Anyone here plan on a PhD,DNP, etc...?

Nursing Students Post Graduate

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Kind of curious...I'm thinking of going that route, and I wonder how common it is. Most of my classmates plan to go on to get their NP or CRNA. I'm kind of the oddball in that I'm looking at a DNP, probably because I spent 10 years in research prior to NS and I actually like looking up info and writing.

Anyone else here looking at going on from the MS?

Specializes in Med surg, cardiac, case management.
Check out the stickies on this topic in the Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner forum...

Looking at the AACN site, it looks like that the traditional NP will remain. Which makes sense...I had always heard that the DNP shared much more in common with the PhD rather than the NP degree, being more research-oriented than practice-oriented. Which is good, because I'm more interested in research than in practice, especially primary care.

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doesn't the dnp qualify one to take boards for nurse practitioners? i've always understood the dnp to just be a "higher" route to advanced practice. all the programs (dnp) that i've looked into prepare you to become a nurse practitioner. i do understand that you can be a np first, then advance to dnp. it seems like people are saying np or dnp but from what i've seen, the dnp is inclusive of the np.

am i missing something?

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
doesn't the dnp qualify one to take boards for nurse practitioners? i've always understood the dnp to just be a "higher" route to advanced practice. all the programs (dnp) that i've looked into prepare you to become a nurse practitioner. i do understand that you can be a np first, then advance to dnp. it seems like people are saying np or dnp but from what i've seen, the dnp is inclusive of the np.

am i missing something?

i've had some of the same questions that you have expressed. my first impression of the dnp was as you described above. however, i have read/heard some other things that suggest that some schools are considering it as the main alternative to a phd ... the "clinical doctorate" for nursing that would also encompas cns's, etc.

my guess is that the role hasn't completely "gelled" yet in everyone's mind -- and different schools are developing their programs a little differently from each other -- another example of the profession of nursing scr***** things up and making them more confusing than they have to be.

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Specializes in Med surg, cardiac, case management.

Yeah, I think people hear "DNP" and think it's the same thing as an FNP or ANP, not realizing it's a research degree.

Like the CNL, it's not yet that well defined...

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Here is the FAQ sheet for DNP from AACN. It should answer all your questions.

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/DNPFAQ.htm

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Specializes in Peds, PICU, Home health, Dialysis.

There is a sticky on the DNP, but I have talked to a professor about the DNP. My university has 4 or 5 DNP's and DNSc (DNSc is being phased out). The DNP is basically a "clinical doctoral program". The DNP was basically designed to allow those nurses who are interested in furthering their education and become more of an "expert" in their field of study but are not interested in the long drawn out research-oriented PhD program.

And yes the masters prepared NP programs will become obsolete (I think in 2015) and the DNP will be required to become a nurse practitioner.

Furthermore, students can obtain their DNP in a fairly efficient (quick) manner. One of my professors was able to get his BSN, MSN (NP), and his DNP all within 7 years which is pretty darn efficient compared to those who pursue their PhD. Furthermore, he was able to get his DNP through an online-based program (however, it is a very reputable school in Chicago).

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I'm planning for my PhD program.

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Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.

I am in the application process for a BSN-PhD program. Year 1 is Masters level capstone courses, and years 2 & 3 are doctoral level. This includes Summer courses.

I'm hoping for an assistantship, and was happy to hear that if accepted, I can do the assistantship all 3 years. Since most of my experience is clinical, but I want to focus on research in the program, I think an assistantship will help greatly in areas that I'm lacking experience in.

Everything is due by Feb. 15th for the Fall semester, and I haven't taken the GRE yet, so realistically I'll probably get placed on the back-up list. I don't see me taking the GRE until I refresh my memory on some of the Math skills I've long forgotten.

I've been scrambling all week getting my admission package together, boning up on the studies that the school's nursing professors have published, and getting my affairs in order.

My stomach has been in knots since I spoke with the PhD admissions coordinator last week, even though she sounded very positive afterwards. I knew I really wanted this, but I didn't realize just how much until I started the process. I am actually afraid that I won't cut the mustard, and I'm not used to that- it'll be a big change going from clinical practice to immersion in academia and research.

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Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.

Good luck to all those applying to graduate programs. It certainly sounds like a nerve-wracking process!

I am planning to earn a DNP at some point so that I can teach in an undergraduate or graduate nursing program. However, I will not do so until some agreement is reached and standards are enacted related to the DNP curriculum. Right now, there is a huge amount on inconsistency with regards to number of credits required, core courses, emphasis of the program (administration, research, practice), etc from university to university.

I am currently enrolled in a master's degree program (FNP). I fully expect that master's-prepared NPs will be grandfathered in the same way that certificate-prepared NPs were in the past.

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Some schools are already replacing their MSN/NP programs with the DNP. I have also read that a DNP will be the requirement to practice as a NP. I look at it two ways. Either I hurry up and do the masters program to be a Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, or I get ahead of the game and start a DNP program now. U of M Ann Arbor has a RN to MSN for P/MHNP, but U of M Flint is already swithching to a RN to DNP P/MHNP this Fall. I just finished a LPN to RN program, 60 credits in 16 mos., and I'm already freaking out about the next step!

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Specializes in Peds, PICU, Home health, Dialysis.
Good luck to all those applying to graduate programs. It certainly sounds like a nerve-wracking process!

I am planning to earn a DNP at some point so that I can teach in an undergraduate or graduate nursing program. However, I will not do so until some agreement is reached and standards are enacted related to the DNP curriculum. Right now, there is a huge amount on inconsistency with regards to number of credits required, core courses, emphasis of the program (administration, research, practice), etc from university to university.

I am currently enrolled in a master's degree program (FNP). I fully expect that master's-prepared NPs will be grandfathered in the same way that certificate-prepared NPs were in the past.

I spoke with a representative from University (a very well-known and top-notch university in Philadelphia) and she said that most universities will probably not end up allowing doctoral prepared DNP's to become tenured professors because most universities want their doctoral prepared professors to have a research intensive background.

Most DNP programs can be completed very quickly (as in 1 to 2 years) compared to Ph.D. programs which can take 3 - 6 years. Thus I can totally understand why some universities are not willing to tenure a DNP.

There are a few universities that have developed a DrNP program (not to be confused with the DNP) where they combine the DNP and the Ph.D. components. The only schools that are doing this so far are Drexel and Loma Linda (to my knowledge anyway).

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