Evaluation of the implementation of a PhD capacity-building programme for nurses in South Africa.

Background: There is a significant deficit in the research capacity of nurses and internationally, in order to meet future healthcare demands, there is a call to double the number of nurses and healthcare professionals with a PhD. Aim: The aim of this research was to evaluate the implementation of a national PhD capacity-building programme for academic and practice-based nurses and other healthcare professionals. Method: An implementation science framework was used to evaluate the process of implementing a national PhD capacity-building programme across South Africa. Implementation of the programme across two national, longitudinal cohorts of participants was studied. Evidence of enablers and barriers to implementation was obtained from a range of data sources. These sources included the curriculum for the programme, regular evaluation reports from programme participants and programme facilitators after each stage of the PhD curriculum delivery, and meeting notes. Supplementary sources included measureable and quantifiable impact metric rates on PhD candidate recruitment, retention and successful completion. Results: Evidence of the presence of most enablers for successful implementation was found, including stakeholder consultation and buy-in, leadership, resources, staff capacity and implementation teams. There was, however, no evidence of an implementation plan, a supportive organisational culture or of effective ongoing communication at stage four of the implementation process. Evidence was found for the presence of the barriers of external environmental factors, resistance to change, and vested interests. Discussion: Within the context of a recognised worldwide shortage of nursing scientists, the application of an implementation science framework to evaluate the initial stages of a Manuscript (Including Abstract, References and Figure Legends) 2 national PhD development programme roll-out provided evidence on how the effective implementation of the programme can be strengthened and how barriers to success can be overcome