Post-graduate certificate vs DNP

[lbarn06]

Hello all! Apologies if a similar thread is out there- so much great info on this site to sift through! My question is this: do I pursue a post-grad certificate to be a nurse practitioner, or go for the DNP with NP concentration?

Some background: I have a master's in nursing education. My employer will only fund DNP programs with an admin or education focus. My main goal is to enhance my clinical skills and work though and ultimately work with patients, so I don't know that going for a DNP in education, for example, then getting the post-grad cert would be worth it (that would be closer to 5 years of education vs 3 if I go for the DNP with NP concentration). That being said, is the DNP more beneficial/preferred/recognized over the cert? Since I'll be paying out of pocket, the cert is certainly more appealing at about 20k vs 45k. But if the DNP is worth it in the long run, I'd rather go for it and be done; I don't really intend on going back to school after this. I applied to both programs and have been accepted to both. Just need some help to decide which path to take! Any advice/insight would be much appreciated! 

[dualboardNP, MSN, RN, NP]

The terminal degree in nursing, whether a DNP or PhD, is the future of our profession for all leadership, teaching and advance practice nursing roles. Ultimately this is what made me go for my DNP and am just getting ready for my oral defense in July and hopefully graduating with it in May of next year. If I were you, I'd have my employer pay for the DNP and then get your post-masters NP certificate after. A lot of what I did in my MSN prepared me for my DNP program, especially the QI and PDSA projects that I read and wrote about.  I applied to my local public/state university for the DNP and was pleasantly surprised to receive a full funding scholarship package. I am a trained nurse practitioner and feel that the DNP will open doors in the future. Of course the DNP does not necessarily mean more money, especially for nurse practitioners, but it certainly helps if you are looking for leadership opportunities like Chief Nursing Officer and/or tenured-track nursing roles. In places like California where I live, it will also impact the timing of private practice if/when I decide to do that down that route. Best of luck to you!