RN- MSN to ARNP or to DNP

hello,

i am a floridian rn- currently finishing my msn at university of phoenix, my graduation date will be next march 2012, and so it will be soon. i am trying to clarify what my next step will be, but it is difficult since i can't find the right information on the web neither on the universities websites.

along with me there are a group of almost 25 foreign physicians in different specialties, but the common denominator is that all want to practice as nurse practitioners. we went to university of miami, school of nursing to get the information and they recommended us why to do an arnp program which is another master level instead of doing a dnp which is a doctoral prepared level and a terminal degree, but we all have the general concern if as a dnp without a previous arnp license we can practice as the arnp's regularly do.