What it means to be a nurse with a practice doctorate

Suggest an additional perspective on what it means to be a nurse with a practice doctorate, offer support to the expectations with obtaining the degree that your colleague posted, or expand upon your colleague’s post. Use 2 references

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree has only been available to nursing scholars since 2004. It was deemed necessary by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) because “changing demands of this nation’s complex healthcare environment require the highest level of scientific knowledge and practice expertise to assure quality patient outcomes” (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2023). Because the degree is relatively new, the significance of the DNP is not yet widely understood. A recent study determined that “DNP-prepared nurses typically function as APRNs in clinical care or as health care system leaders, while there is a low number of DNPs in clinical practice settings” (Beeber et al., 2019). That being said, there is a great opportunity here for the DNP-prepared nurses of the future. Tussing (2018) identified that there is “great potential for innovation around new care delivery models, interdisciplinary projects, and community involvement for a healthier society” if healthcare leaders consider the potential of redesigning or creating new roles for the DNP-prepared nurse. Expectations of Doctor of Nursing Practice versus Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing

The DNP degree is founded in nursing practice whereas a Ph.D. in nursing is rooted in research and teaching. I chose to pursue the DNP because I believe it will allow me to effect social change on a larger scale and I enjoy the clinical side of nursing. As a DNP-prepared nurse, I will “hold a broad foundation of knowledge from nursing, ethics, psychosocial and biophysical sciences, as well as from organizational and change theories” (Hartjes et al., 2019). My professional goal is to serve as a Healthcare organization’s Chief Nursing Officer (CNO). Nurses who hold a Ph.D. tend to pursue research opportunities or serve as professors at Universities. Obtaining my DNP aligned with my professional goal of becoming a CNO. Additionally, Walden University offers an executive nursing track which will set me up for success.

Addressing a Gap in Practice

As a nurse executive, it will be my role to identify and address gaps in practice. At my current organization, one gap I will address is the workflow of admitting patients. I work at an inpatient psychiatric hospital. The current practice is that patients arrive to the hospital via ambulance and are rolled directly onto the unit. There is minimal communication between the intake department, which accepts the patient, and the nurses who receive the patient on the floor. I aim to create an admissions unit that will house the intake department. This will help facilitate communication and create a better experience for the patient.

References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2023). Fact sheet: The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Fact-Sheets/DNP-Fact-Sheet.pdf

Beeber, A. S., Palmer, C., Waldrop, J., Lynn, M. R., & Jones, C. B. (2019). The role of Doctor of Nursing Practice-prepared nurses in practice settings. Nursing Outlook, 67(4), 354–364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2019.02.006

Hartjes, T. M., Lester, D., Arasi-Ruddock, L., McFadden Bradley, S., Munro, S., & Cowan, L. (2019). Answering the question: Is the Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Nursing Practice right for me? Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 31(8), 439–442. https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000273

Tussing, T., Brinkman, B., Francis, D., Hixon, B., Labardee, R., & Chipps, E. (2018). The impact of the Doctorate of Nursing practice nurse in a hospital setting. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 48(12), 600–602. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000688

What it means to be a nurse with a practice doctorate