AACN Issues New Report on DNP Education

Home / Topics / AACN Issues New Report on DNP Education

Home › Forums › AACN Issues New Report on Doctor of Nursing Practice Education › AACN Issues New Report on DNP Education

Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • 2023-02-18 at 7:16 PM #45464
    Elizabeth
    Participant

    Hello,

    Thank you for sharing the informative document from the AACN. After reviewing the document, I was pleased to see many more DNP programs with a significant increase in enrolled students. More and more students are becoming familiar with the DNP degree and the roles of the DNP in the nursing profession. As a future DNP graduate, I want to raise more awareness about the DNP degree, as that can inspire others to pursue a DNP. DNP graduates also serve as role models in their workplace with the leadership skills acquired in their DNP program, and by leading by example, more and more nurses will show interest in the DNP degree. One of the best ways to educate other nurses about the DNP degree is to gain their trust and credibility to increase the degree’s receptiveness (Chism, 2023). Many nurses may not be familiar with the DNP degree and its role in nursing. They may feel shy or uncomfortable asking about it, so providing information to nurses that DNP graduates work with will significantly impact and increase the number of nurses pursuing a DNP degree.

    References
    Chism, L. A. (2023). The Doctor of Nursing Practice: A guidebook for role development and professional Issues (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

    2023-02-23 at 10:50 PM #45495
    Yarimel
    Participant

    Hello Elizabeth,

    as the need for DNP graduates grow the need for standardizing the role of a APRN increases. A DNP graduate can do so much for their community with the education they receive and with their clinical knowledge, it is very encouraging to see that more nurses are interested in continuing the pursuit of education and furthering their careers. As you mentioned the DNP role can increase credibility while also allowing for mentorships to develop between DNP graduates and DNP students. I am looking forward to seeing more DNP graduates gain confidence in their practice while also becoming an encouragement to other nurses who are considering to pursue their DNP in the future.

    2023-07-11 at 6:29 AM #46256
    Sarah
    Participant

    Hi Elizabeth,

    I agree that raising awareness about the DNP degree is necessary, as many people still do not know what it is exactly. Leading by example is an excellent way for DNPs to enhance others’ trust in the profession, whether other members of the interprofessional healthcare team or patients. What stood out the most from the AACN report is that they found some employers do not know what different skills DNP graduates have compared to master’s degree-prepared APRNs and what roles they can take on. If employers are unsure, it is no surprise if patients do not either. DNP graduates have the opportunity to explain their doctoral education preparation and the distinguishing differences between DNP APRNs and APRNs with master’s degrees during job interviews and at work with colleagues and patients on a one-on-one basis. Showing others the scope of a DNP APRN by being a role model may also help increase understanding. It may also be beneficial for the nursing regulatory bodies, advanced practice nurse accreditation organizations, and advanced practice nurse associations to reach out to hospitals and clinics with educational information regarding the degree, such as the AACN DNP Fact Sheet, to educate hospital and clinic administration. Nursing conferences and nursing research conferences would be great platforms for DNPs and various advanced practice nurse associations to speak in informational sessions, hand out informational flyers, or even simply network to help raise awareness within the nursing world about the DNP degree. By receiving this education at conferences, some nurses may also be inspired to obtain the DNP degree.

    • This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by Sarah.
    • This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by Sarah.
    • This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by Sarah.
    2023-07-31 at 5:06 PM #46363
    Jennifer
    Participant

    Hello,
    Thank you for posting the State DNP education report of 2022. This is a great resource to keep tabs on how the DNP degree is being developed and utilized in the workplace. In terms of preceptorship in DNP programs, 69% of DNP programs did not maintain contractual clinical site partnerships. This number is concerning because it forces students to take what they can when it comes to clinical practice/training. I know people who are buying their credit hours by paying NPs and MDs because they cannot find a clinical site that will take them in. One cannot assess for quality training when there is no relationship between the school and the preceptor. This is also reflected in the employers’ suggestion on changing the perceived value of a DNP degree. The program should be made more rigorous, make sure DNP graduates are able to demonstrate distinct qualifications, and promote DNP by clearly explaining and defining the difference between MSN and DNP. They also suggested limiting number of online programs, which means that the schools need to be more hands on with the students. In order for DNP nurses to become more verbal about their skillsets and value, we first need to be confident in what we know and what we can do.

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
×