LAHORE – The Nurses in Punjab will now be able to earn a PhD degree in their own discipline as the University of Health Sciences (UHS) has approved the province’s first PhD Nursing programme.
The approval was given by the Specialty Advisory Committee in a meeting chaired by UHS Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Ahsan Waheed Rathore. The university is expected to advertise admissions for the programme in the first week of July.
The UHS spokesperson said that only 20 seats will be offered in the first batch, while candidates will have to secure at least 75 percent marks in the UHS entrance test to qualify for admission.
Officials said the programme has been developed to prepare nursing professionals for careers in teaching, research, healthcare management and policy development. Graduates will be trained to serve as nursing faculty members, researchers, healthcare administrators and health policy experts.
The curriculum has been designed under the NURTURE Framework and includes advanced research methodologies, nursing education and curriculum leadership, health systems and policy studies, 500-hour supervised clinical practicum and elective specializations. A teaching residency component has also been included to strengthen the academic and educational skills of future nursing faculty.
Addressing the meeting, UHS VC Prof. Dr. Ahsan Waheed Rathore said the healthcare sector requires highly qualified nurses who can contribute in education, research, administration and policymaking. He said the programme would help produce nursing scholars and leaders capable of improving healthcare services and nursing education in Pakistan.
The committee reviewed the curriculum structure, programme outcomes, assessment strategies and research requirements prepared by the Department of Medical Education in collaboration with expert nursing faculty. Participants appreciated the integration of research, clinical practice and teaching within a single doctoral programme.
The meeting was attended by Director Nursing Punjab Mrs. Tahira Perveen; Convener of the committee and Head of Institute of Nursing UHS Prof. Dr. Samina Kausar; Dean Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Khyber Medical University Peshawar, Prof. Dr. Dildar Muhammad; Principal Shalamar College of Nursing Lahore Dr. Nasim Rafique; Principal Shaikha Fatima Institute of Nursing and Health Sciences Lahore Dr. Anum Fatima; Associate Professor and Assistant Dean Graduate Studies and Research, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University Islamabad, Dr. Kainat Asmat; Nursing Instructor State College of Nursing Mirpur AJK Dr. Tazeem Akhtar; Principal College of Nursing, University of Child Health Sciences Lahore Dr. Nazia Ilyas; Principal Bahria College of Nursing Lahore Dr. Razia Sultana; Associate Professor and Head Department of Medical Education, ABWA Medical College Faisalabad, Dr. Noor-i-Kiran Haris; Professor of Community Medicine, UHS, Prof. Dr. Shahid Mehmood Sethi; Director Postgraduate Studies, UHS, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Asif Naveed; and Head Department of Medical Education, UHS, Prof. Dr. Sarah Ghafoor.
The PhD Nursing programme is expected to help address the shortage of doctoral-qualified nursing faculty in Pakistan and provide a pathway for nurses seeking careers in research, teaching and healthcare leadership.
UHS officials said admission details and the application schedule will be announced in the first week of July.
