2015 is it official?

I know they are making a big push to make NP doctorate level, havent heard that about CRNA. There are a few schools now in my state offering Doctorate in NP now. Pretty cool I think!

This is absolutely not true and has been addressed several times on here. Other APNs are transitioning to DNP by 2015, but not CRNAs d/t logistical problems unique to nurse anesthesia education.

From the AANA:

What is the AANA’s official position statement on doctoral education and where can
I view it?

The AANA Board of Directors’ position statement on doctoral education is: “The AANA supports doctoral education for entry into nurse anesthesia practice by 2025.” The statement can be accessed on the AANA website at http://www.aana.com/dpcrna_presentations.aspx.

Doctoral Preparation for Nurse Anesthetists
Frequently Asked Questions

http://www.aana.com/uploadedFiles/Me...p/faqs_dnp.doc

Moderators, Please make this a sticky.

Some of the groups in nursing academia are pushing hard for the doctorate-as-entry-level-for-advanced-practice for all advanced practice roles, but the rest of the nursing world isn't jumping on the bandwagon, and, so far, it is still just a proposal.

Does our delay have something to do with the NLN not recognizing MS in something other than nursing as acceptable entry into DNP? Or is that just a rumor. There are a lot of us who did not get a masters in nursing, but instead studied in a masters in science program.

Thoughts?

This should answer you questions.

From the AANA:

"Could nurse anesthesia programs that are not sponsored by colleges of nursing offer the DNP?

The DNP is proposed by the AACN as the degree for all advanced nursing practice. Some nurse anesthesia programs affiliated with colleges of nursing already award or are considering awarding the DNP. The Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) is an example of a non-nursing degree that has been approved by the COA for a nurse anesthesia program that is not affiliated with a college of nursing. Both degrees, DNP and DNAP, are considered professional doctorates or practice-focused doctorates. Currently, the graduate degree title for nurse anesthesia programs—MS, MSN, MSA, DNP, DNAP, etc.—is determined by the degree- granting university. Institutional authority to grant types of degrees is not expected to change. The AANA does not support a requirement of the DNP as a degree title.

Are any nurse anesthesia programs accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) to offer doctoral degrees?

The COA accredits both master’s degree and doctoral degree programs. The two types of doctoral degree programs that are eligible for accreditation are practice-oriented and research-oriented. Currently there are three programs that are accredited to offer students the option of earning doctoral degrees. Rush University College of Nursing Nurse Anesthesia Program has been offering a doctoral degree since the mid-1980s. Very recently, the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing Nurse Anesthesia Program was approved to offer an optional DNP and Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Nurse Anesthesia was approved to offer an optional DNAP.

Definitions for the two types of degrees published by the COA in the Standards for Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs are as follows:

Practice-oriented doctoral degree – The primary purpose of the practice-oriented doctoral degree is to prepare registered nurses for professional practice as nurse anesthetists who have additional knowledge in an area of academic focus. The curriculum for a practice-oriented doctoral degree is typically a minimum of 36 calendar months of full-time study or longer if there are periods of part-time study. The DNAP and DNP are examples of this type of degree.

Research-oriented doctoral degree – The primary purpose of the research-oriented doctoral degree is to prepare registered nurses for professional practice as nurse anesthetists and as researchers capable of generating new knowledge and demonstrating scholarly skills. The curriculum for a research-oriented doctoral degree is typically a minimum of 5-7 years of full-time study beyond the master’s degree, or longer if there are periods of part-time study. The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Doctor of Nursing Science (DNSc) are examples of this type of degree."

lol...Sorry, but I just thought this was amusing, but on a serious note...I'm sure there's going a lot of research that goes into this before changing up a degree that has been around for a long time, but let's say it does happen in the near future, I'm sure there will be accomodations made for those who are already CRNA's, and for those who are in the process of obtaining their degrees.
Another way to look at this is the fact that CRNA programs might have a need for doctorate CRNA's to teach. Many universities have changed their requirements mandating the instructors of many specialties to obtain a phD in order to teach or to even obtain high positions in admistrative positions in healthcare facilities such as managers or directors.