Is a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree Worth It? If you’re dreaming about helping patients restore their mobility and quality of life, and you’re exploring what it would take to become a physical therapist, you may be wondering, “Is a degree in physical therapy worth it?” The answer to this question depends, of course, on your personal career goals. Some people choose to become physical therapist assistants because only a two-year associate degree is required. It’s true that pursuing a doctorate takes time and effort; however, there are countless advantages to earning a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. To that end, let’s look at some of the factors that make a Doctor in Physical Therapy (DPT) degree the best first step on an exceptional career Read more
Kathleen Polley-Payne, PhD, RN MSN PNP
Executive Director, School of Nursing
Dr. Kathleen Polley-Payne joined the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in December 2020.
Dr. Polley-Payne has been an early adopter of the online and blended teaching modalities. In 2004, working with seven community colleges in the metro Boston area, she developed and implemented the first online undergraduate degree offered by the University of Massachusetts Boston, the online RN-BSN Program. In 2007, she submitted and was awarded an $850,000 HRSA to develop a Diversity-focused Accelerated Baccalaureate which achieved a 100% first-time NCLEX pass-rate leveraging the educational technology employed by the online RN-BSN Program. Working in concert with her colleagues from the other four University of Massachusetts campuses, she was a C0-PI for a grant from the Sloan Consortium that considered Characteristics of Successful Local Blended Programs in the Context of the Sloan-C Pillars. Building upon that research she conducted research aimed at understanding the barriers to online learning for diverse learners with a grant from the Balfour Foundation. Working in collaboration with the 7 Community Colleges of New Hampshire to develop a seamless pathway from AND-MSN, she is the founding Chief Nurse Administrator of the nursing and health profession programs at Southern New Hampshire University achieving initial CCNE accreditation for both undergraduate and graduate nursing.
Dr. Polley-Payne’s interest lies with creating strategic partnerships that enhance patient outcomes with particular attention to Inter-professional collaboration through the leveraging of educational technology. Her clinical experience lies with the pediatric population having worked with acute care pediatrics, Pediatric ICU, Pediatric Bone Marrow and Oncology, and Pediatric Home Care and Primary Care, in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Role.
