NPs practicing as DRs

Specialties NP

Published

  1. Is the current DNP a "Clinical Doctorate"

    • 53
      Yes
    • 72
      No

99 members have participated

This has been a heated discussion between some of my friends and I, so I thought I would bring it to the forum.

Should people who are going through a DNP programs and taking the SAME test we all took for our MSN - NP for national certification think their education 'doctorate" is a clinical doctorate?

Until there is a national standard and an elevation of the test (think along the USMLE) then I think anyone who thinks their DNP is a clinical doctorate is a joke.

your thoughts. . . . .?

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

pmfb-rn question, question for you. your friend had to get a dnp from the hospital you guys work at?

*** no, actually there is a group of 7 of us guys who are good friends & worked together in a large sicu in wisconsin. of those seven 6 of them have gone to crna school in mn. the 7th (me) went to work at a hospital in mn that just happens to host one of the three crna programs available in the city. i continue to live in wisconsin and work part time at the old hospital in wi, but my full time job is as rapid response nurse in the mn hospital. the drive is pretty far so when i am working at my full time job i stay in the city in a house rented by my buddies who live there while going to crna school. the first of the group started crna school in 2008 and graduated in 2010. it was he who rented the house. since then the other five have entered crna school at various times, the last one starts in may of this year. they have moved in and out of the house as needed.

they don't offer a msn/crna? (unsure of the proper terms). i thought the deadline for crna's was 2020. are they not being for lack of a better term "grandfathered" in?

*** my buddy was in the last graduating class of the msn program before it went to dnp. there is no need to grandfather them as currently there is no requirement for a dnp to be a crna (or np for that matter). if dnp ever becomes a requirement they will be grandfathered just as the crnas who have bachelors, or even associates or diplomas have been grandfathered. the other two programs in the city are still masters programs, but not msn as they are offered at schools without nursing programs.

Specializes in family nurse practitioner.

Oh okay I see. I didn't realize there were CRNA programs that are only DNP. SMH.

Specializes in ICU, ER, OR, FNP.
I think we need to be very careful about how we assign the 'doctor' title, however. The title is loosing its meaning when every specialty decides that it too is a doctor.

We've been using the term "Doctor" for people that never went to medical school for hundreds of years and somehow if I ask folks to call me Doctor I am cheapening "the meaning" of the title? That just doesn't make sense. Please explain how I could be "very careful"?

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
We've been using the term "Doctor" for people that never went to medical school for hundreds of years and somehow if I ask folks to call me Doctor I am cheapening "the meaning" of the title? That just doesn’t make sense. Please explain how I could be "very careful"?

*** The issue isn't calling non physicians doctor I have never heard of any objections to that. It's calling non physicians doctor in a clinical enviroment, like a hospital.

Physical therapy and pharmacy are now doctorates. I have never heard of them calling themselves "doctor" in the clinical setting. Has anyone else? This seems to be strictly a nursing issue. In my opinion it says a lot about us that this is even an issue.

Specializes in family nurse practitioner.

I haven't heard pharmacist or PTs refer to themselves as doctors either....actually at my last clinical site the NP I worked with said that the practice she worked at had a DNP working there prior to her coming on board. And the first question they asked her at her interview was if she was getting her DNP because they had a bad experience with the title "DNP" before. Patients were too confused. Sigh. Its a double edged sword. Its kind of a shame not to be able to use a title you worked so hard for because of confusion, but at the same time its important not to be misleading.

*** The issue isn't calling non physicians doctor I have never heard of any objections to that. It's calling non physicians doctor in a clinical enviroment, like a hospital.

Physical therapy and pharmacy are now doctorates. I have never heard of them calling themselves "doctor" in the clinical setting. Has anyone else? This seems to be strictly a nursing issue. In my opinion it says a lot about us that this is even an issue.

I've never seen any other profession refer themselves as a doctor in the clinical setting (other than clinical psychologists).

More and more hospitals are instituting rules where only physicians can use the title of doctor in the clinical setting. The hospital system that I'm part of has recently instituted it as well and no one has complained so far (as far as I know). These days, everyone in the hospital wears white coats and has a doctorate, which only functions to confuse patients further, especially in their vulnerable sick state. There is some data suggesting that patients are often confused as to who their provider is and what their credentials are, so the move these hospitals are making makes sense from the point of view of the patient. After all, it's all about patient care and that's what matters.

My opinion on titles (regardless of if you're a physician, nurse, ancillary staff, whatever): worry about taking care of the patient, not about what you're addressed as. I personally introduce myself to all my patients with my first name, even though I have a doctorate (MD).

Specializes in family nurse practitioner.

My opinion on titles (regardless of if you're a physician, nurse, ancillary staff, whatever): worry about taking care of the patient, not about what you're addressed as. I personally introduce myself to all my patients with my first name, even though I have a doctorate (MD).

I couldn't agree more that it is not about a title. Its about the patients and taking care of them. I like the first name approach too. That would make me feel really comfortable as a patient. I always use my first name and correct ppl if they refer to me as a doctor. I tell them I'm a nurse practitioner student and explain what nurse practitioners do. It is important that they know the difference :)

Specializes in Anesthesia, Pain, Emergency Medicine.

Maybe because you have not worked at many places?I've seen many pharmD intoduce themselves as doctor in the hospital.When you get a doctorate, come back. Until then it just sounds like more of the same jealousy.

*** The issue isn't calling non physicians doctor I have never heard of any objections to that. It's calling non physicians doctor in a clinical enviroment, like a hospital. Physical therapy and pharmacy are now doctorates. I have never heard of them calling themselves "doctor" in the clinical setting. Has anyone else? This seems to be strictly a nursing issue. In my opinion it says a lot about us that this is even an issue.
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I haven't heard pharmacist or PTs refer to themselves as doctors either....actually at my last clinical site the NP I worked with said that the practice she worked at had a DNP working there prior to her coming on board. And the first question they asked her at her interview was if she was getting her DNP because they had a bad experience with the title "DNP" before. Patients were too confused. Sigh. Its a double edged sword. Its kind of a shame not to be able to use a title you worked so hard for because of confusion, but at the same time its important not to be misleading.

*** My observation is that most physicians, expecialy with more experience, have no idea what a DNP is. Find one who does and have mostly likely found one who doesn't like it.

Specializes in Anesthesia, Pain, Emergency Medicine.

It is just as important to use the term doctor and educate patients on advanced practice nurses.Hi, I'm doctor blank. I am a nurse practitioner. I've lost count of the patients I've educated.

My opinion on titles (regardless of if you're a physician, nurse, ancillary staff, whatever): worry about taking care of the patient, not about what you're addressed as. I personally introduce myself to all my patients with my first name, even though I have a doctorate (MD).
I couldn't agree more that it is not about a title. Its about the patients and taking care of them. I like the first name approach too. That would make me feel really comfortable as a patient. I always use my first name and correct ppl if they refer to me as a doctor. I tell them I'm a nurse practitioner student and explain what nurse practitioners do. It is important that they know the difference :)
Specializes in family nurse practitioner.

True.

Specializes in Anesthesia, Pain, Emergency Medicine.

Omg, go hang out in the medical student forum. Learn something.

I've never seen any other profession refer themselves as a doctor in the clinical setting (other than clinical psychologists).More and more hospitals are instituting rules where only physicians can use the title of doctor in the clinical setting. The hospital system that I'm part of has recently instituted it as well and no one has complained so far (as far as I know). These days, everyone in the hospital wears white coats and has a doctorate, which only functions to confuse patients further, especially in their vulnerable sick state. There is some data suggesting that patients are often confused as to who their provider is and what their credentials are, so the move these hospitals are making makes sense from the point of view of the patient. After all, it's all about patient care and that's what matters.My opinion on titles (regardless of if you're a physician, nurse, ancillary staff, whatever): worry about taking care of the patient, not about what you're addressed as. I personally introduce myself to all my patients with my first name, even though I have a doctorate (MD).
+ Add a Comment