Doctorate for Advanced Practice Nursing??

[bookwormom]

I read an article in a nurse practitioner journal a few days ago that said there is a move for all advanced practice nurses to be educated at the doctoral level by 2015. (It wouldn't affect anyone already in an advanced practice position.) What do you think of this? Is it likely to fly?

I have very mixed feeling about this. Does anyone have a good understanding of the implications? How would it affect MSN preparation, etc?

[bookwormom]

It is wonderful to teach, but without a doctorate, preferably a PhD, colleges and universities are unlikely to award tenure and one is seen, at the university level anyway, as a "just a clinical instructor". Being a clinical instructor is a good thing; I've been one for 25 years, but in time, teaching theory and having a role in curriculum development and policy making seem more and more important.

The way universities are set up means that a PhD is very important. Since nursing is taught in institutions of higher learning, we can't ignore how the system works.

[mtnmom]

"There are also regulatory issues. NPs do not have equal practice privileges in all states and CNSs do not even have title privileges in all states. No matter how many degrees I get as a CNS, as far as the state of Georgia is concerned I have the same scope of practice as an ADN nurse. This needs to be addressed before we go further. That's just my two cents."

Amen, sister!!! Well said!

[Cynthia_S]

Here is some more reading for those interested.

http://www.nursingworld.org/ojin/topic28/tpc28toc.htm