Should a Doctorate be Required to Teach Nurse Practitioner Students?

Article Outline

• Support for Requiring a Doctorate to Teach Nurse Practitioner Students
• Rationale Against Requiring a Doctorate to Teach Nurse Practitioner Students
• Copyright

Mirella Vasquez Brooks, PhD, FNP, APRN, has more than 10 years of teaching experience in both graduate and undergraduate nursing education. Currently Dr. Brooks is an assistant professor of nursing at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She specializes in hematology and practices at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children. She can be reached at vasquez@hawaii.edu.

Patti Urso, PhD, FNP, ANP, BC, APRN, has been teaching for 14 years in baccalaureate and graduate nursing education. Dr. Urso is an assistant professor of nursing at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. She practices through the Red Cross at Tripler Army Medical Center. She can be reached at urso@hawaii.edu.

There are various doctorates in nursing that a person can attain. Nursing programs differ nationally and internationally in the various doctorates that are offered. The requirement for acceptance also differs depending on the specialty. There are several types of nursing doctoral degrees, for example, PhD (research oriented), EdD (education oriented), ND (for non-nursing bachelor degrees), DNS (doctorate of nursing science which combines teaching and research in nursing), and DNP (doctorate of nursing practice in which the nurse learns how to take current scientific research and teach it to the bedside nurse). The DNP is taught at the University of Kentucky and Columbia University in New York City. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has proposed that by 2015 all advanced practice nurses be prepared with a DNP. There is much debate and discussion about this proposal; however, a nurse in the United States could go in any direction to pursue doctoral education.

What do you think? Should a doctorate be required to teach nurse practitioner students? To comment on this matter, email section editor Jacqueline Rhoads at JRhoad@lsuhsc.edu.

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Support for Requiring a Doctorate to Teach Nurse Practitioner Students 

Mirella Vasquez Brooks

We have 2.9 million nurses in the United States, yet the number of nurses with doctorate degrees remains relatively low. As nurses, we should continue to strive to elevate the profession, and requiring a doctorate to teach nurse practitioners students would assist in attaining this goal. Although this may appear ostentatious and unattainable because of the shortage of nursing faculty and bedside nurses, it should nevertheless be an intent of the nursing profession. It is the shortage of faculty that compromises the discipline's ability to respond to the shortage of bedside nurses. It only makes sense that, if we increase the number of faculty, we can then increase the number of bedside nurses. Let us examine all the problems within the profession and seek to solve problems that interweave with one another.

With a shift in popularity, the DNP is now one of the most sought doctorates in nursing. Nurse practitioners (master's degree prepared) who enjoy clinical practice can continue to advance their education and teach within the clinical setting. Currently, emerging practice doctoral programs prepare students in two overlapping roles: direct health care (Columbia University) and health systems/clinical leadership (University of Kentucky). Perhaps the increase in popularity is due to the proposal by the Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

As nurses, we must unite and decide on entry into practice. Requiring a doctorate to teach nurse practitioner students may help to increase the number of nurses pursuing advanced degrees. We need to be creative in developing incentives and providing creative options for nurses who are interested in pursing advanced degrees. As a profession, we need to make every effort to increase the number of nurses with doctorates.

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Rationale Against Requiring a Doctorate to Teach Nurse Practitioner Students 

Patti Urso

An experienced nurse practitioner is what employers seek. Any employer will tell you that efficiency and safe care are the qualities wanted. Although we all agree on this point, we disagree in how to achieve it. A nurse practitioner with years of experience has much to contribute, and this experience should be the top priority requirement for nurse practitioner educators. Although these attributes often occur concurrently with a doctorate, it is plausible to conclude that these persons are few in numbers because of the already small number of doctorally prepared nurses available. According to the American Academy of Nursing's 2004 survey, 67.5% of nurse practitioners were reported to be in practice carrying the position title of nurse practitioner. Many of these persons do not hold a doctorate but do have extensive experience; however, they may have social and financial obstacles in completing their doctorates. The high level of expertise acquired by these persons, coupled by an interest in teaching the next generation of NPs, supplies the best educators that can be found in this limited market.

Meanwhile, we continue to add to the alphabet soup of doctoral degrees, eg, DNP, confusing the public. We nurses are not in a position to require a doctoral degree until “the” doctoral degree necessary is decided on and implemented. We also have a history of marginalizing each other over and over. Another point to consider is that doctorally prepared faculties have additional duties, both administrative and academic, resulting in time challenges to maintain their own clinical competencies. Having a healthy supply of nurse practitioner faculty that is doctorally prepared is a noble goal; however, it will take time. Given the shortages of faculty, let us be realistic about achieving this goal without disposing of one of our most prized resources, current experience.