DNP Answers

Feedback on the DNP

2012-12-07T14:19:00Z

Q: What are your feelings on the DNP? Is the degree really worth it? A: The DNP movement has gained wide acceptance. The numbers of DNP programs, enrollees, and graduates have increased exponentially over the last ten years. There were 20 DNP programs in 2006, and in 2011 there were 182 programs in operation, with another 101 programs in the planning stages. The number of enrollees and graduates also grew from 862 persons enrolled in 2006 to 8973 in 2011; and the number of graduates increased from...(read more)

DNPs in Administration

2012-11-30T19:51:00Z

Q: From the Administrative Advanced Practice role and the DNP's perspective, I would be interested to know how many of you fall into this category and what kind of feedback you have been receiving related to the DNP degree versus a PhD or EdD. From my fairly limited current informal survey, many are viewing the degree as belonging solely to the directly clinical advanced practice role. A: The Doctor of Education (EdD) can be a research or a practice-oriented degree in education that prepares students...(read more)

The DNP in the ED

2012-11-09T18:13:00Z

Q: Please describe the DNP role in your NP specialty. A: I will step up on my DNP soapbox once again to say that completing your DNP serves to open up a new way of thinking, a way to approach your practice. It is not an avenue for developing a new position or making more money. The DNP provides you with the tools and resources to understand how to find and evaluate the evidence for best practice, to look at your own practice setting, and to develop the skills to bring best practice to your environment....(read more)

DNP Faculty

2012-10-26T15:53:00Z

Q: How can the DNP faculty member improve nursing education? A: A faculty member prepared as a Doctor of Nursing Practice may improve nursing education through his or her understanding of nursing practice. Although many faculty appointments now recommend or require faculty to maintain a clinical practice, the DNP degree emphasizes a set of skills beyond that of direct patient care. The skills learned in a DNP degree are specifically aimed at improving nursing practice directly or indirectly through...(read more)

Selecting a DNP Capstone Project

2012-10-19T13:09:00Z

Q: I am applying to DNP programs and one of the programs asked to state a topic of interest for the DNP capstone project if one was to be admitted. I was wondering if this is a good capstone project topic? Is it too broad? Does it encompass what a capstone entails? "I am currently in the process of becoming an active duty Air Force nurse. If I were to be accepted into your program, my interest for the capstone project would be centered on military healthcare professionals, particularly nurses with...(read more)

Executive NP Track

2012-10-12T13:29:00Z

Q: In my DNP research I've seen mention of an "executive NP" track. How would a DNP program prepare an NP to become an executive NP? What kinds of roles would that NP fill? A: Great question. A DNP track that focuses on an "executive track" would have a strong focus on leadership and health systems management. Coursework will include appropriate work reflective of the DNP Essentials but also focus on developing leadership skills and systems management (marketing, finance, organizational leadership)....(read more)

Introducing a New DNP Blogger

2012-10-05T09:00:00Z

I am Dr. Susan VanBeuge, family nurse practitioner and assistant professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. My nursing career began when the decision to return for a second bachelors degree in nursing. At the time, I started volunteering in an emergency department to see if this was my calling. I was volunteering at a military teaching hospital and was taken under the wing of nurses, medical residents and attending physicians immediately. Barely into didactic coursework, I was in the thick...(read more)

Curriculum in Post-BSN and Post-MSN DNP Programs

2012-09-28T13:55:00Z

Q: Can you explain how the curriculum will look in a post-BSN DNP program in comparison to a post-MSN DNP program? A: A post-BSN program includes the clinical component neccessary for advanced practice nursing specialization. In other words, the curriculum in a post-BSN program typically will begin with the core competencies neccessary for a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse midwife or certified registered nurse anesthetist specialization. The second half of the program...(read more)

DNP Clinical Projects: Assigned or Self-Guided

2012-09-21T12:22:00Z

Q: Is it common practice for a DNP program to assign students to sites and projects, or do most allow students to explore their own passions and interests? A: This is an institution-specific issue. Some DNP programs work in partnership with a healthcare system to address clinical questions or quality issues that have been identified. Students are assigned to work on various projects, researching and coming up with evidence-based recommendations or actually implementing and evaluating change. The...(read more)

Educational Opportunities for Those Not Wanting a DNP

2012-09-14T16:36:00Z

Q: How can NPs who don't go back to get a DNP elevate their knowledge in similar ways? A: Great question! My first suggestion is to become familiar with the Essentials for Doctoral Education for Advanced Nurisng Practice . The essentials guide the curriculum of DNP programs and will reflect much of the coursework. The essentials are: Scientific underpinnings for practice Organizational and systems leadership for quality improvement and systems thinking Clinical scholarship and analytical methods...(read more)

Graduation Regalia for DNPs

2012-09-07T16:30:00Z

Q: I've heard that some universities don't allow DNP graduates to wear the same graduation regalia as other doctorate degree graduates. What's the common practice for graduation regalia? A: I have not heard of schools "not allowing" DNP graduates to wear the same regalia as PhD graduates. In my humble opinion, this is unfortunate if there is even a perception of inferiority for the DNP or inequity as a terminal degree. It has been my limited experience that schools across a specific campus have the...(read more)

DNP Utilization

2012-08-31T13:06:00Z

Q: Do you know of any recent data indicating the number of DNPs currently in faculty positions in the U.S.? Also, do you know of any data on the yearly number of scholarly publications by DNPs? Thanks. A: The DNP degree is the new kid on the block in the world of healthcare doctoral degrees. Because of the fairly new acceptance and implementation of these graduates, there stands virtually no literature on how these DNP graduates are being utilized currently in the healthcare industry. These graduates...(read more)

Certification if Graduating With an MSN in 2015

2012-08-24T14:16:00Z

Q: I am just finishing my BSN and will graduate in December 2012. I have a BSBA, ADN, LPN-Diploma and associate degree in general education. I am now considering doing the FNP program but I will be in the middle of the program when the DNP is required to set for the boards in 2015. I work full-time, I have a family that depends on my income, and I am a little scared about the doctorate program. I’m not sure if I am smart enough. If I do start the MSN program for FNP, what will happen with the MSN-FNP...(read more)

The DNP: What Do You Want to Know?

2012-08-17T15:19:00Z

The decision to go back for a DNP. The excitement of being accepted into the program. Juggling work and school. Developing a capstone project. The joy of graduation. Applying knowledge to practice: The DNP Answers blog contributors have all been through it. The purpose of this blog is to increase understanding of the doctor of nursing practice degree and answer any and all questions posed by readers about the degree. Here are some recent popular posts: Does the DNP Have To Be Clinical? Being Grandfathered...(read more)

The Anatomy of an Online DNP Course

2012-08-10T13:52:00Z

Q: In my research I find that many DNP programs offer online courses. I have never taken an online course. How does it work, generally? I felt the same trepidation in approaching my DNP program, which was completely online, other than two on-campus weekends. I had never considered myself to be tech-savvy; what a challenge! Many DNP programs are online, which facilitates distance learning and therefore increase choice as well as the flexibility many nurses need to listen to lectures and classes during...(read more)