There are numerous resources to help nursing colleagues locate a school to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. We are going to talk about issues and concerns that you won’t find in a textbook or peer-reviewed journal article. Let’s get to it.
First, the basics of selecting a DNP program that may be right for you. Location used to be important, and we attended schools that were relatively close to home. That is no longer an issue, as online and hybrid programs make distance from the on-ground campus irrelevant. We can select 100% online or a hybrid program when you have the opportunity (and obligation) to meet faculty and colleagues. The value of networking and building social skills with colleagues has great value that cannot be secured with an online program alone.
Other considerations you may not have considered when comparing doctoral programs. For example, what is the dedication to the DNP degree rather than a mini or watered-down PhD program? Ask about the final project before looking at the core courses. Is the project called a dissertation? Consider where the project can take place, and above all, be sure the project expectation is a complete package of identifying a problem, exploring the scope and depth of the problem, and without a doubt, there is an expectation to apply evidence as an intervention to address the problem. This doctoral project is much more than a proposal. It is an implementation, evaluation, and analysis of a process to demonstrate a skill set that will be used after graduation.
The doctoral project is not the final product of your career. It is the beginning of plans to impact healthcare outcomes for years to come. Your work earning a DNP degree is not done in isolation, so be sure your potential university setting and faculty have the depth and scope to support your work.
A word about when to start your project: You should have an idea of what you would like to do for a scholarly practice project before registering for your first class. Your mission should be focused, and your efforts must be honed like a laser to relentlessly build your work to completion. Checking to see that your faculty has the same focus could be a deal breaker if the faculty relays that starting your project started a year into the program. Nope. Have an idea in mind and ensure that your potential faculty supports your passion.
Exploring options for a DNP program includes an element that is broader than the DNP degree alone. This degree, as you probably already realize, is the application of evidence to improve healthcare outcomes. Work in this field is a team effort. Working with other doctorally prepared nurses is foundational to success and sustainability. As you consider the DNP degree, also consider and explore options that are required for earning a PhD, DNSc, EdD, or any doctorate degree that aligns with your interests and passions. We are not an island—we are interconnected with all we do in our discipline. With this said, consider how your potential DNP program integrates and collaborates with others within and outside of our discipline. Do you see the value of sharing skills, talents, and a like-minded approach to our profession?
The potential for collaboration is inherent in all doctoral projects, regardless of the specific degree. Still, the DNP degree relies on creating connections not only with stakeholders but also with those that support similar passions. Also, consider the sustainability of the project. Is it good for only one organization or healthcaresystem, or does it have the potential impact to change practice in other organizations?
Here’s an example to illustrate an ideal selection of a DNP program.
You are a master’s-prepared nurse, a clinical nurse specialist working in acute care focused on patients with diabetes. You have built an expertise over the years and now see the value of earning a practice doctorate. Your potential project involves family support of patients that have diabetes and multiple comorbidities. You know the particulars of pathology; now you want to focus on family support techniques.
As you explore your options, you find a university with both a PhD and EdD program focusing on academic administration. These student colleagues demonstrate expertise in teaching theory and techniques to manage the educational process for ideal effectiveness. Though their focus may be in academic settings, their skill set expands to what you, as a DNP student, aim to accomplish with improving family dynamics. Could you satisfy your need for information through the literature alone? Probably so. But if you could involve the support, collaboration, and interaction of potential colleagues, the end results will have more strength and be more sustainable due to the dynamics of other doctorally prepared colleagues.
Work done in isolation with a treasure trove of literature has great value, yet working in real time (or asynchronously) with other doctorally prepared colleagues builds a stronger project that can be transferable to other settings.
So, does your selection of a DNP program include collaboration both within and outside of our discipline? Does your faculty reflect the diversity of our discipline and expertise of multiple doctoral degrees, and are you able to reach out to colleagues outside of the DNP world alone to build an initiative supported by colleagues with expertise that would enhance the overall mission?
Exploring the particulars of identifying a DNP program that is best for you requires consideration of many aspects of academia and practice to find the best fit. In future blogs we will explore the ideal selection based on the logistics of time, money, and rigor of programs.
Until then, keep pressing forward as Doctors of Nursing Practice, Inc. and the Academy of Doctorally Prepared Nurses continue to support innovation and success of collaborative work. Together we are stronger.
What are your thoughts and experiences? Please share them so that we can all move forward together and gain traction in our efforts together.
David Campbell-O’Dell, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP
CEO Doctors of Nursing Practice, Inc. and the Academy of Doctorally Prepared Nurses
