For those looking ahead, do you see a benefit to getting the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, or would you want the Master’s Degree for practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner? I know that the trend is toward the DNP, but most states still allow Nurse Practitioners to work with an MSN. Thoughts?
Someone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but I heard that nurse practitioners we’re going to be required to have a doctorate starting this year.
The recommendation couldn’t be implemented, and even when it is, it will apply to the newly licensed, not those already practicing. Given the profession is headed in that direction, anyone wanting to practice should go the DNP route.
Each year, more programs shift to a doctorate. I believe any binding decision is up to each state, and states have been hesitate to add it as a legal requirement.
For some colleges, this may be the first doctorate degree they have ever issued.
Thanks for the replies. So @ordinarylives getting a Master’s to be a Family Nurse Practitioner doesn’t make any sense ? Or only as a stepping stone to a DNP?
Getting a Master’s Degree to be an FNP makes sense if you want to work as an FNP. If you need or want a doctorate you go back, at least in Ohio where I practice… I don’t think you can skip over that degree. Check the laws in the state of practice.
Of course it makes sense, but I don’t know how far out you are. If you’re ready to start now (and you want to practice family medicine), you can finish, get a job not worry about the credential creep. If, however, you are just starting your nursing career, you may want to just plan for the DNP. In 4 years, the majority of programs may have moved to that credential by then.
BTW, a DNP is a degree, not a specialty. You can get one in Family, Adult, Acute, Pediatric, Mental Health. It’s also considered a professional degree. Very different from a Ph.D.
@ordinarylives Thank you for the advice. I am asking for a young woman I know who is interested in becoming a Nurse Practitioner. She is currently in high school.
I’ll chime in. I am a family nurse practitioner.
The field of nursing so far has been unable to mandate even an entry level degree required to be an RN. Back when I went to nursing school in 1996 the rumors were many: “BSN will be required to be an RN within a few years.” Well here we are in 2016 and both ADN and BSNs are degrees which allow you to take your board certification test for entry as an RN.
It IS true that more management opportunities and beyond are open to BSN students. It IS true that some hospitals now require a BSN. But it IS also still true that many many RNs are still practicing with their ADN from the local community college and doing just fine and earning the same $$$ as their BSN counterparts.
I think the same can be said of the DNP. The same “higher ups” are talking about “requiring” the DNP for entry into practice. Meanwhile, everyone else debates the value of the degree. If you want to teach nursing or do research then absolutely consider the DNP. If you want to get in and get out and be ready to practice as an NP, the DNP is definitely not required. So far the certifying bodies (ANCC and AANP) have published position statements with inquiries into the possible transition…but this talk has been in place since 2001 so…
But as of today, it is mainly a research and theory driven degree. If a DNP bills an insurance company for a patient visit and an MSN prepared NP bill for a patient visit >>>the insurance companies reimburse at the SAME rate. Therefore, most offices and practices will not pay the DNP a higher salary. Many physicians I know of professionally and have practiced with have specifically not hired DNPs because they say they all expect to be paid more $$ for their degree but the reality is the physician who owns the practice does not get more money if a DNP sees the patient or the NP sees the patient.
And I imagine anyone with a masters would be grandfathered, even if a doctorate is required in the future. Based upon the above advice, it sounds like a student should not be willing to pay more tuition or spend longer in school if that is the net difference between a doctorate and a masters, and if they are accepted to both types of programs…
Thank you @carachel2 .