Advanced Practice Nurses and the DNP: Understanding the Shift to the DNP
Continuing our discussion about Advanced Practice Nurses And The DNP: Looking Towards 2015, this post discusses the rationale behind the push for requiring advanced practice nurses to have a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree by 2015.
Doctorate level degrees for nurses have been around since the early 1900s, when nurses were awarded the EdD degree in preparation for roles as expert educators and specialists in curricular change. Over half a century later, programs for the Doctor of Nursing Science (DNSc) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) were instituted in an early effort to bring nursing into parity with other disciplines and to advance nursing science.
None of these or similar doctorate-level programs fully met the needs created by the acceleration of science and technology, the escalating complexity of healthcare, and the national shortage of doctorally-prepared nursing faculty. In order to help meet these needs, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree was developed. The DNP concentrates on direct care, specifically the use of research to enhance the delivery of care and clinical systems management.
In 2002, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) formed a task force to examine the DNP issue and build consensus. This process took over two years, and provided a wealth of compelling documentation and research. Based on the findings, the AACN voted to endorse the Position Statement on the Practice Doctorate in Nursing in late October of 2004.
Data collected by the AACN shows an overwhelming positive momentum concerning DNP program planning and development. For example, in spring 2005, only 8 DNP programs were enrolling students and 80 DNP programs were in the planning stages. Currently, 120 DNP programs are enrolling students and over 160 programs are in the planning stages. From 2007 to 2008, the number of students enrolled in DNP programs nearly doubled and the number of DNP graduates nearly tripled.
Preparing Advanced Practice Nurses for Complex Healthcare Systems
The DNP is not simply a "new name" for the Master's-level education that accrediting agencies currently require for advanced practice nurses. DNP programs include an additional level of leadership and management content, and graduates are expected to achieve an expanded knowledge base in eight essential areas. Two years after the vote to endorse the Position Statement, the AACN published a comprehensive explanation in "The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice".
The eight essentials are:
- 1. Scientific underpinnings for practice
- 2. Organizations and Systems leadership for quality improvement and systems thinking
- 3. Clinical scholarship and analytical methods for evidence-based practice
- 4. Information systems and patient care technology for the improvement and transformation of health care
- 5. Health care policy for advocacy in health care
- 6. Interprofessional collaboration for improving patient and population health outcomes
- 7. Clinical prevention and population health for improving the nation's health
- 8. For advanced nursing practice, the clinical hours were increased to 1000 hours minimum post-baccalaureate in order to achieve DNP competencies via end-of-program practice immersion experiences
Earning Your DNP
Many nurses considering the DNP have established themselves in the workplace and may struggle to find time to attend a DNP program on a traditional campus. Just as with DNP programs in general, the number of online DNP programs is expanding to meet the needs of the nursing workforce. Accredited online DNP programs provide the same high standard of education as do traditional programs, and provide the flexibility and convenience busy nurses need. You can set your own schedule, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and even accept a job in another state without interrupting your studies.
2015 will mark the beginning of a new era in advanced nursing practice. If your goal is to become a nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, nurse anesthetist, or clinical nurse specialist, you will need a DNP. If you want to take on a leadership role in policy development, clinical practice or clinical teaching, you will also want to consider this degree. Now is the time to apply to online DNP programs and ensure your readiness for advanced practice and nursing leadership.
Earn Your Nurse Practitioner Degree Or Nursing Doctorate Degree Online
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Explore accredited nursing degree programs that will get you on track to become a Nurse Practitioner or earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, and request additional information about requirements, tuition, financial aid, and start dates directly from nursing schools offering programs that match your interests:
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