I, myself have no intent on ever getting a DNP. All personal reasons aside, the rational behind my decision is due to the lack of benefit of spending a large sum of money on this degree. This does not include the large amount of time invested and other opportunity cost involved.
I am asking people who do think this degree is worth it to explain the rational for pursuing this degree, with explanation to why they want to acquire it, if it will be monetarily worth it for them, etc.
There have been many topics on this in the past, but it seems to not clearly depict the rational of going for a doctoral degree in an objective manner.
my guess of possible reasons would be one of the following
Teaching
So they can have a terminal degree
Leadership at a large hospital
Further one's education
Research (even though PhD is more research-y.
Maybe this will give people a second light before they decide to throw an extra 20-100k at a questionable (in my opinion) degree, and possibly save some people some financial troubles in the future.
Have fun folks and lets discuss this like a horse thats been ran over 15 times and homogenized so thoroughly you could separate the oxygenated RBC from the deoxygenated RBC in a centrifuge going at 1000rpm.
No, actually, he WILL be a real 'Doctor'. A Doctor of Nursing Practice. There are many types of 'Doctors'. Osteopathic Doctor, PhD Doctor, Naturopathic Doctor, etc. None of these are "PHYSICIANS", but they're ALL Doctors, even though they may not all use "a doctor's stethoscope."
No, actually, he WILL be a real 'Doctor'. A Doctor of Nursing Practice. There are many types of 'Doctors'. Osteopathic Doctor, PhD Doctor, Naturopathic Doctor, etc. None of these are "PHYSICIANS", but they're ALL Doctors, even though they may not all use "a doctor's stethoscope."
He won't be a doctor in healthcare settings! The PharmD and the DPT do not go around the hospital intruding themselves as: 'I am Dr. [insert]... It's just some DNP who have that folly.
With all my respect and clarifying that it is my intention to only offer my very personal opinion.
Everyday I ask myself, who will be taking care of me when I get older?
A nurse or a "masterized" doctor of nursing specialized in geriatric care? Lately, everyone wants to attain a higher degree ( I should notice, I'm working towards my master) that is amazing and admirable, however don't get discouraged if when the time comes you find Master and Doctor prepared nurses providing bedside care. This is not unfortunate but it is what the majority is trying to avoid when enrolling to obtain a higher degree. I'm trying to get my master for exclusive personal reasons, it will not give me more money, I'm not looking for new employment opportunities since I'm happy where I am, however, I don't have plans to pursue a higher degree than that. Why? because, unless your employment requires it, it is not worth the money, the time and what will I really learn from it? How to perfect my research papers and improve writing skills, otherwise I should be learning how to perfect my caring behavior towards patients and others, my clinical skills to assess my patients and decrease the outstanding high level of medication errors ( as many regularly post in this forum), improve my medical knowledge and communication skills to avoid 80% of the medical errors happening when no providing correct information when handing off our patients. Lastly, learning to be an amazing nurse, providing a double amazing care to my patients.
sorry if any typos, this is from a mobile application.
Actually most MDs have not received the training or research to be awarded the title Doctor in the original usage. An argument can be made that they usurped an academic honor. Doctor comes from the Latin for teacher.
I've decided that anyone administering treatment can be called "doctor.". Plenty of foreign medical grads add Dr. to their name despite holding only a masters or BMMS. I'm aware of a school psychologist with an EdS who is called doctor by his employing district. Physicians were called doctor when they were uneducated apprentices turned master.
Add in anyone with an earned doctorate such as dentists, optometrists, pharmacists, physical therapists, clinical psychologists, some counselors, some social workers, veterinarians, chiropractors, museum curators, pastors, school superintendents, college professors, Sheldon Cooper, Leonard Hofstadter, and Raj Koothrappali.
Doctorate or not if you want to call yourself doctor and provide treatment then go ahead because confused or not nobody flips the heck out when any of the above have the old Dr. attached to their little names.
He won't be a doctor in healthcare settings! The PharmD and the DPT do not go around the hospital intruding themselves as: 'I am Dr. [insert]... It's just some DNP who have that folly.
I've worked in psych, inpatient and outpatient, for >30 yrs, and every (doctorally-prepared) psychologist I've worked with has always been "Dr. XYZ" in the workplace. No one has ever questioned that, and no clients have had any difficulty understanding who was who and the difference between the psychiatrist and the psychologist.
We are already seeing degree inflation. I know plenty of people with a masters in something that work minimum wage jobs. with a lot of student debt. The easier it is to obtain a degree= more people will do it= it is worth less. The majority of people will never be well off. That is the law of history, there will probably NEVER be a time when a majority of people are making a great income. Income disparity will always exist and is currently worsening. So yes, there will be masters and doctors of nursing that provide bedside care, with no pay increase, since the degree they obtained adds NO ADDITIONAL MARKETABLE VALUE to the services they provide. It may add VALUE, but value does not equal marketable value. Do not think the puppet masters at the top will pay you more since you have an advanced degree. They would hire people with a GED to work as bedside nurses if the law allowed them to so they could pay them pocket change.
We are humans, we are greedy little buggers and unless you can OFFER A SERVICE THAT OTHERS CANNOT, you will not become rich in this life. If you actually take a look around most things offered do not provide any benefit. But hell if you are willing to throw your money at it, they will offer it.
So if anybody wants to enroll in my living room advanced practice certificate program that I run out of my living room, with only 4 weeks of intense forum posting, I will grant you the degree of BMTFNP-BC-MSN. Bad mother trucker FNP-bc-msn. You must already have a fnp-MSN to enroll though and tuition is 9000 dollars per credit hour. Total of 6 credit hours.
Don't think for one second I wouldn't offer this, even though its not worth anything, if people were willing to throw money at me for the program. I would actually probably build a giant 9 story solid marble building with nice new office desks, tables, lounge chairs, etc i my backyard and reap the reward of your idiocracy for paying me stupid amounts of money for a piece of paper worth less than a used roll of toilet paper.
This is the way universities think also, so get your head out of the sand and use logic and stop getting stupid degrees.
No, actually, he WILL be a real 'Doctor'. A Doctor of Nursing Practice. There are many types of 'Doctors'. Osteopathic Doctor, PhD Doctor, Naturopathic Doctor, etc. None of these are "PHYSICIANS", but they're ALL Doctors, even though they may not all use "a doctor's stethoscope."
Osteopaths are actuly physicians. Their education covers the same as a MD plus OMT. They can take either the COMLEX or USMLE, and they can enter ACGME residencies and fellowships. There has been viable discussion of merging allo and osteo licensure, residencies and board certification.
This is a moot point. Essentially 90% of those in this forum agree, the other few vocal minority offer no valid arguments. The core argument I'm seeing out of the minority is that nurses are "just" nurses and they're never going to being "Doctors" and they need to be just content with being nurse smart but never attempt to climb to the God status of "doctor smart".
Of course, this is a ridiculous and small minded perspective and I have to imagine anyone making that argument is not even a BSN prepared RN and quite possibly has no university education period.
Bedside nursing will always exist and it will be entry level BSN RN's who fill that role. Those who wish to go into entry level management and entry level education will obtain their MSN. Those who wish to be CRNP's, CRNA's, CNO's and higher level education will all get Doctorates.
If you think anyone in this forum will change the Earth's rotation or this change that has already begun, you are mistaken.
If you think you can tell anyone who has obtained a recognized and certified doctorate in the medical field that they are banned from using their earned title, you are mistaken.
It will be on their badges, it will be on their business cards, it will be on their wall in their study, it will be on their education history but most of all, that doctorate will be within themselves.
Just because RN's have historically worked with a profession we call "Doctor" does not mean a nurse will never be allowed to mention their earned degree like the other health professions. You can argue all day that nobody but medical doctors use that title but that argument has already been shot to pieces in this thread.
The last thing I'll say about this before hopefully the moderators shut down this unending thread is your attempts to stop the progress and growth of the nursing/medical field is like a child attempting to hold a ball of sand. It's already slipping between your fingers.
This is a moot point. Essentially 90% of those in this forum agree, the other few vocal minority offer no valid arguments. The core argument I'm seeing out of the minority is that nurses are "just" nurses and they're never going to being "Doctors" and they need to be just content with being nurse smart but never attempt to climb to the God status of "doctor smart".
Of course, this is a ridiculous and small minded perspective and I have to imagine anyone making that argument is not even a BSN prepared RN and quite possibly has no university education period.
Bedside nursing will always exist and it will be entry level BSN RN's who fill that role. Those who wish to go into entry level management and entry level education will obtain their MSN. Those who wish to be CRNP's, CRNA's, CNO's and higher level education will all get Doctorates.
If you think anyone in this forum will change the Earth's rotation or this change that has already begun, you are mistaken.
If you think you can tell anyone who has obtained a recognized and certified doctorate in the medical field that they are banned from using their earned title, you are mistaken.
It will be on their badges, it will be on their business cards, it will be on their wall in their study, it will be on their education history but most of all, that doctorate will be within themselves.
Just because RN's have historically worked with a profession we call "Doctor" does not mean a nurse will never be allowed to mention their earned degree like the other health professions. You can argue all day that nobody but medical doctors use that title but that argument has already been shot to pieces in this thread.
The last thing I'll say about this before hopefully the moderators shut down this unending thread is your attempts to stop the progress and growth of the nursing/medical field is like a child attempting to hold a ball of sand. It's already slipping between your fingers.
It's clear from your previous posts that you want to be a physician impersonator without putting the work for it... I hope you don't live in one the states that ban DNP nurse practitioners from introducing themselves as doctors (i.e physicians) in healthcare settings... because you will put your license in jeopardy...
I am just tired of clarifying to patients that these people are not real doctors (i.e. physicians).
It's clear from your previous posts that you want to be a physician impersonator without putting the work for it... I hope you don't live in one the states that ban DNP nurse practitioners from introducing themselves as doctors (i.e physicians) in healthcare settings... because you will put your license in jeopardy...
I am just tired of clarifying to patients that these people are not real doctors (i.e. physicians).
I am almost finished with my DNP and will have no problem using the title "doctor" in an appropriate setting. However, I have a hard enough time already explaining to my patients and families that I am a nurse practitioner and not a physician. No matter that I universally introduce myself as a nurse practitioner and correct any misconception, many still confuse me as their doctor. I can only imagine how challenging it would be if I used the title "doctor" in a clinical setting.
Nurse_Lightning
57 Posts
No, actually, he WILL be a real 'Doctor'. A Doctor of Nursing Practice. There are many types of 'Doctors'. Osteopathic Doctor, PhD Doctor, Naturopathic Doctor, etc. None of these are "PHYSICIANS", but they're ALL Doctors, even though they may not all use "a doctor's stethoscope."