Anyone heard anything about no more masters degrees?

acubed · Oct 28, 2009

I would assume that she means eventually, as in it's in the talking stage but not the works. I know a school that is beginning a accelerated BSN and online masters in 2011, so I would say not now, but maybe someone else can shed some light on this matter.

quetepye · Oct 28, 2009

I know. I Googled it, etc. and I'm not even sure where to go to find more info. Our school used to have a bachelors-MSN straight program (partially online) where you would go for your RN-BSN while taking a few "different" courses that were harder and could count for a MSN degree track, but there is no info on our website about it anymore...

Someone here has to know something, I'm sure!

Thanks :)

MassED, BSN, RN · Oct 28, 2009

well then I guess more "would be" nurses might go to medical school - probably would be the same effort as getting your doctorate in nursing. I haven't heard this, but without knowing any more information, perhaps your instructor means his or her field - teaching. Maybe this is where having a doctorate would be beneficial.

What would the practicing nurses in a doctor's office, that obtained their doctorate to be in practice, be called? Doctor nurse such and such? Still to be called a nurse, but yet you're a doctor, working under a doctor... it's all too confusing.

quetepye · Oct 28, 2009

VERY confusing!

There are already "doctor nurses" with of course the standard doctorate and now the "doctor of practice" degree they recently approved (last few years maybe?).

Honestly? I LOVE the approach of nursing, but if I knew this 5 years ago? I may have looked at the time comparisons and gone to med school. Who knows.

And FYI the instructor said advanced practice as in NPs, MSNs, CNSs, etc.

SCARY

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Oct 28, 2009

NPs will be required to have a DNP by 2015. Those with lower degrees will more than likely be encouraged to go back for their DNP with lower wages than those with DNP

rn/writer, RN · Oct 28, 2009

NPs will be required to have a DNP by 2015. Those with lower degrees will more than likely be encouraged to go back for their DNP with lower wages than those with DNP

What is your source for this information? Isn't it up to the individual Boards of Nursing to decide for each state?

quetepye · Oct 28, 2009

NPs will be required to have a DNP by 2015. Those with lower degrees will more than likely be encouraged to go back for their DNP with lower wages than those with DNP

Do you have a link to "official" information on this? Is it ONLY nurse practiioners that are affected, or other APNs as well? Will existing NPs be "grandfathered in" or will they all have to get DNPs?

How much schooling is it from a masters to a DNP? Will those with only a BSN - and wanting to be a DNP - have to go straight to a DNP now instead of getting the MSN? How many years is that?

So confusing!!!

elkpark · Oct 28, 2009

There are a kazillion existing threads here about this issue that you could search and find if you want to read more. The AACN is proposing that the DNP degree become the mandatory minimum preparation for all four of the advanced practice roles. At this point, it's still a proposal, not a requirement. A whole lot of other parties (including all the state BONs) would have to climb on the bandwagon for that to happen.

quetepye · Oct 28, 2009

The AACN is proposing that the DNP degree become the mandatory minimum preparation for all four of the advanced practice roles.

Right now does EVERY APN (NP, CNS, etc.) degree consist of a MSN? Or is that something you get first?

And what are the "four" advanced practice roles? Are they the only types of the APN/MSN/? you can get? I would LOVE a "masters/advanced practice" for dummies primer, lol If you have a link or know of a post, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks for your input.

LisaDNP · Oct 29, 2009

I don't understand what's confusing or scary. Perhaps you can elaborate.

NP/CNS/CRNA/CNL require a MSN (as far as I know). If you do some research, you'll see that any NP/CRNA programs require more hours to obtain a Masters than say a education degree. Many educators feel that the majority of CRNA programs should be conferring a doctorate on their graduates now because of the amount of work (education/clinical hours) required.

Yes, it is a recommendation that APNs be required to have a doctorate by 2015. It was also a recommendation that all RNs have a BSN by 1985 back in the day.

Doctor is a title used by those who have a doctorate degree. A medical doctor is a physician. Don't you have professors with PhDs? Don't they deserve to be called Dr. So and so? Its not confusing to a patient if you introduce yourself as Dr. Smith, "your nurse practitioner."

I'll try to answer any questions you may have.

elkpark · Oct 29, 2009

The four advanced practice roles are NP (nurse practitioner), CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist), CNS (clinical nurse specialist), and CNM (certified nurse midwife). There are lots of other master's specializations in nursing, also -- education, administration/management, clinical nurse leader (CNL), informatics, probably lots of others I can't think of at the moment -- but those are not considered advanced (clinical) practice, and no one is talking about making them doctoral degrees.

The four AP roles currently require an MSN as the minimum educational preparation (that's been the case for many years now).

DNP programs are certainly springing up all over the place like mushrooms after a spring rain. Many advanced practice MSN programs are currently transitioning into DNP programs. However, As LisaMSN notes, there are groups within nursing that have been proposing that the BSN become the minimum entry into nursing for at least thirty years now, and we're no closer to that happening than we were thirty years ago. In order for this new DNP-for-advanced-practice thing to become a requirement instead of a proposal, a whole lot of people (organizations) who don't seem particularly enthusiastic about the idea would have to buy into it.