[Simran]

Hi Gabriela,

The healthcare industry can do several things to help clear the confusion. I think the first step is to acknowledge that there are many disciplines that use various doctoral degrees. DNP is Doctor of Nursing Practice, PhD is Doctor of Philosophy, and MD is Doctor of Medicine. To even start there needs to be acknowledgment that MD’s are not the only ones with the word “doctor” in their title. Now impersonating a Medical Doctor is not something that should be done. Also providers should clarify their roles. If a DNP is providing care and is asked if they are a doctor, then they should clarify that they are not a medical doctor but rather a Doctor of nursing practice. They should be able to clarify their role and explain that although they are providing them with care they are not a medical doctor, and that their training and scope of practice differ.There are many disciplines who use the term doctor when referring to themselves because they have a PhD. In one popular show, a character would introduce themselves as Doctor Reid, even though they had no medical training in the show. There is a need for proper education about the different roles in today’s healthcare industry. Individuals with doctorate degrees are entering the healthcare industry and believe they should be able to use their titles, which in turn can lead to confusion among the patients. The public health department can team up with hospitals to provide education on the different type of providers that are part of the care team.

[Simran]

Hi John
I have seen the impact on DNP degrees in several ways. DNPs are prepared to take on leadership roles, like Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Nurse Managers, because their advanced education gives them the skills to be effective leaders. I have seen this in general and in my workplace, where if there is an issue or a need for leadership. DNP prepared nurses will step up. They also help advocate for policy and change. Furthermore, the advanced education places an important on evidenced-based practice. As leaders and advocated for change practicing care that is backed by evidence is quite important. For instance, I used to work in the NICU, and there we would have our staff meetings, where some of the DNPs would present for skills lab, and all their presentations were backed by evidence-based practice. Some other ways I have seen their impact on my workplace was that we once had a patient with a rare condition. The treatment was then researched, backed by evidence-based practice, and was a team effort. I believe that the advanced education provides the nurse with more comprehensive tools to do their job effectively prepared nurses have advanced clinical skills, leadership, and a commitment to evidence-based practice, driving improvements in patient care and healthcare systems overall.

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