CYPRUS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Doctoral Program

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Purpose and Objectives

The overall purpose of the doctoral program is to prepare new researchers (nurses and other health professionals), with knowledge and skills in the full range of theoretical and methodological approaches in Nursing research and Health Sciences research in general, in order to be able to pursue a research career either in a clinical or in an academic setting. The professional and personal development of the program’s graduates is aimed at creating a critical mass of the next generation of capable researchers who will contribute original research findings to the international literature and, thus, will be in the position to make important contributions to the development of Nursing research, impact on Nursing practice and maximize the contribution of Nursing to the advancement of Health Sciences both nationally and internationally.

The thematic areas of research in the doctoral program cover a broad field of Nursing and Health Care Sciences, as supported by the research interests and activities of the faculty members.

(a) theoretical aspects and

(b) to applied aspects of nursing clinical practice in hospital and community settings that address people with chronic and acute health problems and cover the full range of health care services (intensive care, emergency care, cardiovascular, oncology, reproductive and sexual health, mental health etc.).

The full range of methodological approaches in Nursing and Health Sciences is used to support the research agenda of the Department, with traditions in both humanistic-interpretive and social sciences research paradigm as well as clinical, epidemiological and basic research, utilizing a range of research methods.

Doctoral candidates acquire specific knowledge, skills and competences in the research methods used in his own study as well as broader skills and competences in Nursing and Health Sciences research methods in order to be able to successfully implement his own research study as well as to mature as a future researcher who can design a research study, prepare research protocols and critically evaluate the methodology and findings of published research studies. At the same time, the doctoral graduate is expected to develop specialization in the specific topic of research his/her thesis addresses as well as to develop a more general understanding of research developments in the Health Sciences through their overall experiences and exposures during the doctoral studies and the interaction that the program explicitly promotes with other doctoral candidates, faculty members and external visiting researchers and academics.

Entry requirements

The study program is mainly intended for University graduates in Nursing and Midwifery, but depending on the field of enquiry and research topic, the call may not exclude graduates of the Health Sciences and/or Humanities / Social Sciences.

The number of available positions for the doctoral program is determined by the Departmental Council each academic semester. The call announcement is published by the Studies and Student Affairs Office of the University separately for each program twice a year, accepting applications for the upcoming semester. The minimum qualifications are specified in the Call and relate to both the academic qualifications of the applicants as well as the additional necessary (required) and desired (preferred) qualifications, knowledge, skills, clinical or previous research experience.

Although not mandatory according to the University Rules, in addition to their University Degree, applicants in the Department of Nursing are commonly required to hold or be expected to hold a postgraduate Master’s degree. The relevance of the master's degree is determined according to the subject area of the thesis and is stated in the call. If for an advertised position a postgraduate degree is not required, it is not listed as a necessary requirement and any successful candidates are expected to complete at least 60 ECTS from taught courses, in addition to the 180 ECTS.

Structure and content

The minimum duration of the program is six (6) semesters i.e. three (3) academic years, while the total time of obtaining a PhD degree may not exceed 16 semesters i.e. eight (8) academic years.

The program requires completion of at least a total of 240 ECTS, as follows:

• 180 ECTS relate to the purely research and writing part of the program. The preparation and presentation of the research proposal, obtaining the necessary bioethics and other approvals, annual progress reports, the comprehensive examination, and the writing of the PhD Thesis are credited with 60 ECTS.

• 60 ECTS related to the taught component of the program. A Master's or equivalent degree does not completely exempt the student from the taught part of the program, which comprises of four core courses (30 ECTS). Non-holders of a postgraduate Master's degree must complete 60 ECTS in taught courses (30 from core courses and 30 from elective courses)

Annual progress reports: The Annual Progress Report gives the doctoral student the opportunity to self-evaluate both the research project's progress as well as their own personal development and to plan the actions and activities needed to successfully implement and complete the research work/ thesis. The Advisory Committee provides the necessary feedback, identifies potential student needs for personal and scientific/professional development, and decides on the action plan in collaboration with the student.

Comprehensive examination: The comprehensive examination must be completed no later than the 5th semester of study. The examination is oral, following a presentation by the candidate of the progress of their research work as part of an open lecture to the academic staff and MSc/ PhD students of the Department. The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to evaluate the candidate's (A) overall level of understanding of Health Sciences Research Methodology, (B) familiarity with the field of enquiry and issues related to specific subject area and topic of the doctoral thesis and (C) skills and competences in presenting and defending their research work in a peer-review framework.

Thesis defence: Με την σύμφωνη γνώμη των μελών της Συμβουλευτικής Επιτροπής, ο/η υποψήφιος/α διδάκτορας προχωρά σε δημόσια υποστήριξη της διδακτορικής διατριβής, ενώπιον τριμελούς Εξεταστικής Επιτροπής, η οποία ορίζεται από το Συμβούλιο του Τμήματος, νοουμένου ότι πληρούνται οι πιο κάτω προϋποθέσεις:

With the consensus of all Advisory Committee members, the PhD candidate defends their thesis publicly, as part of an open lecture, in front of a three-member Examining Board, appointed by the Departmental Council, provided that the following conditions are fulfilled:

Certificate of attendance and successful completion of the taught component of the program
Successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination.
Presentation of at least one piece of research work at a local, Greek or international scientific conference and participation in the Doctoral Students’ Colloquium and / or Departmental seminar-series.
At least one publication in a peer-reviewed journal and draft manuscripts of two additional papers in publishable form and quality.

Regulations and Quality Assurance

The doctoral program of study

is governed by the "Postgraduate Study Program Rules" of the Cyprus University of Technology, and
is further regulated by the Internal Rules and Regulations of the Doctoral Study Program of the Department of Nursing
In addition, the University has developed a PhD Thesis Quality Assurance Framework.

The Department of Nursing has developed a Doctoral Student Departmental Guide (available in Greek only). In addition to the requirements and quality assurance criteria, the Departmental Guide provides both general as well as specific information on much broader topics of interest to doctoral students, such as learning resources, library procedures, resources and tools and support mechanisms.

Personnel

Program coordinator:

Dr. Nicos Middleton, Associate Professor, Health Sciences Research Methodology and Biostatistics

Personnel

Doctoral graduates

Name	Thesis title	Main Advisor	Members of Advisory Commitee	Year
George Efstathiou	Investigation into the compliance of Cypriot Nurses with standard precautions to avoid occupational exposure to pathogenic microorganisms	E. Papastavrou	A. Merkouris V. Raftopoulos A. Kalokerinou (Univ Athens) E. Apostolopoulou (Univ Athens)	2012
Maria Demetriou	Quality of life of elderly patients with coronary heart disease in Cyprus	A. Merkouris	Ν. Middleton E. Lambrinou Μ. Theodorou (Open University Cyprus) Cr. Lemonidou (Univ Athens)	2012
Eleni Hadjigeorgiou	Cypriot women's perceptions with regards to the right to choose place of birth	C. Kouta	Ε. Papastavrou I. Papadopoulos (Middlesex University)	2012
Marios Vassiliou	Assessment of the cultural competence of Community Nurses in Cyprus	C. Kouta	V. Raftopoulos A. Kalokerinou (Univ Athens)	2013
Magdalini Pylli	Biological and behavioral study of HIV infection in men who have sex with other men in Cyprus	V. Raftopoulos (former faculty member)	N. Middleton A. Charalambous	2013
Fotini Kalogirou	Effectiveness of a nurse-led educational intervention to cardiac failure patients: an RCT study.	E. Lambrinou	Ε. Papathanasoglou P. Sourtzi (Univ Athens)	2013
Socrates Socratous	Investigating depression symptoms among University students in Cyprus	Merkouris	M. Karanikola N. Middleton	2014
Melanie Charalambous	Testing the effectiveness of Thymus Honey in xerostomia and oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy	Α. Charalambous	V. Raftopoulos E. Lambrinou	2014
Theologia Tsitsi	Effectiveness of a Relaxation Intervention Technique (Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Guided Imagery techniques) to Reducing Anxiety of Parents of Hospitalized Children With Malignancies: A randomized controlled trial	Α. Charalambous	V. Raftopoulos E. Papastavrou	2014
Ourania Kolokotroni	Hypovitaminosis D: Prevalence, Determinants, and its Association with Asthma in adolescents in Cyprus	Ν. Middleton	V. Raftopoulos C. Kouta P. Yiallouros (External Advisor)	2015
Elena Rousou	Investigating the health status of single mothers in Cyprus	C. Kouta	Ν. Middleton Μ. Karanikola	2015
Christos Andreou	Learning styles and critical thinking in baccalaureate nursing students	Ε. Papastavrou	A. Merkouris Cr. Lemonidou (Univ Athens)	2015
Maria Hadjibalassi	Clinical trial of a composite integrative psycho-cognitive nursing intervention on clinical and psychological outcome of ICU patients	Ε. Papathanasoglou (former faculty member)	E. Lambrinou Ε. Papastavrou	2015
Evanthia Georgiou	Investigating the Effectiveness of Systematic Pain Assessment in Critically Ill patients	Ε. Papathanasoglou (former faculty member)	A. Merkouris E. Lambrinou	2015
Elena Kleanthous	Attitudes and knowledge of critically ill patients, their relatives and healthcare professionals in Intensive Care Units with regards to patients' rights	Ε. Papathanasoglou (former faculty member)	Ν. Middleton V. Raftopoulos (former faculty member)	2015
Persefoni Lambrou	Nurses and Physicians perceptions of their professional practice environment in the Accident and Emergency Department	Ε. Papastavrou	A. Merkouris Ν. Middleton	2015
Charis Kaite	Phenomenological Exploration of the lived experience of persons with Severe Mental Illness in Cyprus	Μ. Karanikola	A. Merkouris Ε. Papathanasoglou (former faculty member)	2015
Christiana Nicolaou	Health-related quality of life of mothers of children with malignancy: the role of social support and social capital	Ν. Middleton	C. Kouta Ε. Papathanasoglou (former faculty member)	2015
Constantinos Stylianides	Investigation into factors related to perceived quality and satisfaction of new mothers regarding he care received by midwives and gynecologists during pregnancy and childbirth in public hospitals of the Republic of Cyprus	V. Raftopoulos (former faculty member)	Ν. Middleton C. Kouta	2016
Marios Georgiou	Study of the effects of the combination of chest compressions and interposed abdominal compressions in a swine model	Ε. Papathanasoglou (former faculty member)	Ν. Middleton Th. Xanthos (Univ Athens)	2016
Elena Gavriel	The organizational culture and organizational effectiveness of public hospitals in Cyprus	Α. Merkouris	Ε. Papastavrou Ν. Middleton	2017
Maria Christodoulou-Fella	Investigation of the association between moral and secondary post-traumatic syndrome among mental health nurses in Cyprus	Μ. Karanikola	Ν. Middleton Ε. Papathanasoglou (former faculty member)	2017
Stelios Iordanous	Investigation of the effectiveness of the implementation of an integrated system for the surveillance of devices-associated acquired infections in an Intensive Care Unit of a Republic of Cyprus hospital	V. Raftopoulos (former faculty member)	Ν. Middleton Ε. Papathanasoglou (former faculty member)	2018
Mary Economou	Prevalence of breastfeeding up to the sixth month of the infant’s life and its association with breastfeeding self-efficacy and the perceived experience of the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative’s 10 Steps for Successful Breastfeeding	Ν. Middleton	C. Kouta E. Lambrinou	2018
Efi Evangelou	Identification and selection of clinical quality indicators of nursing care and pilot implementation in the ICU, General Nicosia Hospital	E. Lambrinou	Α. Merkouris C. Kouta	2018
Andreas Protopapas	Effectiveness of telephone follow-up intervention on the quality of life and self-care symptom management of people with heart failure	E. Lambrinou	A. Merkouris Ε. Papathanasoglou (former faculty member)	2018
Maria Aristidou	Phenomenological investigation of the lived experience of sudden cardiac arrest survivors	Ε. Papathanasoglou (former faculty member)	E. Lambrinou Μ. Karanikola	2019
Marigo Tseroni	Development and implementation of an Enhanced Epidemiological Surveillance and Active Detection Programme for malaria among migrants in Southern Greece	V. Raftopoulos (former faculty member)	Ν. Middleton A. Charalambous C. Hadjichristodoulou (external advisor)	2019
Panagiota Ellina	Investigation into the social inequalities in health-related quality of life and health-related behaviours among residents in the city of Limassol	C. Kouta	Ν. Middleton E. Lambrinou	2020
Areti Christina Efthymiou	The association of health literacy and eHealth literacy with caring concepts among carers of people with dementia	E. Papastavrou	Ν. Middleton A. Charalambous	2020
Melina Evripidou	Implementation of an educational programme to improve nurses’ knowledge and reduce missed nursing care of people with dementia	E. Papastavrou	A. Charalambous A. Merkouris	2020
Aristides Chorattas	Implementation of a home-based education programme for patients and family caregivers for the management of breathlessness due to lung cancer	C .Kouta	E. Papastavrou A. Charalambous	2020
Andri Christou	Investigation of the effectiveness of topical use of lemon and honey caramel in patients with thyroid cancer after treatment with radioactive iodine I131	Α. Charalambous	E. Papastavrou A. Merkouris	2021
Georgios Savva	Medication administration safety in state hospitals in Cyprus	E. Papastavrou	A. Charalambous A. Merkouris	2021
Maria Demetriadou	Views of undergraduate nursing students in Cyprus and Greece with regard to their education in relation to patient safety	E. Papastavrou	A. Charalambous A. Merkouris	2021
Katerina Kaikoushi	Investigation of the association between the intensity of symptoms of mental disorder and psychotropic treatment in adults under involuntary hospitalization in the acute care units in Cyprus	Μ. Karanikola	Ν. Middleton A. Hadjitofi (Univ Cyprus) G. Alevizopoulos (Univ Athens)	2021
Ioannis Leontiou	Perceived self-efficacy, empowerment and power among middle nurse managers and association with the intention to leave before and after the autonomy of the state hospitals in Cyprus	A. Merkouris	E. Papastavrou Ν. Middleton	2021
Nikos Stavrides	Investigation of Knowledge, Attitudes, and their Association with the High-Risk Behavior of University Students regarding HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections.	C. Kouta	Ν. Middleton S. Sokratous V. Raftopoulos (external advisor)	2021
Stavros Vryonides	Types of ethical climate, missed nursing care and nurse-related outcomes in public hospitals of the Republic of Cyprus	E. Papastavrou	A. Charalambous A. Merkouris	2022
Maria Papaioannou	Investigation of nurses' knowledge and attitudes about acute confusional state-delirium.	E. Papastavrou	A. Merkouris C. Kouta	2022

NUR808 Research in Health Sciences ΙΙ

NUR809 Special topics in Nursing Research Methodology

NUR810 Special topics in Biostatistics

ΝUR807 Research in Health Sciences Ι

Doctoral Program

I am interested in this programme!

Purpose and Objectives

Entry requirements

Structure and content

Regulations and Quality Assurance

Personnel

Doctoral graduates

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