Is Mandatory DNP by 2015 a Done Deal?

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I am aware that the AACN has issued a position statement recommending a DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) to be necessary to work as a new NP as of 2015. I wonder however, does the AACN have the final authority on this, or does this have to be signed off by other regulatory agencies, such as the state Boards of Nursing? We got into a debate in class the other day...some saying yes, it has already been decided and will be a requirement for new NP grads, and others saying no, it is still merely a strong suggestion. Who LEGALLY decides, and has that decision already been carved in stone? :uhoh3:

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

The state boards of nursing decide what qualifications are needed for licensure.

Not a done deal at all.

Remember how the BSN was going to be the entry into practice? I look to the DNP going in that direction too - as in not in my lifetime - lol.

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Specializes in General.

speaking of DNP i was talking to my bil last night and he asked me if I was going to have to go back and get a PA degree, I asked him why would I do that well his cousin told him ( she is a NP) that she was told she had to go back and get a PA degree, that it was required by 2015 I told him she must have meant DNP and I told him it was not a requirement at this time and those with ANP degrees would not have to do this. He insisted that i look into this as this is what his cousin told him. I told him that PA's work under the medical model and that NP's work under the nursing model. Of course this is the same person who told me that you could get a nursing degree from west point the army military academy so you can bet that i so laughed at him:lol2:

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The state boards of nursing decide what qualifications are needed for licensure.

Not a done deal at all.

Remember how the BSN was going to be the entry into practice? I look to the DNP going in that direction too - as in not in my lifetime - lol.

(Just to clarify a little further, the state BONs determine what is legally required for licensure, but the national certification boards mandate what the standards are for certification -- so, if the state BON requires certification by a national professional group for advanced practice licensure and the national group changes its requirements, that would have the effect of a legally required change without the BON having taken any action.)

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Specializes in Adult primary care, college health.

Agree with OPs... licensure tends to follow certification. AACN doesn't issue APN certification, and since none of the major certification boards (besides the CRNA group, which endorses a 2025 deadline instead of a 2015 deadline) have issued statements supporting any DNP requirement deadline at all, 2015 looks pretty unrealistic.

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My concern with the DNP is:

1. The AACN obviously has a conflict of interest, in that it would result in more tuition money going into nursing schools

2. The current conception of the DNP seems to be more an MPH/MBA with project management thrown in.

The current programs seem weak to me. Just my 2 cents worth.

Oldiebutgoodie

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For me, the biggest driving force for the move to DNP is the fight for parody. It seems impossible to get parody without doctoral level education being the requirement.

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
For me, the biggest driving force for the move to DNP is the fight for parody. It seems impossible to get parody without doctoral level education being the requirement.

I've heard of this argument...but it's actually "parity" and not parody.

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That's embarrassing. I hope it wasn't some kind of Freudian slip pun.

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
That's embarrassing. I hope it wasn't some kind of Freudian slip pun.

you're fine, I make the same mistake all the time.

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Thank you all for your responses. So, to clarify, would it be accurate to say that the NP certification organizations (ANCC and AANP) will have the ultimate authority to change the educational requirement from Masters to Doctorate, in order to write the test and get certified? If that is the case, where do both of these organizations stand on the issue?

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Thank you all for your responses. So, to clarify, would it be accurate to say that the NP certification organizations (ANCC and AANP) will have the ultimate authority to change the educational requirement from Masters to Doctorate, in order to write the test and get certified? If that is the case, where do both of these organizations stand on the issue?

Again, the certifying organization determine requirements for certification, but licensure standards are determined by the various state BONs. If it were to happen that the certifying organizations decided to mandate the DNP as the minimum for certification and the state BONs really felt the DNP was not necessary, any of the state BONs could simply change their rules to no longer require national certification for advanced practice licensure, and just accept graduation from an appropriate (advanced practice concentration) MSN program.

There are many possible scenarios; I guess we'll all just have to wait and see how things shake out.

But, yes, to answer your actual question, the certifying organizations can set whatever requirements they see fit for certification. However, I haven't seen or heard anything (and there's nothing on the ANCC website) so far about the ANCC planning to change the requirements for advanced practice certification (since I'm a CNS, ANCC is the organization I deal with -- I'm vaguely aware there is at least one other organization that certifies NPs, but I don't know any of the details about that).

If someone else knows more about the ANCC's position, I'd certainly be glad to hear about it. :)

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