[Pumpkin1621]

Hello all. I am not a nurse yet and I am still taking my prereqs. I just read something and I want to make sure I understand it correctly.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice is a practice-focused doctorate, rather than a traditional research-focused doctorate.The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), an accrediting agency for nursing schools (Baccalaureate and Master’s degree programs), has proposed that the DNP degree will be the entry level of education for all advanced practice nurses by 2015.Thus, anyone wishing to be a nurse practitioner (NP), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), nurse midwife (CNM) or nurse anesthetist (CRNA) will have to complete a practice doctorate, instead of the master’s degree.

I am going to use CRNA as an example. After 3 more years to get my degree and 2 years min experience requirement it will be 2013 (pretty close to 2015). Does this mean that I will have to get my 4 year degree, get nursing experience, go to CRNA school, and then get a DNP degree? Will the DNP be incorporated into all of these programs or will they be seperate? Will I have to get a DNP degree before I can practice as CRNA? From what I have read the DNP degree takes about 4 years post Bach, so will CRNA school change from 2.5 years long to 4 years?

TIA

[TazziRN]

Sounds like it.....that's how I read it.

[MBA2BRN]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin1621

Hello all. I am not a nurse yet and I am still taking my prereqs. I just read something and I want to make sure I understand it correctly.


From what I have read the DNP degree takes about 4 years post Bach, so will CRNA school change from 2.5 years long to 4 years?

Wow!!! Will this be a specific state or in general? Will the rest of us (those with a Masters by 2015 an practicing as advanced practitioners) be grandfathered into Advanced practice?

I personally will earn a Doctorate degree but I am debating if it will be in Nursing. Right now I say "No.", but knowing me I will get it anyway. I initially was against going back to school to further my education in Nursing in order to remain in Health Care, so who knows?

[Megsd]

Originally Posted by MBA2BRN

Wow!!! Will this be a specific state or in general? Will the rest of us (those with a Masters by 2015 an practicing as advanced practitioners) be grandfathered into Advanced practice?

I personally will earn a Doctorate degree but I am debating if it will be in Nursing. Right now I say "No.", but knowing me I will get it anyway. I initially was against going back to school to further my education in Nursing in order to remain in Health Care, so who knows?

The information, scattered as it is, that I have received is the following. At least in Ohio, there are plans to "grandfather" the practicing NPs/CNSs/CRNAs in that they can continue to practice without the DNP but they may be required to get it within so many years. The DNP after 2015 will be the minimum requirement to allow you to sit for the certification exams in those "master's" specialties.

[DarrenWright]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin1621

Hello all. I am not a nurse yet and I am still taking my prereqs. I just read something and I want to make sure I understand it correctly.

I am going to use CRNA as an example. After 3 more years to get my degree and 2 years min experience requirement it will be 2013 (pretty close to 2015). Does this mean that I will have to get my 4 year degree, get nursing experience, go to CRNA school, and then get a DNP degree? Will the DNP be incorporated into all of these programs or will they be seperate? Will I have to get a DNP degree before I can practice as CRNA? From what I have read the DNP degree takes about 4 years post Bach, so will CRNA school change from 2.5 years long to 4 years?

TIA

Using your example, your timeframe will be fairly accurate. However, you will still not be able to achieve a similar level of income in that amount of time in any other nursing specialty.

Additionally, a the DNP completion time is variable depending on where you go and what you specialize in. For example, you could go to TJU in Philadelphia, complete the MSN Acute Care program in about one year, and then go on to complete their DNP program in about a year. Tough, intensive, but doable if you have the money.

While I like the idea of an alternative nursing doctorate, we may be putting too much attention on the wrong end of the spectrum. It's not that difficult to encourage nurses who have advanced practice aspirations to pursue higher levels of education. It seem, however, that far more resistance is met at entry level nursing to get a large population of RN's to pursue a BS in nursing. I believe more of a balance on both ends would work wonders in improving the professional nature of nursing.

[JaneyW]

I have looked into DNP programs, and they require an MSN for entry. Maybe that will change, but at the moment you won't be able to forget about the MSN. Most DNP programs are about 2 years as you don't have the extra year or two for the research and dissertation writing as in a PhD program.

Maybe I am being cynical, but where will they get all of the doctorate level nurses to teach at these programs by 2015? It sounds like a great goal, but the reality may be left wanting. There aren't even enough faculty members to teach at BSN and ADN programs. And in CA, the ADN teachers make more money! I would just choose good, solid programs and move forward. Don't be discouraged. Each step forward is toward your goal.

[queenjean]

I wonder if this is going the way of the PharmD--where you can't even get just a masters in pharmacy anymore at many universities, you just go straight from your BS to a doctoral program?

[elkpark]

Everyone sit down and take a deep breath -- so far, the proposal to make the DNP the entry level for advanced practice is just that; a proposal. A few nursing organizations have issued position papers on the subject, and there's suddenly a lot of discussion. That and 50 cents will buy you a cup of coffee ...

Keep in mind that we are the same occupational group that has been discussing making the BSN the (only) entry level for RN practice for ~30 years, and that ain't happened yet. I anticipate a similar trajectory for the required-DNP proposal -- many, many years of talk before anything happens.

[jjjoy]

Physical therapy is now like the PharmD as well. You apply with a bachelor's degree and whatever pre-reqs and go straight through for the doctorate - about 3 years.

[meandragonbrett]

The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists does NOT support making the DNP entry level to CRNA practice. And, CRNAs are not credentialed by the folks who are wanting to make the DNP entry-level to practice.