The Nursing World {July 2021} A Guide to A DNP Degree

The Nursing World 2021

The Nursing World {July 2021} A Guide to A DNP Degree >> Nursing is an exciting profession, as there is so much you can do. You can occupy leadership roles, work with physicians and even travel as a nurse. However, recently there is a nursing doctoral degree that has steadily gained momentum. It is the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). If you wish to go for this degree, you will be opening yourself to numerous working opportunities. You will get a chance to work in multiple leadership, administration, and advanced clinical practice. You may even be at the forefront of educating the next generation of healthcare providers. 

Who doesn’t wants to achieve career growth? Nursing no longer follows traditional rules such as taking a patient history and working from the sidelines. Now they occupy more frontline roles. So if you are interested in going towards a DNP, you need to have all the available information on hand to make a decision. After all, any degree requires your time and resources, and you want to know you have spent them in the right direction. So here’s all you need to obtain a DNP degree:

What Is A DNP?

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a practice-based doctoral degree that allows nurses to take on more advanced roles. Several institutes are offering online programs that you can choose from. However, accreditation is necessary for online DNP programs to help you gain the essential skills and knowledge to earn your doctorate. Once you complete your coursework, you can steer your career into health policy development, leadership, administration, and clinical practice. 

What Do You Need To Consider Before Going For A DNP?

Before you start your journey pursuing a DNP, you need to have certain information to help you decide better if this is the degree for you. It will also inform you what you’re new roles would be and what the lucrative program would prepare you for:

  • Is it worth getting a DNP degree? It might be easy to assume that DNP might be a feather in the cap for nursing leaders. However, you need to have particular prerequisites to fulfill before you can pursue this degree. You may need to look at the institute or the online degree to ensure you have the proper credentials to join this program. 
  • You Will Not Be A Physician. As a DNP professional, you may administer care such as carry out a routine checkup and write prescriptions. However, you cannot step in for a physician in complicated cases and need more hands-on knowledge and skills. To be a physician, you need to go through medical school and get a residency to get that license.
  • You May Need To Research Your DNP Program. Not all DNP programs are created equal. If you want to be an APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) after your DNP, you need to look at programs that support this course. 

Where Do DNPs Work?

Now that you know you want to go for this degree, you may also want to know where you’ll work as a DNP professional. To start, you may work in leadership administration, or you may become an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). Here is what you do in either of these roles:

Leadership and Administration

As a DNP nurse, you may work in leadership and administration. You will be involved in all policies related to healthcare, such as patient care policies, healthcare policies, and incorporating the latest research into the healthcare system. In addition, you will be responsible for creating an innovative care program that is both sustainable and economical. After all, it is essential to allocate hospital resources properly and make sure patients can access better healthcare options. You can work in:

  • Nurse Management
  • Health Policy 
  • Health Informatics Systems

Advanced Practice Nursing (APRN)

With a DNP, you can take on APRNs and provide direct care to patients, such as managing, assessing, and evaluating patient care. However, to pursue an APRN, you need to sit for an APRN certification exam, so you will need to continue your education. Once you get your license, you may work in the following positions:

  • Nurse Midwife
  • Nurse Anesthetist
  • Nurse Practitioner
  • Neonatal Practitioner

Why Should You Earn A DNP?

Nursing is steadily becoming competitive, so why not take a chance and secure an advanced degree that will help you stand out in the profession. You gain skills to comprehend scientific knowledge, measure patient outcomes, and manage nursing teams. In some cases, you also get to educate a fresh batch of nurses. As a DNP professional, you are an asset to hospitals and universities and valuable for research facilities. You are also helping to serve side by side with doctors since the medical sector always gets an influx of patients every day, and all hands should be on deck. 

Wrap Up

DNP is a professional doctorate program that prepares you for advanced opportunities in the healthcare sector. You get to lead the health sector from the forefront. You occupy more leadership roles and more hands-on clinical roles. It is essential for the healthcare sector since doctors can’t manage all aspects of the health system and use the help. You also get the chance to obtain your APRN and become a nurse specialist who makes you qualified to treat and care for patients. It is a highly lucrative field, especially if you want to secure a promising career in nursing.

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