Some of you might be wondering, "What exactly is a DNP degree?" To be honest, I wondered the very same thing for quite sometime, even after I had been accepted into the DNP Nurse Anesthesia program at my school. Early last semester, my nurse anesthesia class took some time to meet with our faculty to gain a better understanding of what this title means. We also collectively decided on a concise statement we can provide to individuals who inquire about not only what a DNP degree is, but also, why we have decided to get one.
To provide some understanding about this title/role, I did some research about the DNP. The website of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) provides some helpful information about this topic. So, all of the information I will provide below comes from the AACN website, which was last updated January 21, 2014.
Beginning in 2004, members of the AACN voted to increase the practice requirements for advanced practice nurses (APN) from the master's level to the doctoral level by the year 2015. Specifically, the DNP degree was conceptualized to provide a doctoral degree to individuals interested in clinical expertise and evidence-based practice rather than a typical research doctorate. Additionally, this push towards a higher level of education in nursing practice is keeping in step with other healthcare careers that have already adopted these doctoral requirements. Some examples include dentistry (DDS), physical therapy (DPT), and pharmacy (PharmD).
The website states that beginning in 2008, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) began accrediting DNP programs nationwide. To date, there are currently 241 available DNP programs, and this number is continually increasing. I thought this information was very interesting and so I quote, "From 2012 to 2013, the number of students enrolled in DNP programs increased from 11,575 to 14,699. During that same period, the number of DNP graduates increased from 1,858 to 2,443" (AACN, 2014).
For further information, I encourage you to check out this link:
Also, this bar graph taken from the AACN (2014) website compares the number of available DNP programs as compared with research doctoral programs through the years 2006 to 2013:
*The AACN (2014) website is credited with providing all of the information in the post above.
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