Reply To: The Discouragement Received From Nurse Colleagues When Pursuing DNP

[Anonymous]

Hi Avery,
Thank you for sharing your post! I am sorry that you are getting a negative reaction. It seems like people are unclear of what role a DNP will play where you work. I have been fortunate enough that my colleagues are very supportive of my pursuit of DNP. It has been my family that has questioned why I want or need to go back. Of my family, my brother mainly wanted to know how much DNP school would cost me versus what the compensation is for a DNP. He had questions about if I would refer to myself as a doctor and how I would have time for my family and friends. My husband is very supportive and when I told him that I was going back to school for my DNP, his first response was “Why?” and “Can’t you take a break from school? You have been going to school for the last how many years?” My husband has been through all the triumphs and tribulations of working full time and going to school full time as well as raising two boys. There have been plenty of times when I started to think those same thoughts and I remind myself that I am doing this to show my boys how to work for things you want. I hope since this post is a few years old that you have completed your program and are off working in the field making a way for DNP to follow.