The Doctoral Degree and Professional Nursing Practice

As I was researching the role of the DNP prepared nurse, I found many articles that compared having a MSN to having a DNP. Those articles said that employers would prefer a MSN prepared nurse over a DNP because they did not understand the role of the DNP prepared nurse. I finally came across one article that said the DNP prepared nurse was, “an individual who has the skills and competencies to lead efforts or act as a change agent within the health care system”(Walker & Polancich, 2015).

The American Association of Colleges of Nurses described the DNP prepared nurse as, “nurse leaders at the highest level of nursing practice to improve patient outcomes and translate research into practice” (AACN,2022). The DNP nurse is expected to be a leader of change through patient outcomes and research. This degree differs from other degrees because it allows the DNP nurse the opportunity to create change through policy, it allows for the nurse to take on leadership roles. 

My motivation for becoming a DNP prepared nurse came about one day after a hectic shift in the emergency room. I was worn out and tired, but not from the job itself. I was tired of seeing patients treated differently sometimes it was race, but most times it was social determinants of health. Patients were constantly judged by their clothing.

They were almost always judged by where the providers thought they came from economically and by their housing situations. One night it made me so upset that I was unable to do anything about it and I enrolled in school the next week. I know that I can and will make a difference. I think I will meet an organization’s needs by helping to fight inequality. This can be as simple as treating all patients with kindness and like their visit today matters as much to you as it does to them. 

 

Why did you decide to enroll in graduate school? What informed your decision to pursue your chosen degree? How will earning this degree influence your career?

This week, you consider the characteristics of various programs, including the DNP and the PhD. The focus of the DNP degree is on clinical practice, whereas the focus of the PhD is on research. In conjunction with other professional colleagues, DNP- and PhD-prepared nurses often collaborate to analyze critical issues and find appropriate ways to address them.

This first Discussion provides an opportunity for you to examine what it means to earn a doctorate and how your selected degree program relates to your professional goals.

To prepare:

Consider the reasons you have chosen to pursue an advanced degree. How do you anticipate that earning this degree will support your professional goals?

Reflect on the comments shared by the experts in this week’s media regarding the value of a DNP degree and the various roles available to DNP-prepared nurses, as well as the characteristics of the PhD program and opportunities for PhD-prepared nurses.

Based on the information presented this week, have you developed any new ideas or goals for your future? If so, what are they?

Post a cohesive response that addresses the following:( 1TO 2 PAGES )

What does it mean to be a nurse with a practice or research doctorate? What are the expectations associated with this degree? How might this be different for a nurse who holds a different degree?

How do these considerations relate to your motivation to pursue a doctoral degree right now?

References to follow

 

Required Readings

 

Zaccagnini, M. E., & White, K. W. (2014). The doctor of nursing practice essentials: A new model for advanced practice nursing (2nd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett. [Vital Source e-reader] (DNP STUDENT ONLY)

“Imagining the DNP Role” (pp. xvii–xxviii)

Houser, J. (2015). Nursing research: Reading, using, and creating evidence (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

[For PhD students ONLY]

Chapter 1, “The Importance of Research as Evidence in Nursing”

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2006). The essentials of doctoral education for advanced nursing practice. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/pdf/Essentials.pdf

 

[For DNP students ONLY]

“Introduction” (pp. 3–7)

Cleary, M., Hunt, G. E., & Jackson, D. (2011). Demystifying PhDs: A review of doctorate programs designed to fulfill the needs of the next generation of nursing professionals. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 39(2), 273–280.

 

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

 

[For PhD students ONLY]

 

Conn, V. S. (2014). Prepare to launch: Optimizing doctoral education to ensure career success. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 36(1), 3–5.

 

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

 

Conn, V. S., Zerwic, J., Rawl, S., Wyman, J. F., Larson, J. L., Anderson, C. M., Markis, N. E. (2014). Strategies for a successful PhD program: Words of wisdom from the WJNR editorial board. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 36(1), 6–30.

 

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

 

[For PhD students ONLY]

 

Foster, R. L. (2012). Doctoral education and the future of nursing. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 17(2), 77–78.

 

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Sperhac, A. M., & Clinton, P. (2008). Doctorate of nursing practice: Blueprint for excellence. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 22(3), 146–151.

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

[For DNP students ONLY]

Laureate Education (Producer). (2012g). Welcome to Walden [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011b). Introduction: The doctor of nursing practice [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 2 minutes.

 Thanks for this discussion. I can relate to your discussion in so many ways about bedside nursing, the comfort, and the associated convenience of being used to the role. I commend your effort. I would like to contribute to the discussion and input. Looking at the professors comment that Nurses with master’s degree perform some of the DNP roles already. The major difference of DNP prepared nurse is the Nursing Research, making a determined social change in the community as a Nurse Leader in the highest level of the discipline with multifaceted roles.

According to the AACN, 2022, the roles of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs prepare nurse is to be a Nurse Leader who functions at the highest level of nursing practice with one of the primary assignments of improving patient outcomes and translating research into practice. As a DNP prepared nurse, it is necessary that the DNP know the DNP curriculum and understand that it is a buildup on the traditional master’s programs with a goal to provide contents in evidence-based practice into the nursing practice, advocate and implement quality improvement, and in systems leadership, be a leader with a difference among other key areas.

In addition, as DNP prepared Nurse, our role is to seek for a terminal degree in nursing practice that offers an alternative to research-focused doctoral programs and fully implement the science developed by nurse researchers prepared in PhD, DNS, and other research-focused nursing doctorates to benefit the nursing practice and the healthcare services. The PhD, DNS individual are called the Nurse Researchers and they conducts the research, while the PhD, DNP practice roles includes the translation and the evolvement of the research, working in collaboration with the nurse practitioners and other health care team members to implement a change (Falkenberg-Olson, A. C., 2019).

As part of the curriculum of the AACN, 2006 and the Walden University vision and mission it is important that the DNP prepared Nurse focus on enhancing competency development through training, faculty, and leadership positions (Walden, 2020). The expectations associated with the DNP degree requirements, the practicum/field experience and completion of the Doctoral Project is to improve knowledge, expand the nursing practice and improve patient outcomes, improve leadership abilities to boost the nursing practice and healthcare delivery, provide a better management of the program requirements, the credit hours and the required practicum hours before any accreditation and credentialing. Moreover, accredited schools have recruited people from non-nursing and nursing backgrounds into the nursing program to increase the number of professors that are readily available to competently teach the practice courses (AACN, 2006).

Anna, thanks for your insight into the topic and sharing your personal experiences.

References.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2006). The essentials of doctoral education for advanced nursing practice. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/Publications/DNPEssentials.pdfDownload DNPEssentials.pdf

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2020). Face Sheet: The Doctor of nursing Practice (DNP). https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/Newa/Factsheets/DNP-Factsheets.pdfLinks to an external site.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2020). AACN Face Sheet – DNP. www.aacnnursing.org/news-dat/fact-sheets/dnp-fact-sheetLinks to an external site..

Falkenberg-Olson, A. C. (2019). Research translation and the evolving PhD and DNP practice roles: A collaborative call for nurse practitioners.Links to an external site.Links to an external site. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 31(8), 447–453. https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000266Links to an external site.

Walden University. (2020). A Vision for Social Change Report. https://www.waldenu.edy/why-walden/social-change