I'm starting a MSNA level CRNA program soon. I'm looking into doctorate programs afterwards, more for personal satisfaction than anything else. I would preferably attend a program that's quick and affordable. I maybe want to teach later on in my career, but definitely not full time. I'm more of a clinical person, and I understand that the DNP is a "clinical" degree. It's difficult for me to not view the DNP as a fluff degree though. However, it is the cheapest and quickest route for somebody who already holds a masters in nursing.
The second cheapest degree seems to be the EdD. This degree seems appealing because it's a bit shorter and cheaper than a PhD. A PhD is the most expensive and longest of the three, but It seems that it would be the most respected.
I guess my questions to those with a doctorate of any kind are 1) What can you do with your doctorate/what kind of doors has having a doctorate opened? 2) Is the DNP respected in academia? 3) Does DNP vs EdD vs PhD matter?
The PhD is primarily a research degree with the goal of preparing nurse-scientists who can design and lead a research program. They are the most rigorous and, to some extent, the most widely respected. The culmination is a dissertation, essential a book detailing an extensive, multi-year research project. If your interests lie outside of conducting original research, then this is probably not the degree for you. BTW - while this is less common in nursing than other fields, there are still a number of fully-funded PhD programs that pay you to earn you degree.
EdD programs run the gamut, some are basically psuedo-PhDs, some are entirely practical focused on education, some are actually more focused on leadership and/or administration. This degree is the least standardized and varies greatly by individual program.
DNPs are the newest and ostensibly practice degrees although since they don't change the scope of practice for post-MSN students, they are limited in how much clinically-relevant content they include. An exception is the program at Columbia which is centered around a 1 year residency including case conferences and in-depth discussion of clinical applications of research. Most programs, however, are basically more detailed information about EBP and translating research (generally done by someone else) into practice improvement. They usually culminate with a capstone project of designing and implementing an EBP project and is exponentially less involved than a dissertation. There are also a number of DNAP programs which are specific to CNRA practice.
As for what one can do post-doctorate, there really is no standard track. People with each degree end up in teaching, practice, and administration. Research is mostly reserved for PhDs including post-doctoral fellowships and research-only academic appointments. Most faculty job postings are looking for individuals with "an earned doctorate" rather than any specific degree. The ideal for faculty to be scientist-practitioner-educator all in one is losing some ground to individuals that excel in two out of three. What do you during and outside of your doctoral program are likely to have much more influence on career direction than the letters behind your name.
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The PhD is primarily a research degree with the goal of preparing nurse-scientists who can design and lead a research program. They are the most rigorous and, to some extent, the most widely respected. The culmination is a dissertation, essential a book detailing an extensive, multi-year research project. If your interests lie outside of conducting original research, then this is probably not the degree for you. BTW - while this is less common in nursing than other fields, there are still a number of fully-funded PhD programs that pay you to earn you degree.
EdD programs run the gamut, some are basically psuedo-PhDs, some are entirely practical focused on education, some are actually more focused on leadership and/or administration. This degree is the least standardized and varies greatly by individual program.
DNPs are the newest and ostensibly practice degrees although since they don't change the scope of practice for post-MSN students, they are limited in how much clinically-relevant content they include. An exception is the program at Columbia which is centered around a 1 year residency including case conferences and in-depth discussion of clinical applications of research. Most programs, however, are basically more detailed information about EBP and translating research (generally done by someone else) into practice improvement. They usually culminate with a capstone project of designing and implementing an EBP project and is exponentially less involved than a dissertation. There are also a number of DNAP programs which are specific to CNRA practice.
As for what one can do post-doctorate, there really is no standard track. People with each degree end up in teaching, practice, and administration. Research is mostly reserved for PhDs including post-doctoral fellowships and research-only academic appointments. Most faculty job postings are looking for individuals with "an earned doctorate" rather than any specific degree. The ideal for faculty to be scientist-practitioner-educator all in one is losing some ground to individuals that excel in two out of three. What do you during and outside of your doctoral program are likely to have much more influence on career direction than the letters behind your name.