Sticky suggestion for the NP forum

Specialties NP

Published

Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.

I would like to see a sticky that STAYS locked...accessible only to a staff member or other senior AllNurses member who has direct, accurate knowledge of how this DNP thing will work in the next couple of years.

I am sure someone on this board keeps up to date on such a thing...as there is so much inaccurate information floating around...this would be a TREMENDOUS help to those of us who are still in school and trying to advance our education...many of you would be great at finding resources for us, links, agencies, etc.

Nothing that would take rocket science to maintain..just something we can refer to when new information comes available on how it is being handled.

As I stated in a previous post...everyone SAYS that "it" is going to happen in 2015...but I have yet to read an accurate source that says it is a done deal.

Maybe someone on the board is affiliated with a Board of Nursing (particular state need not be disclosed) or works for one of the national agencies...etc.

With 200K members...surely we have someone on the board who can guide those of us..well, who need guidence.

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

There is a lot of misinformation because nothingbhas been decided. I would go back to the source, ANCC

http://Www.nursecredentialing.org.

There's also a DNP forum floating around out there somewhere.

Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Yes, as stated, nothing has been determined. It's all speculation, so we cannot really offer any more to this topic. Until 2015 rolls around, it's all just anybody's guess. Until then, we'll have many more threads on this topic discussing/cussing/re-discussing until the time comes that we see the DNP come to fruition; if it does.

Specializes in Med./Surg. and paramed. exams.

Its also of concern to those of us that are still trying to decide what program we want to go into or exactly what area of advanced practice would work for us. I've been doing a bit more research that last couple of weeks and it seems that many schools are now dropping or closing out their MSN in favor of the DNP. In the last couple of weeks I've taken looks online to about 8 schools in Illinois or neighboring states and they are changing to DNP programs. This is a big switch from this time last year. I understand that more education or more training may be great, but how is that going to persuade some to go the NP route? Benefits of going the NP route over the MD route would seem to be less due to the added cost and time of the DNP compared to the MSN.

Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
Yes, as stated, nothing has been determined. It's all speculation, so we cannot really offer any more to this topic. Until 2015 rolls around, it's all just anybody's guess. Until then, we'll have many more threads on this topic discussing/cussing/re-discussing until the time comes that we see the DNP come to fruition; if it does.

The problem is, that even on some school websites, for example...a college in Florida I looked at yesterday, said, "In 2015, a DNP is going to be the required minimum entry for advanced practice nursing."

I talked to a recruiter yesterday from a college in Ohio, that stated that they had a meeting just a few weeks ago on this very issue and the Dean informed them that nothing had been decided.

So I agree with you...that nothing has been set in stone. My goal in suggesting the thread was that I was hoping that there might be members who may be more in the loop than those of us newer in the field.

For example, I am at the point in my educational pathway, to where I have to make decisions on graduate schools in the next couple of months because deadlines for applications will be this summer for me to start grad school in Spring of 2012...that would easily, put me graduating sometime in 2014...so what if something happens that I need to take a semester off, or find that I need to cut back classes and finish the program in 3 years instead of 2 or 2 1/2...that puts a huge damper on if you put in all that work only to find out you have to go to school for another year.

I understand that no one on this board can answer these questions...but that is what leads me to believe that the mandatory change is not going to happen...simply because..I am still, running into tons of schools that are not implementing BSN-DNP programs and have not even put together a committee yet to even make the changes vs schools that have.

I cannot imagine that these schools would just sit on this issue and have their students start on a pathway to where when the degree is finished, they will not be able to get certified as they were expecting to be.

whether or not the dnp will be "mandated"; it looks as if the governing boards and heading in that direction. the biggest move that i am seeing (4 np programs in my city) is that all the universities are in the process of dropping the msn for aprns- keeping them for advanced nursing practice, but moving all aprn education to a dnp level, happening as we speak. many advisors are urging potential students to seek the dnp, so that they are not lost in this msn or dnp limbo. all np programs are busting in credit hours, and are respectively very close to a doctorate program as they stand now. a 2.5-3 year curriculum is simply too much for only awarding a masters degree.

i would suggest looking into the lace regulatory issue, this may help as well.

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