The Journal for Nurse Practitioners
Volume 4, Issue 2 , Pages 101-107, February 2008

The Doctor of Nursing Practice: Looking Back, Moving Forward

  • Susan Apold

      Affiliations

    • Susan Apold, RN, NP, BC, PhD, is vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty at College of Mount Saint Vincent in Bronx, NY. She is also the immediate past president of the American College of Nurse Practitioners. In conjunction with national ethical standards, this author reports no relationships with business or industry that represent a conflict of interest.

Abstract 

In 2004, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) began what promises to be at least a decade-long conversation about advanced practice nursing education, when they adopted the position to move the current level of preparation necessary for advanced nursing practice roles from the master's degree to the doctoral level by the year 2015. This conversation and subsequent resolutions to adopt the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) credential as the required terminal practice doctorate are at the center of discussions about nursing education throughout the nation. This article provides an overview of the development of doctoral education in nursing, reviews the literature that outlines the rationale for the degree, reviews the benefits and risks of a new doctoral degree for advanced practice nursing, and proposes suggestions for moving forward.

Keywords:  Advanced practice nursing , doctor of nursing practice , nursing education

 

PII: S1555-4155(07)00755-6

doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2007.12.003

The Journal for Nurse Practitioners
Volume 4, Issue 2 , Pages 101-107, February 2008

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