Are you ready to take your nursing career to the next level? Preparing for Doctoral Study in Nursing: Making the Most of the Year Before You Begin helps you make an informed decision about entering doctoral studies and choosing the nursing credential that helps you reach your career goals. Noted educators and doctoral mentors Laura A. Taylor and Mary F. Terhaar - along with a team of nursing leaders and scholars - describe the big picture for nurses educated at the highest level of scholarship, including the rising demand for advanced practice nurses and the future of nursing. The first and only comprehensive guide to preparing for a doctorate in nursing, this book helps you choose your path, make your decision, and develop a plan for success in doctoral study. Grounded in more than a decade of experience in preparing nurses for doctoral study, this one-of-a-kind text is the first comprehensive guide to the year before you apply. Fifteen chapters provide practical information and guidance to help you navigate the challenges on your journey. Historical overview of doctoral education in nursing creates a clear picture of present and future demand. Clear explanation of the different degrees and the careers they support helps to build confidence in your decision about which to pursue. Sixteen personal narratives describe a broad range of career paths open to nurses who earn doctoral degrees and introduce the nurse leaders who have walked them. Online Evolve Resources include podcasts that bring the experiences of contributing authors to life. Additional Evolve Resources include practical forms, worksheets, planners, and representations of models referenced in the text. Illustrations clarify complex content, helping to make it more memorable and useful, and links to additional online resources serve as a springboard for additional learning. The diversity of the contributors, backgrounds, interests, and accomplishments gives you a sense that you belong and that your authentic self will add value to our discipline and to global health. At once scholarly and warm, the style of this book makes it a must-read for nurses who aspire to careers of importance and leadership.