Teaching with DNP and not a MSN

[XPerez]

Hello

I just recently finished my DNP. I did a BSN to DNP program because at that time thought I might as well go to the highest degree possible. I have been in administration for the last couple of years but my plan was always to teach. Now I am having a hard time finding a job... most of them require a MSN even though I have a DNP. Anyone know of a school that allows teaching with a DNP and not a MSN? I'm searching and searching!

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Are they looking for a nurse educator degree? Do you have any experience teaching? What was the focus of your DNP?

I'm going to move this post to the faculty forum to encourage feedback. :)

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Without some graduate level.work in education, you ate unlikely to find a position. My state's BON requires this for educators at all levels except instructing in an LPN program.

[llg, PhD, RN]

What was the focus on your DNP? NP? CNS? Administrator? Educator? etc. Did you take any courses in Nursing Education?

You might just have a mis-match your expertise and the subjects you are applying to teach.

If you haven't worked in a job doing direct patient care for several years ... and your DNP did not focus on direct patient care ... you are unlikely to get a job teaching direct patient care. To teach direct patient care, they want faculty members to be up-to-date and expert in direct patient care.

If you have been working in administration and your DNP was focused on administration, then you would be better-suited to a job teaching administration -- and they are few and far between -- and mostly in graduate programs, which make them very hard to get for people with no teaching experience. Most new faculty members "start at the bottom" (undergrad students) and work their way up the ladder to teaching grad school.

You need to assess your qualifications with a critical eye. In what field is your current and recent expertise? What educational preparation (and credentials) do you have for academic teaching roles? etc. What type of teaching job would be a good match for you?

I ran into a mis-match problem when I graduated with my PhD. My work experience, educational focus, and credentials didn't line up perfectly and match what universities were looking for at that time. I eventually figured out that my best overall "fit" was in professional development, not academic education. The standard path of "undergrad clinical faculty" didn't fit my background at all -- and starting an academic career teaching grad school was just not happening. So I work for hospital in their education department, do a lot of special projects for the hospital, and teach an occasional course as an adjunct at a local university. It fits.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

If education is where you want to be, a postgrad program in Nursing Education would be worth your while, not too expensive and take about a year to complete.