Differences between Master’s Degree and DNP Degree for Nursing Providers

[John]

Have you noticed any differences between nursing providers who have their master’s degree and those who have their DNP degree? If you have not noticed any differences, why do you think that is? If you have noticed a difference between the two degrees, please elaborate and let us know.

[Doctors of Nursing Practice, Inc.]

Hello! Thank you for your post and question. I see that others have not yet responded so I thought I would add a couple of thoughts to reply to your question.
The question of the the caliber and skills offered by doctoral-prepared nurses compared to master’s-prepared nurses has been a source of discussion for many years. Text books have been written about this, and many folks challenge the type of skills that a doctoral degree brings to our nursing practice.

I won’t speak for all in our nursing discipline, but believe that the courses and experiences of doctoral programs (DNP, PhD, EdD, or any doctorate degree) heighten the actions and contributions of the colleague that acquires these skills. For example, as a nurse practitioner before earning the DNP degree, I thought I was pretty savvy about most aspects of this role. After earning the DNP degree, my understanding and appreciation of how to approach patients conceptually and in the context of population health has changed.

So, the difference between these degrees is what we make of it, don’t you think? I’m curious to learn more about your thoughts.

[Author]

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