Date of Completion

Spring 5-1-2025

Thesis Advisor(s)

Carrie M. Eaton

Honors Major

Nursing

Disciplines

Interprofessional Education | Medical Humanities | Nursing

Abstract

Nurse-physicians are healthcare professionals who have obtained both a nursing degree and a medical degree, transitioning from Registered Nurse (RN) or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) to a licensed physician, including Medical Doctor (MD), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), or Naturopathic Doctor (ND). Research on this phenomenon conducted to date is limited to a single study. Some nonresearch sources indicate a small presence of this topic online. Yin’s (2018) descriptive, multiple-case study approach was employed to investigate the phenomenon using oral history interviews and a survey of the online platform YouTube as data sources. For the intention of pursuing this path, interviewees stated that financial security, the urge to learn more, and having greater responsibility in care planning were key motivators. Findings also suggest that this is a multidimensional topic requiring more structured research that combines qualitative and quantitative techniques. A model is proposed based on Carper’s ways of knowing (1978) that can serve as the theoretical framework for future research.

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