ERNurseGuy

KTC328: To address your question, before you decide if you should pursue doctorate work, delineate what it is you plan on DOING or accomplishing with your advanced degree. If you can't answer this question, then the reply to your original question is a resounding NO. Do you want to run a health care corporation, acute care facility, or a health plan/HMO? Then look for a doctorate in business admin, health care admin, or a DNP with a wellness focus. Are you interested in a specific area of research and teaching? Or would you like to form your own company? Then a PhD is a good route to get you the highly specialized education and training in a very specific field. A similar question was raised by a nurse I work with: "Should I buy a Littman Cardiology stethoscope?" I asked her what she planned on doing with it that she couldn't accomplish with her current Littman. She is still considering her answer.

The convention is to place your educational degree first, your state issued title next, and your certification last. e.g. John/Mary Doe, MSN, APN, FNP. Your board cert letters follow, -C for AANP and -BC for ANCC. If your terminal degree is a doctorate, it should be listed last and you should eliminate the masters degree if you have a doctorate. The MSN is not necessarily listed or needed and is fairly redundant, as virtually every NP in the nation is prepared at the graduate level. If you'd like to use your peds nurse certification, by all means do it, but place it before your NP credentials: John Doe, MSN, APN, CPN, FNP. Just be aware that too many credentials and degrees after your name gets confusing to patients and colleagues alike - and can also be viewed as title envy or insecurity. Better to leave in your highest credentials and drop your RN credentials, UNLESS you're appearing as an expert witness - then I'd list every credential I have, particularly in a court document. I sign my name in charts and documents as XXX, APN, FNP-BC. My email signature says XXX, Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified in Family Practice If I had a doctorate, for the sake of brevity, I would write it this way: XXX, FNP-BC, PhD. Add the APN title when necessary. Hope this helps.