DNP Fluff

Just from comparing nurse practitioner DNP vs MSN course lists I felt these were fluff classes. I recently started the first semester of a DNP program and my opinion is evolving. Currently, I think the extra classes add some value. However, spending hours comparing various leadership frameworks, exploring personal ethics, contemplating system structures, and stressing the OCD qualities of an APA paper seems a huge misuse of time. I see no reason these topics could not be covered through a series of seminars.

In the first year, my class will spend 5x more time working on topics like this than learning something I find interesting like pathophysiology. I know many of my classmates have expressed disappointment in the agenda for this first year. Personally, I can feel a moral dip as I turn the page to another topic unrelated to learning how to diagnose and treat patients.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

I hate APA. Then I remember the association that designed it. Enough said.

I hate APA. It's the sole reason I do not want to get my BSN. The entire reason.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

I hate APA. Then I remember the association that designed it. Enough said.

I hate APA. It's the sole reason I do not want to get my BSN. The entire reason.

Templates for APA and MLA papers by Reference Point Software

$30, this software formats the paper as you write.

Problem solved

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

OP- being a nurse and being an NP is NOT just about the daily taskwork. It is much more. The so-called 'fluff' is useful even if it doesn't align with the topic at hand.

And APA is easily conquered using MS Word features. Seriously, so many people do not know about this feature. YouTube it and see!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Moved to the DNP forum for more feedback.

Thankfully MS Word now has an APA template, which I use all the time. Thankfully nurse practitioners at my university get close to 1,000 hours of actual clinical time, but the fluff takes away valuable time that could be spent in actual practice. Nurse anesthestist students get 2,000+ hours come hell or high water, but the fluff is still less valuable. For me, in a non-clinical specialty, I find it very hard to relate to anything taught in the fluff classes, either in my current practice or my future practice.

i hate writing papers lol. only had to write a few in np school so it wasn't so bad. the DNP program at the school has to write a bunch though. blehhhhhhhhhh. Time better spent doing clinical and reading medical information.

At the end, you will be a doctor and that's the whole purpose of the degree.

Some of the fluff you just have to grin and bare it! I could gladly go the rest of my life without every hearing another nursing theory, by far the most useless nonsense ever created. Do not get me started on nursing care plans - ugh!

[nomadcrna, DNP, CRNA, NP]

Speaking as one who completed my DNP and am both a CRNA, FNP and ENP. Most of the DNP classes are totally worthless and are of absolutely no help in clinical practice. The reason the educators do this is because it makes money for the school and is easy to deliver online. That's the bottom line.

There are so many clinically oriented classes that could be given to make NPs stronger yet they don't.

At the end, you will be a doctor and that's the whole purpose of the degree.

Doctor means "master" or "teacher". I don't want to be part of a profession that actively led to the demise of that definition.

[Jules A, MSN]

Speaking as one who completed my DNP and am both a CRNA, FNP and ENP. Most of the DNP classes are totally worthless and are of absolutely no help in clinical practice. The reason the educators do this is because it makes money for the school and is easy to deliver online. That's the bottom line.

There are so many clinically oriented classes that could be given to make NPs stronger yet they don't.

I love that you are speaking from the perspective of been there done that, thank you for posting. I am all for making money however the lows universities, even the reputable ones, are sinking to with the strategy of retaining their undergraduate students and encouraging them to continue paying tuition and become NPs who prescribe medication to children, elderly and other unsuspecting members of society with usually only 1 or 2 pharm courses without ever having practiced a day as a nurse is horrifying imo.

I just never could understand the benefit of paying money to write papers. Doesn't sound fun or useful

[Palliative Care, DNP]

I graduated with my DNP 5/21/16. If I was starting today I would not go the DNP route. I agree there were way too many papers and fluff courses. I will never enter a patient's room asking what would Peplau or Orem think/do. Nursing theory is crap in my opinion. I spent way too much time in the 4 years going from BSN-DNP on a useless capstone I will never use. I did have over 1200 clinical hours but zero of those were in specialties. Most FNP graduates have no interest in primary care and go into specialties. I actually like the PA curriculum better and the PA students hit the ground running when I was in clinical. Faculty advised us that it takes the average NP student a year to catch up with a new PA. Why is that acceptable? No one has to agree these are my opinions and I wear flame resistant material well lol.

I graduated with my DNP 5/21/16. If I was starting today I would not go the DNP route. I agree there were way too many papers and fluff courses. I will never enter a patient's room asking what would Peplau or Orem think/do. Nursing theory is crap in my opinion. I spent way too much time in the 4 years going from BSN-DNP on a useless capstone I will never use. I did have over 1200 clinical hours but zero of those were in specialties. Most FNP graduates have no interest in primary care and go into specialties. I actually like the PA curriculum better and the PA students hit the ground running when I was in clinical. Faculty advised us that it takes the average NP student a year to catch up with a new PA. Why is that acceptable? No one has to agree these are my opinions and I wear flame resistant material well lol.

You answer your own question. PA curriculum is better. Let's be honest here: It's different cohort; There are smart NP students, but PA students are smarter on average.

[PG2018]

OP- being a nurse and being an NP is NOT just about the daily taskwork. It is much more. The so-called 'fluff' is useful even if it doesn't align with the topic at hand.

Oh, really? How so?

I'm a NP. I don't do anything but evaluate and treat psychiatric patients and enter evals and progress notes into the EHR. Let me reiterate, I don't do anything but the formerly mentioned tasks. I don't even talk on the phone. I don't want to do anything that doesn't immediately result in billable time. I don't care about policy, quality, education, etc. I subscribe to physician journals. How's the DNP going to help me other than calling myself Dr. Guy with chagrin?

I'm not trying to be spiteful, but I chose this field to be an unsupervised cog in a bigger machine, and that's what I got. I'm well oiled and well cared for. Is the DNP only for those with governmental and academic aspirations? It seems so.

[PG2018]

You answer your own question. PA curriculum is better. Let's be honest here: It's different cohort; There are smart NP students, but PA students are smarter on average.

I'm not sure we could validate the latter statements. Qualitatively, we can see that PA students take courses designed with a more rigorous and quantitative base. I think many enter nursing, take only nursing courses, and never realize there are more educational endeavors to be had in other departments of the university. I took courses in every department except ag...and not ag because I graduated too soon. I really wanted to take the introductory forestry lecture and dendrology lab as well as soils and agronomy. I played in ever area from chem to philosophy and liked almost all of it. Ironically, I can't say there was a singular nursing class that I found either informational or inspirational.

[PG2018]

Speaking as one who completed my DNP and am both a CRNA, FNP and ENP. Most of the DNP classes are totally worthless and are of absolutely no help in clinical practice. The reason the educators do this is because it makes money for the school and is easy to deliver online. That's the bottom line.

There are so many clinically oriented classes that could be given to make NPs stronger yet they don't.

I continue to be puzzled why the clinically relevant courses aren't even offered in master's settings for NP students.

Ok, so research, advanced research, advanced community health (*** is community health anyway), nursing theories....what did I gain? Headache and student loan interest. That's what. Then I spent the first year of my career, to the point it was deleterious to my marriage, trying to play catch up and learn actual clinically relevant medicine.

It's immaterial, unilateral dogma that makes me a nurse who isn't pro nursing. I think the entirety of the profession and academic preparation needs a giant shake up.