DNP stuff

Thank you! Wasn't sure where the best spot would be!

This is not going to happen in 2015. As of now, the National Board for the Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists is the only advanced nursing practice certifying organization that has adopted the DNAP for entry to practice, and that is not effective until 2025. As far as I am aware, none of the other certifying organizations have adopted the DNP requirement as of yet, however all are continuing to evaluate the issue. If and when this does come to fruition, it will be implemented in such a manner that those currently in MSN programs should be fine, as long as they continue to progress in an acceptable time frame.

Fantastic information! Thank you!

If I understand the 80 page document I just read from that second helpful link posted here, basically it's like this: AACN is saying do it, schools are transitioning, but really, it's up to the states to follow suit to require it. And it looks like masters programs will still maintain and receive accreditation???

So basically, I need to contact my BON and see what they say with regards to whether they'll require it anytime between now and when I'd go to grad school. Do I have that right?

It's a bit crazy. My university has completely eliminated their masters degree for NP. After that mess of reading I just did, it seems crazy that they did that already.

Actually, it's not so crazy when you consider the history of the DNP. Academics have been among the leaders/initiators of the trends for higher levels of education for nurses for years -- including the development of the DNP degree. The switch from the MSN to the DNP was not initiated by the state boards or by any other governing body: it was the schools of nursing themselves who decided on a national level to go that route.

The deans of the nursing schools have an organization ... and when they want to influence the profession, they do so by changing their curricula. In time, their way of thinking becomes the norm as the newer generation of graduating nurses are educated in the "new way of thinking" and the older way fades. Practicing nurses educated under an older system are either "grandfathered in" to the new way of doing things (think "diploma nurses" here) or they go back to school to get the newer credential. It happens at every level of nursing, not just with the DNP.

I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with the DNP issue here, just pointing out that the AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing) is a powerful group that knows how to use its power to make change. Your school isn't trying to "follow the lead of the Board of Nursing" ... it is tying to "lead the way for the Board of Nursing to follow."

Good point. I wonder how long until the BONs do follow suit. I didn't see anywhere that any BON has actually increased the requirements, but I also didn't dig very deeply for that info. My school has phased out MSN, but the schools in Baltimore and outside DC are going steady with their MSNs. One of them (Georgetown) has a brand new online MSN. I doubt they'll make the jump very soon after investing the time and money so recently, but I supposed I could be wrong.

Thank you for your thoughts. They're enlightening.

Okay here is another probably dumb question, but if you are going BSN-DNP, are there no more specialty tracks? I've just looked up the DNP programs in my state and it looks like maybe there aren't. So if you complete the DNP program with adequate clinical hours in your specialty of choice, can you sit for that specialty's certification exam? Specifically, if it is necessary to answer this question, I am interested in pediatrics.

Just heard back from Maryland BON. They have not even discussed the idea of transitioning yet. If they do, it will not happen in 2015.

there are still specialty areas. the current programs that are msn to dnp programs are for already certified APRN's with an msn. BSN to DNP programs still have a patient focus area (fnp/anp/pnp/pmhnp/etc) or population focus (nurse administrator, public health nursing, etc)