[Jacqueline]

Hi Avery!

I have expressed my desire to start my journey in pursuing a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) over the past few years in the emergency department to many coworkers and other healthcare professionals. Prior to the start of my program, I met extreme resistance to further my professional development due to increased skepticism if a DNP would truly impact communities and the variability in the DNP curriculum that causes decreased credibility in comparison to MD and PA programs. The flexibility and lack of standardization in DNP programs in comparison to MD and PA programs has further contributed to the DNP degree being perceived as less in today’s society and indirectly promotes ambiguity in its official role in healthcare in the eyes of the public. These reasons further decrease the ease of transition of NPs attempting to bridge healthcare gaps to improve patient outcomes. I have been experienced physicians that have expressed lack of respect and trust in Nurse Practitioners due to their treatment choices in patients’ plan of care. Furthermore, these conversations and interactions originally deterred me and made me inquire if pursuing an advanced education would be worth it. As I discuss my journey through my current DNP program, my close nursing friends have started to express that their perspective regarding the value of the DNP has changed and that they wished they had furthered their education and didn’t listen to coworkers. I think organizational culture, recognition, and increased awareness regarding the DNP degree and role has increased immensely in the past three years alone. I have more nurses asking me about my experience with my DNP program. My response expresses that the program is grounded in value, positive feedback, and validation that a DNP degree will both provide personal and professional development in holistically growing as a person and making a difference in people’s lives. Moreover, I believe the resistance of DNPs to evolve and transition will slowly diminish over time as more DNPs are proactive in reducing health disparities and improving patient outcomes through integration of the APRN clinical competencies and interprofessional collaboration. Thank you for sharing!

[Author]

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