PhD, DNSc, ND: the ABCs of nursing doctoral degrees.

Doctorally prepared nurses are the nursing profession's voice for the future. Currently, there is an urgent demand for these advanced nurses to move into positions of leadership in both clinical and nonclinical settings. The purpose of this article is to investigate the various nursing doctoral degrees, including the history of doctoral education in nursing and variances in terminal nursing degrees. Recommendations for choosing a doctoral program are proposed and the vital need for the encouragement and support of nurses interested in pursuing doctoral studies is discussed.