nursing doctoral research shows progress in healthcare delivery, patient care and education via digital tools, holistic approaches and professional development. Yet gaps persist in mental health, paediatrics and marginalised groups. Limited qualitative/mixed-methods research and weak interdisciplinary collaboration reveal further opportunities.
This review underscores that nursing doctoral research is addressing major healthcare and professional challenges. Nonetheless, the identified gaps emphasise the need for more comprehensive and inclusive research to enhance equity and guide future nursing practices and policies.
This review provides an overview of the scope of doctoral nursing research across eight countries, identifying key trends and research gaps. The findings are expected to inform nursing academia, policymakers, and healthcare professionals by guiding future research priorities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and promoting equitable, patient-centred care practices.
No direct involvement in data collection; one lay reviewer gave feedback on readability and practice implications, informing minor refinements.
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is widely endorsed as a cornerstone for high-quality, patient-centered care. However, its integration into daily clinical routines remains inconsistent, particularly in settings where cultural, educational, and organizational challenges persist. Reliable, contextually adapted tools are essential to measure EBP implementation and guide improvement efforts.
This study aimed to validate the Italian versions of the EBP Implementation Scale and its short-form (3-item) version.
A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Both versions of the EBP Implementation Scale were translated and culturally adapted in accordance with internationally recognized guidelines. Data were gathered from a national sample of 405 nurses through a combination of convenience and snowball sampling. Psychometric assessment encompassed confirmatory and Bayesian factor analyses, evaluation of internal consistency and test–retest reliability, and measurement invariance testing. All analyses were performed in R Studio.
Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed that both versions (long and short) of the scale measure a single underlying construct. The instruments demonstrated high reliability (ω = 0.96 and 0.87 respectively). Measurement invariance across educational groups was partially established, as the partial scalar invariance model demonstrated acceptable fit (CFI = 0.991, RMSEA = 0.045), suggesting consistent interpretation of the scale across different levels of EBP training. Latent profile analysis revealed distinct subgroups of EBP implementers, with notable differences in latent means (p < 0.001) associated with previous education in evidence-based practice.
The Italian EBP Implementation Scales are valid and reliable tools for assessing EBP implementation behaviors. They can support education planning, monitor practice changes over time, and inform interventions aimed at enhancing evidence-based care.
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is essential for clinical decision-making, integrating the best available evidence, clinical expertise, and stakeholder values. In Italy, interest in EBP is growing, and a key step in its promotion is adopting tools to assess nurses' beliefs and behaviors toward EBP. While the EBP Beliefs Scale has been translated and validated in multiple languages, it has yet to be adapted for the Italian context.
This study aims to adapt EBP measurement tools for the Italian context and evaluate their psychometric properties.
This study used an observational cross-sectional design. The process of cross-cultural translation, adaptation, and validation was adopted. A panel of experts culturally adapted the Beliefs Scales (long and short version) through the item and scale content validity (I-CVI, S-CVI). To test the psychometric properties, 409 nurses were asked to complete the two scales. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to validate the factor structure within the Italian context. Convergent validity between the long and short versions of the scale was assessed using the correlation coefficient (r), and the reliability was assessed by computing Cronbach's alpha.
The I-CVI and S-CVI for the long and short version ranged from 0.75 to 1.00. The CFA model performed for the long and short version reported a good fit without the need for further refinements. The Cronbach's alpha was higher than 0.80 for both scales. The correlation of 0.615 (p < 0.01) indicated a moderate to strong positive relationship supporting the convergent validity of the short version in relation to the long version.
In time-constrained settings, the short scale should be utilized for efficient assessments and longitudinal tracking of changes. The long version serves as a complementary tool for in-depth analysis, facilitating a deeper understanding of underlying factors and informing targeted interventions to address specific barriers.
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