Nursing practice leaders' perspectives on continuing challenges related to the Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree

Nurs Outlook. 2023 Jul-Aug;71(4):102002. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2023.102002. Epub 2023 Jul 21.

Abstract

In 2020, deans from top-ranked nursing schools authored a Nursing Outlook article titled, "Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Degree in the United States: Reflecting, Readjusting, and Getting Back on Track." In 2022, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing published the report, "State of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Education."- Both have been critical to advancing national discussions on the implementation of a universal DNP practiceentry standard in nursing. This paper, written by Chief Nursing Officers from top-ranked academic medical centers, reports on perspectives from practice settings/employers regarding issues raised by educators and deans in those documents. Barriers to acceptance of the DNP degree in practice include a lack of degree standardization, a need for DNP outcomes data, and a desire for a clearer return on investment for the DNP degree among graduates and employers.

Keywords: DNP degree; DNP salary; Doctor of Nursing Practice; What is a DNP degree; dnp vs msn; dnp vs np; dnp vs phd.