You Should Know This Before Getting Your DNP

dnpeducation

Aug 13

I have now officially been working with my DNP (Doctorate of Nursing Practice) for almost a year and want to share a few key points with you all. After researching the articles available to the general public, I am disappointed by much of the information provided. I noticed most of the articles are written by people who do not have DNPs, thus it’s nearly impossible to grasp the reality of earning one, having one, and working with one. The following are six unconventional facts you should know before going to graduate school for your DNP.

The DNP is a Degree Not a Role

The DNP is a degree, not a role. An example of a degree is a PhD, MSN, or BSN. The only doctorate degrees available in nursing are the DNP and the PhD. Both of the aforementioned doctoral degrees are terminal degrees.Therefore, it would be incorrect to say, “I am becoming a DNP,” because you would not say, “I am becoming a Bachelor’s.” However, it would be correct to say, “I am in school to earn my DNP.” Make sense?

Roles in nursing are many, but comprise APRNs (Advanced Practice Registered Nurses) or Registered Nurses. You will need a certain degree (ASN, BSN, MSN, DNP or PhD) to fulfill a role and be able to sit for the associated board exam to obtain your certification (i.e. pediatric, acute care, geriatric, psychiatric nurse practitioner). I know, it’s confusing, but through understanding, we can explain our place in healthcare in a more educated fashion, which will only help further establish our place in healthcare.

The DNP is not the Same Training as a Physician

Obtaining a DNP does not make you a physician. While both types of training are integral to patient care, one is not synonymous to another and the foundation and education is very different. A Nurse Practitioner with a DNP might find herself performing many of the same tasks and duties as a physician in practice, depending on the position, but even then, one is not the same as the other. However, I will note, if we as a profession ever want our salaries to become more comparable, we need to do a better job of defining our worth and outcomes.

Not all DNP Programs are Created Equal

DO YOUR RESEARCH. Make sure your program meets the requirements of the APRN consensus model if you plan to be an APRN upon graduation. There are online programs that are accepting nurses with minimal experience and setting the profession up for failure. The education system, like healthcare, is a business, thus they operate as businesses. For many, the more people they can admit, the more money they make, so keep that in mind during the application process. Ask your friends for recommendations. Ask if the program is accredited and by whom. Finally, ask if graduates are able to work out of state. While I hate that we have to be skeptical, I would encourage you to be skeptical in an effort to find a quality program.

You Can Have a DNP and Not Practice in an APRN Role

You can have your DNP and not practice as a Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Midwife, or Nurse Anesthetist. However, many practice as APRNs hence it is a “practicing” doctorate. I have found that some masters educated nurses working in management or a similar position want to stretch themselves and obtain a doctorate, so they end up going back for their DNP even though they are not practicing clinically.

You Do Not Need Your DNP to Be An APRN

Although the AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing) is suggesting APRNs achieve their doctorates and masters programs transition to doctoral programs, you can still sit for the APRN board exams with a masters degree. In fact, while it takes many more classes and over 500 more clinical hours to obtain your DNP, those clinical hours are related to your “DNP project” and are not the same as your clinical hours to become an APRN. Therefore, many APRNs will obtain their masters degrees first and finish their clinical hours. Then, they will begin the process of obtaining their DNP and complete a project in relation to their area of practice, subsequently finishing their research hours.

One last thing…

While this is relevant to all nursing specialties, if you earn your DNP you are expected to have deep obligation to promote and lift the profession of nursing in all realms including organizational, systemic, academic, and clinical. This degree is a newer degree in nursing and much of why it was created was to advance the profession overall and equalize us with other degrees in healthcare. So, it is up to you to perform at the top of your game.

Finally, if you are thinking about going back to nursing school for your DNP or any other certification, I used BoardVitals for board review materials for my Acute Care Nurse Practitioner exam. They offer affordable board review materials for RN, CCRN, NP, PA, MD and many many more! Use the code “Nurseabnormalities” for 20% your first BoardVitals purchase.

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Danielle LeVeck

Danielle LeVeck (DNP, ACNPC-AG, CCNS, RN, CCRN) is a practicing Adult Geriatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in a busy Cardiovascular Surgical Intensive Care Unit. She graduated as a second degree BSN student in 2011 and has been working as an Intensive Care Registered Nurse ever since. Her experience includes cardiac medical and surgical intensive care patients, medical-surgical intensive care patients, and intensive care travel nursing.

When Ms. LeVeck became a nurse, she instantly recognized the beautiful quirks of nursing culture and healthcare in general. She was driven to share the stories of these “nurse abnormalities” because it was clearly evident how brilliant and instrumental nurses were in providing optimal patient care. Becoming a nurse positively transformed Ms. LeVeck’s life and she hopes to give to the profession as much as it has given to her.

Through her writing and storytelling, Ms. LeVeck strives to inspire and empower the next generation of nurses and renew the previous generation. Her additional passions include promoting synergy within the multidisciplinary team and incorporation of palliative care in the ICU. Overall, she attempts to use humor, raw vulnerability, and clinical precision to achieve authenticity in her online presence.