Respond to this discussion post. No argument. Meaningful facts
DNP prepared nurse
The desire to complete my doctoral-level degree started more than twenty years ago. However, at that time, the only doctorate for nurses was the PhD. I knew I wanted to continue to practice nursing, but I did not see that a PhD would benefit me. I never had a longing desire to go into academia. Approximately twenty years ago the American Association of Colleges of Nursing reported the need for practice nurses to be doctoral-prepared, regardless of the chosen practice field (Beeber et al, 2019). As I progressed through my nursing career, I viewed this avenue of preparedness as a much better practitioner by increasing my knowledge level and improving my use of evidence-based practice. I decided to continue to monitor the growing need for the DNP. I wanted to invest more in my education, but I did not want to go further into debt for a degree that offered no additional benefit to me professionally. DNP programs began appearing all over the country, and then the advent of online education took off. My time was now to start to end my educational career. Since the declaration for the doctoral-prepared nurse was made, there has been a substantial uptick in the availability of DNP programs (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2022)
Motivation for pursuing the DNP degree
During my time at Arkansas State University, we discussed the attributes of having one entry-level degree in nursing. For instance, in the Philippines, the only entry-level degree that can be obtained is a Bachelor of Nursing degree (University of Santo Tomas, n.d.).
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing requested the DNP for entry-level advanced practice nurses (Beeber, 2019). As with working with bachelor-prepared nurses compared to lesser-prepared nurses, I can see how this could be of great benefit to nursing practice for all. As I have added more education and certifications to my name, it has broadened my knowledge base and made me a better provider for my patients. I feel that if I am going to support the call for standardization of advanced practice nursing, I should participate in achieving my doctoral degree as well.
Expectations and role of a nurse with a practice doctorate and how they differ from those of a research doctorate
During my years of nursing, I never felt a strong pull toward academia. I knew I wanted to practice hand on. I knew that a PhD would not be a wise financial investment for my future. I did not feel that nursing research is an alternate road for my career as well. I knew that the one road for me to travel in my education would lead me to the DNP. I know by completing this terminal degree, should I decide to teach, that would be an option as well (McCauley et al, 2020). I am extremely pleased with my decision to pass on the PhD and pursue my DNP. I am also enjoying my choice of education provider, Walden University.
As a DNP-prepared nurse, you plan to address an organization’s quality improvement needs
In the company I work in, as well as many others, there is only one DNP-prepared nurse. The rest of the Advance Practice Nurses I work with have master’s degrees. I discussed with many of them the need and desire to become doctorally prepared, and most of the providers I work with verbalized the lack of verifiable financial benefit in the investment into a DNP program, whether it is financial or just the time expenditure.
I have noticed as I have reviewed charts from fellow providers, that the one consistent thing that became apparent to me, the DNP-prepared provider I worked with, documentation is more thoughtful, clear, and concise compared to our coworkers. I have been drawn to expanding my knowledge base to better serve my community and the patients who depend on me.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I have always known that I wanted to pursue my terminal degree in Nursing, but I was not satisfied with the trajectory I had before me at the time. As the American Association of the Colleges of Nursing established the terminal degree for advanced practice Nursing as the DNP, I knew that was how I could best pursue my educational goals while providing better care to my patients and my community (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021).
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021).
The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing educationLinks to an external site.
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American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2022).
The State od Doctor of Nursing Practice Education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/News/Surveys-Data/State-of-the-DNP-Summary-Report-June-2022.pdf..
Beeber, A. S., Palmer, C., Waldrop, J., Lynn, M. R., & Jones, C. B. (2019). T
he role of doctor of nursing practice-prepared nurses in practice settingsLinks to an external site.Links to an external site..
Nursing Outlook, 67(4), 354–364.
Dang, D., Dearholt, S. L., Bissett, K., Ascenzi, J., & Whalen, M. (2021). Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice for nurses and healthcare professionals: Model and guidelines (4th ed.). Sigma Theta Tau International.
McCauley, L. A., Broome, M. E., Frazier, L., Hayes, R., Kurth, A., Musil, C. M., Norman, L. D., Rideout, K. H., & Villarruel, A. M. (2020). Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in the United States: Reflecting, readjusting, and getting back on track.
Nursing Outlook,
68(4), 494-503.
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University of Santo Tomas.(n.d.).
Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
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