Doctoral degree to become an NP???

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The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is calling for the requirement of doctorate in nursing for advanced practice nurses, such as nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse anesthetists. This new degree will be called a Doctor of Nursing Practice and, if the AACN has its way, will become the entry level for advanced nursing practice.

AACN Position Statement on the Practice Doctorate in Nursing

Specializes in Family Practice.

The real eduation starts when you start seeing patinets.

School is for learning the basics. I learn more in one day in Clinic than one month in school.

Get over it. Get your NP License and start seeing patients.

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Specializes in Neurology NP.

Oh Boy! I have been doing research on the new requirement for the DNP.

Anyways, after reading many posts, certain medical professionals certainly show their arrogance and inability to understand the medical and healthcare process. Most importantly, healthcare workers fail to recognize the need of all people working together to care for-- people! There are misconceptions forming about the DNP and some physicians seem to feel threatened by the DNP. I think if anything they should welcome the DNP since it is a more advanced degree with more clinical hours to learn and practice. It looks like MD or MD students might believe that DNP's are trying to take over their roles and be MD's, but this certainly is not the case, not for me anyways. I want to go to NP school. I have decided to wait and try the DNP program at my undergraduate university. I wanted to be an NP before, and the title of Nurse Practitioner is not what attracted me to the profession, it is the expanded role and ability to have a more in depth role in with the client and the healthcare team. So, the title of "Doctor" of Nursing practice certainly is not what attracts me! I know that I do not have near the same knowledge of an MD, but with my experience and gained knowledge from a DNP, would absolutely allow me to collaborate with MDs/PA/and other NPs to move toward our optimal goal of bettering the client. Jeesh, people act like no one listens to nurses. I see a lot of docs ask for nurses for opinions on matters, some of those being very technical and medical. In the hospitals, the docs utilize the NP's as part of their team and trust them to assess and report back to them their findings.

So, this was NOT meant to bash anyone or any part of the healthcare team, hands down though, we should all work together for the benefits of our clients. =D:yeah: yippee :nurse:

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I think if anything they should welcome the DNP since it is a more advanced degree with more clinical hours to learn and practice.

If that were true, I wouldn't be so opposed. I have called 8 dnp programs (all reputable and accredited) and none offer any additional clinical hours post masters.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

check out september 2005, online journal of issues in nursing

28. the doctor of nursing practice (dnp): need for more dialogue

overview and summary

articles

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I wonder if the OP is still here? I can understand the extra frustrations though since the OP already has BS, MS, and is now an ADN RN?

Well at the very least RN degree will let you work while figuring out what to do. You can still go to PA or med school as a RN, I've known people to do that. this sadly is pretty much the scenario I posted about a while ago, the DNP requirement will simply drive more qualified candidates to PA school. :cry:

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Specializes in Family Practice.

What will you have as a PA (Physicians Assistant)? No independent license and no doctor before your name.

Besides that, you will get the $70,000 a year.

Expand your horizons.

Quote, "Brick walls are there for a reason. They let us prove how badly we want things."

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What will you have as a PA (Physicians Assistant)? No independent license and no doctor before your name.

Besides that, you will get the $70,000 a year.

Expand your horizons.

Quote, "Brick walls are there for a reason. They let us prove how badly we want things."

All you get from the PA is half again as much clinical education and more than twice the didactic time compared to the DNP. Some of us are more into the knowledge and the experience than the title (and I make a lot more than $70k/yr);).

David Carpenter, PA-C

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All you get from the PA is half again as much clinical education and more than twice the didactic time compared to the DNP. Some of us are more into the knowledge and the experience than the title (and I make a lot more than $70k/yr);).

David Carpenter, PA-C

I have to agree with David....

Even before I was an NP I have had the privilege to work with and be friends with multiple PAs. All were professional and more than willing to share their knowledge. In school some of my best preceptors where PAs. In clinicals some of my best support came form PA students and the PAs already working. I say this because so many of the nurses I had worked with and some of the nursing instructors I had in the past turned hostile when they found out I was going for my APN.

Maybe the PAs I know are not called doctors but they are 100% professionals serving in family medicine, cardiology, cardiac surgery, internal medicine, etc.. They share their knowledge with their patients and others.

Back to the subject of this thread doctoral degree to become an NP???? Until every state program is required to to meet the same basic criteria and until the ANP programs stop trying to be reactive with titles and until the ANP programs increase didactic time and clinical time aimed at Anatomy and Physiology and Pharmacology and modalities, etc and until actual clinical hoursare increased: The expansion of the APN in the world of medicine / health care could very well stop growing and start shrinking.

Until present APNs make a unified stance the future of APNs will continue to be left to others... The MDs and PAs are not doing this to us.. We are doing this to us.....

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Specializes in Flight RN, Trauma1 CVICU STICU MICU CCU.

Looks like the shortest route to advanced practice is going to be just to go to DO school. What is the point of advanced practice now, if you have to get a PhD to even get into schooling?

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Specializes in Family Practice.

"All you get from the PA is half again as much clinical education and more than twice the didactic time compared to the DNP. Some of us are more into the knowledge and the experience than the title (and I make a lot more than $70k/yr);).

David Carpenter, PA-C"

Thank you David. You made my point.

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Looks like the shortest route to advanced practice is going to be just to go to DO school. What is the point of advanced practice now, if you have to get a PhD to even get into schooling?

Or MD? DO and MD are the same thing with the same end result and the same length...

And still definitely not the fastest route unless you want to be an independent practitioner; then it is the only route.

By the way, approximately the same number of NPs and PAs are practicing independently.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.

Does anyone know -

Is there any difference in pay and/or responsibility between FNP and a DNP?

Besides the title what would be the advantage to getting a DNP over a FNP right now?

I've looked at the programs and all I see are classes on leadership, financial planning, statistics, etc... Silly me thinking that the "practice" part of DNP meant practice ...

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