The evolving role of the Doctor of Nursing practice (DNP) degree

The  evolving role of the Doctor of Nursing practice (DNP) degree was  created to fill a gap in health care in the United States and was  proposed to bring added value to the health care system and began in  2004 with the National Academy of Science. The DNP degree prepares  nurses to practice at the highest level, beyond the initial nursing  preparation (Stoekel, 2013).

According to Schlette (2021), the pros of DNP as a terminal degree for advanced nursing practice are:

• First, the DNP degree is expensive, and the path for education may be lengthy.
• If  you practice as a Nurse practitioner, earning a DNP will not help learn  any new hands-on skills as the DNP works towards organizational and  systems leadership, health care information systems/technology,  inter-professional collaboration, health care policy, and evidence-based  practice. This may be an issue if you wish to teach in an academic  setting, you need to keep in mind that some institutions will not make  DNP faculty eligible for tenure.

According to Deering (2021), the cons of DNP as a terminal degree for advanced nursing practice are:

• DNP emphasizes higher-level skills in nursing practice. DNPs strive to improve patient outcomes.
• DNP curriculum centers on leadership in healthcare, evidence-based practice, and advanced practice nursing.
• DNPs  in clinical practice are expected to take on larger roles in problem  solving and advocacy, acting as liaisons with other medical  professionals. This heightened responsibility comes with higher pay  rates and opportunities

References

Deering, M. (2021, August 12). Why get a doctorate in Nursing (DNP)? NurseJournal. Retrieved September 10, 2021, from https://nursejournal.org/degrees/dnp/why-get-a-dnp-degree/.

Denisco, S. M., and Barker, A. M. (2021). Advanced Practice Nursing: Essential Knowledge for 

the Profession 4th ed. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Schlette, J. (2021). (PDF) practicing dnps’ perceptions of the DNP.  ResearchGate. Retrieved September 10, 2021, from  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272145470_Practicing_DNPs’_Perceptions_of_the_DNP.

Stoeckel, P. (2013). (PDF) practicing dnps’ perceptions of the DNP.  ResearchGate. Retrieved September 10, 2021, from  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272145470_Practicing_DNPs’_Perceptions_of_the_DNP.