Reflection on the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Reflection on the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
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Reflection on the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
A Ph.D. in Nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) are both doctoral programs for people in the nursing professionals. However, there are marked differences between the two programs. While a Ph.D. is focused on research, DNP is mainly concerned with gaining the necessary advanced skills for preparation of nursing practice specialists. This paper aims is a reflection on the DNP degree which includes its history, present and future as well as the part it plays in solving complex health problems. In addition, it will bring out the appropriateness of the degree in the career of a nurse.
History of the DNP Degree
A number of stakeholders in the nursing profession came together with the aim of assessing the necessity of a doctorate in clinical practice. They included research, practice and education. The Doctor of Nursing Practice was, therefore, incepted in 2004 as the terminal degree for APNs (Advanced Practice Nurses) (De Chesnay, 2015). The number of students enrolled for the program in the same year was 170. It steadily increased to 11,575 by 2012. One year later, it had risen to 14,688 students.
The Present State of DNP
The APN is composed of four roles. They include Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), Certified Nurse Practitioners (CNP), Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) and Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM). Doctoral level APRNs possess leadership, economical, organizational and clinical skills. Today they are charged with the responsibility of care evaluation and leadership as well as acting as agents of change through application of research findings based on evidence ( Keating, 2014). In many instances, they assume the roles which were previously a reserve for physicians. The main aim, nevertheless, of the DNP degree is to improve the quality of healthcare.
The Future State of DNP
One thing for sure is that the DNP degree is high demand. Many nurses are aiming for highest levels of education in their field and the DNP is the inevitable choice. The desire for high education levels is ...