WHY IS A DNP VALUED AND NEEDED NOW? Expert clinicians and teachers are needed due to the complexity of healthcare needs and shortage of doctoral prepared nurses as faculty.
DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE: Terminal degree in nursing; practice focused doctoral degree vs. research and theory focused Ph.D. The final scholarly project or practice integration project (PIP) focuses on ways in which research has impacted clinical practice. For Ph.D. candidates, the final scholarly project focuses on new knowledge that has been gained (researched).
PRACTICE
· DNP graduates understand the scientific underpinnings of practice
· Nursing science is integrated with the biophysical, psychological, and analytical sciences in addition to ethics
· Use science-based concepts and theories used to describe and explain health, healthcare delivery, strategies for change, and evaluate outcomes
· Experts in evaluation, integration, translation, and application of evidence-based practice
· Collaborative work with other healthcare team members across the delivery system as a “Practice Consultant” to aid and evaluate clinical practice outcomes and generate new methods in practice guidelines
EDUCATION
· DNP graduates help to fill the dwindling numbers of necessary doctoral prepared faculty in Schools of Nursing
· Enhances education as clinical faculty along with education in the practice setting as clinical experts
· May eventually replace traditional MS programs for APRN’s and become entry level educational standard for clinical practitioners similar to PharmD’s, physical therapists, and dentists 9.89
POLICY
· Graduates are prepared to be a leader in the healthcare delivery system in all settings
· Powerful advocates for patients and healthcare services based on practice experiences
· Influential and trusted, historically as nursing professionals
· Nursing professionals hold interest in social equality and justice making DNP graduates leaders for policy change
· Prepared to identify factors that influence healthcare policy across various settings and assimilate ideas that may positively change current policies