2015 DNP Requirement for APNs

kalevra, BSN, RN · Mar 24, 2013

Ok, so what does this mean - American Association of Colleges of Nursing | Frequently Asked Questions
I'd just like to be able to figure this out once and for all!
Inquiring Nurses want to know!
Who actually has the final say, for everyone, for all time?
Where does the buck stop?

I am also interested on who has the last word on education requirements. I have my own theory, which is there is no actual single body.

allnurses Guide · Mar 24, 2013

I am also interested on who has the last word on education requirements. I have my own theory, which is there is no actual single body.

It depends on the type of APN you are on who has the final say in the type of degree needed for certification. With CRNAs it is our Council of Accreditation (COA). The COA determined that all new CRNAs graduating in 2025 or later would graduate with a doctorate degree. With NPs it would be determined by their accrediting center. State BONs can also determine that a minimum degree is needed. The AACN DNP requirement statement is only a suggestion. The statement from the AACN carries no binding weight other than the influence that the AACN has.

The DNP is not designed to give students more clinical experience. It is supposed to be designed to make APNs experts in the utilization of EBP. Most APNs or other healthcare providers will rarely change their practice from the way they are taught. Currently, it takes 17+ years for research to make it into practice, and for most healthcare providers they will only make a change in their practice when they are forced to.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing | DNP Fact Sheet

[h=4]"INTRODUCING THE DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE[/h]

In many institutions, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), including Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Certified Nurse Mid-Wives, and Certified Nurse Anesthetists, are prepared in master's-degree programs that often carry a credit load equivalent to doctoral degrees in the other health professions. AACN's position statement calls for educating APRNs and nurses seeking top systems/organizational roles in DNP programs.
DNP curricula build on traditional master's programs by providing education in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and systems leadership, among other key areas.
The DNP is designed for nurses seeking a terminal degree in nursing practice and offers an alternative to research-focused doctoral programs. DNP-prepared nurses are well-equipped to fully implement the science developed by nurse researchers prepared in PhD, DNSc, and other research-focused nursing doctorates.

[h=4]WHY MOVE TO THE DNP?[/h]

The changing demands of this nation's complex healthcare environment require the highest level of scientific knowledge and practice expertise to assure quality patient outcomes. The Institute of Medicine, Joint Commission, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and other authorities have called for reconceptualizing educational programs that prepare today’s health professionals.
Some of the many factors building momentum for change in nursing education at the graduate level include: the rapid expansion of knowledge underlying practice; increased complexity of patient care; national concerns about the quality of care and patient safety; shortages of nursing personnel which demands a higher level of preparation for leaders who can design and assess care; shortages of doctorally-prepared nursing faculty; and increasing educational expectations for the preparation of other members of the healthcare team.
In a 2005 report titled Advancing the Nation's Health Needs: NIH Research Training Programs, the National Academy of Sciences called for nursing to develop a non-research clinical doctorate to prepare expert practitioners who can also serve as clinical faculty. AACN's work to advance the DNP is consistent with this call to action.
Nursing is moving in the direction of other health professions in the transition to the DNP. Medicine (MD), Dentistry (DDS), Pharmacy (PharmD), Psychology (PsyD), Physical Therapy (DPT), and Audiology (AudD) all offer practice doctorates."

priorities2 · Mar 24, 2013

Ok, so what does this mean - American Association of Colleges of Nursing | Frequently Asked Questions
I'd just like to be able to figure this out once and for all!
Inquiring Nurses want to know!
Who actually has the final say, for everyone, for all time?
Where does the buck stop?

It's not the AACN, but actual state law. Right?

allnurses Guide · Mar 24, 2013

It's not the AACN, but actual state law. Right?

It is the APNs accrediting organization and the state BON requirements (state law) that can determine the degree needed to practice as an APN.

tryingtohaveitall · Mar 24, 2013

I find PNCB's statement reassuring- http://www.pncb.org/ptistore/resource/content/forms/DNP.pdf

tryingtohaveitall · Mar 24, 2013

Here is what PNCB has to say on the matter. http://www.pncb.org/ptistore/resource/content/forms/DNP.pdf

scwolf · Mar 25, 2013

Thanks for the PNCB statement, tryingtohaveitall. It's good that Master's prepared NP's won't have to go back to school. It leaves open, however, the question of what happens to students who are half-way through a Master's NP program. Will we be grandfathered in too? Has anyone seen anything that addresses that point?

Thanks.

tryingtohaveitall · Mar 25, 2013

One thing I found interesting in their statement was "in the next 10-15 years as the DNP becomes established as the majority framework for PNP education...." While I agree we are closer to that, at this point it seems the MS/MSN programs are still the majority. I know some have said the programs they've seen are now only DNP, but in my area, the ones I've recently checked are all still MS/MSN with the option to go on for a DNP.

SycamoreGuy · Mar 26, 2013

I have a feeling NP education will end up like RN education. Many organizations recommend BSN as entry to practice yet there are still ADN and even diploma programs. I'm willing to bet there will still be MSN NP programs for the next 30 or 40 years, even if they do become fewer and fewer.

Faralas · Mar 26, 2013

How much longer is a DNP compared to a Masters program?

How much more is a DNP expected to cost?

Also, with DNP would there still be specialties (ex: family, neonatal, etc)

I'm working on my BSN and Id like to become an NNP at some point along the line but it sounds like they're really trying to make us jump through some crazy hoops....

Thanks y'all

kalevra, BSN, RN · Mar 26, 2013

The AACN DNP requirement statement is only a suggestion. The statement from the AACN carries no binding weight other than the influence that the AACN has.
The DNP is not designed to give students more clinical experience. It is supposed to be designed to make APNs experts in the utilization of EBP.

So in practice, the Doctorate level for NPs is just a suggestion. It actually caries absolutely zero weight in your practice. Which means the MSN for NP programs will still be able to live on and continue to build more NPs.

When you say "experts in the utilization of EBPs" are you talking about evidence based papers?

As in trying to implement research findings as hospitals/setting policy?

If so, what if some NPs do not want to take an administrative role?

allnurses Guide · Mar 26, 2013

So in practice, the Doctorate level for NPs is just a suggestion. It actually caries absolutely zero weight in your practice. Which means the MSN for NP programs will still be able to live on and continue to build more NPs.
When you say "experts in the utilization of EBPs" are you talking about evidence based papers?
As in trying to implement research findings as hospitals/setting policy?
If so, what if some NPs do not want to take an administrative role?

EBP=Evidenced Based Practice

"EBP is "the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of the individual patient. It means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research." (Sackett D, 1996)"

EBP doesn't have to do with being in administration. It has to do with bringing the best practice to your patients. When you are a provider you decide what medicine and/or diagnostic procedure is best for your patient. Hopefully, providers will take the time to update their practice and search the literature for high quality evidence to bring the best research to practice. It rarely happens that way though. Most providers will continue to practice the way they are taught until forced to change. Nursing and healthcare is slowly getting better, but it still often takes over 17yrs for research to make its way into practice. The DNP is way to provide education in making nurses experts in utilizing EBP.