I'm sorry if this has been answered a million times. I looked at a lot of threads, but I couldn't find this specific information, but I'm new to this website so I'm still learning to navigate.
Why are so many graduate programs still offering masters degrees in their nurse practitioner programs? Shouldn't they be switching to doctorates? Are they planning to graduate a bunch of nurse practitioners starting in 2015 who can't actually be licensed, and must go back to school for a separate DNP? That seems totally dishonest.
I would assume that the DNP would be integrated into the existing NP programs, so that there would be no more masters. Why hasn't this happened? Or is it happening, and I just haven't looked at the right schools? I'm in PA, and I looked at a lot of websites of prestigious schools, and it seems that they're still only offering a masters for NPs.
Separately, a lot of people seem to be against the move towards doctorate degrees, but it makes a lot of sense to me. APNs are highly educated, shouldn't that be recognized with an appropriate degree? I don't think school should be any longer, though -- the existing programs should just be turned into doctorate programs. Is there anything I'm missing?