Do nurse practitioners need a PhD? Will they soon?

[daniellea2006]

I am currently finishing a bachelors in a different field. I plan to go to an accelerated BSN program (1-1.5 years) and work as an RN. After working a couple of years I want to get my MSN online, and become certified as a nurse practitioner.

My question is, will an MSN be enough to be an NP in roughly 5 years when I complete the major? I've heard a lot recently about the previous 2015 plan to make NPs have PhD's in nursing. Is this true? What's the deal?

Any advice from anyone who has taken a path similar to this in the past? Thank you so much!

[PG2018]

Nah, there was never a talk about PhDs. Those are research only degrees. They have not other purpose. There's no talk about making practitioners get research degrees. The blab you heard about was the DNP - a degree that is also equally useless unless you're academia or in some niche where you're able to sell the benefits of a not research-research degree.

Just get your ball rolling and do whatever is required of you when you arrive at the option of getting NP training. If I were in your shoes, I would not waste time working but IMMEDIATELY begin taking whatever MSN/NP courses you can take. Many programs require documented work experience prior to enroll in specialty courses. Others require experience before enrolling in any nursing master's. However, if you can get in and start taking anything that can be counted toward your degree plan, while you're working as a RN, then do it. Don't waste time dumping bed pans if you want to be a NP.