Among the array of advanced nursing degrees available today, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a relative newcomer. In 2004, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) recognized the need for a practice-based advanced degree for nursing professionals who desired leadership roles within the medical community. The AACN put in motion a plan to create such a degree, which led to DNP degree programs across the country. The article below examines the difference between the DNP and research-based degrees available to nursing students, and explores the paths this degree opens for advanced scholars and practitioners of nursing science.
How Practice Differs from Research
In the past, the advanced degrees available to individuals studying nursing sciences were research based, with a focus on developing scholarly abilities and faculties. While they possessed many of the same challenges of empirical observation that Doctor of Medicine programs offered, the emphasis on putting theory into action was decidedly lacking.
There are a variety of research-based programs available to advance the education of registered nurses. Nurse Practitioners (NP), Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN), and other nursing professionals with an education aligned with a PhD rather than an MD all contribute to the enriched theoretical context of medical knowledge. In the past, many of these highly skilled individuals attained experience and often engaged in practice-based research on their own merit, as if to question the merit of theory and study separate from the practice environment. Until the DNP degree program was developed, only a small percentage of nursing schools offered the Doctor of Nursing Science (DNS, DSN, DNSc) degree.
The research focused programs focus on methods and original research conducted by the students. They are required to write an original research paper and defend a thesis before a committee. While DNP degree programs demand a similar quality of scholarly integrity, the two types of programs differ in their final emphases. Instead of a paper or series of papers and a dissertation defense, a practice-based program may culminate in an intense, immersive period in the field followed by a student-crafted project. Rather than developing theory or refining scholarly approaches, students put theory into practice in realistic scenarios.
Benefits of the DNP Approach
Since the first DNP programs were implemented a decade ago, replacing the sporadic Doctor of Nursing Science (DNS) programs, some have questioned the benefits of a defined degree track. The AACN anticipated these questions, and offered a concise response. Not only does an established core of values and standards allow each nursing school to tailor a program to the needs of its students while maintaining consistent academic standards, it also reduces confusion within the workplace and the recently graduated DNP students. A standard core offers defined goals and guidelines to students and legitimizes their scholarly efforts once they emerge into the healthcare marketplace.
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Unlike its scattered predecessor degree programs, the DNS, the Doctor of Nursing Practice is an advanced degree, open to registered nurses and other students who have completed an accredited nursing program. As well, while original research and integrity of methodology have their values, any student who completes a Doctor of Nursing Practice program will have already designed and implemented an original practice-oriented project. They have documented evidence that they can translate medical research and theory into usable practice that benefits patients and healthcare workers.
