The Doctoral Degree And Professional Nursing Practice
Evidence indicates that the number of nurse practitioners pursuing a DNP has progressively increased over time as it opens the road to numerous career opportunities. As healthcare continues to evolve, nurses with DNP have greater chances to work as independent healthcare providers or in leadership opportunities. As suggested by May et al. (2020), the DNP builds upon prior knowledge in nursing through advanced courses in quality improvement, systems leadership, and evidence-based practice. A nurse with a practice doctorate can be in a position to perform nursing interventions that impact individuals’ healthcare outcomes by developing and implementing health policy, managing patient care, providing direct patient care, and administrating healthcare organizations (Houser, 2016).
Earning a practice doctorate in nursing comes with numerous expectations. These expectations include the generation of new knowledge, competitive advantage in seeking leadership positions, advanced knowledge in nursing theories and evidence-based practices (EBPs), career advancement, and good salaries (Houser, 2016). Other anticipations linked with DNP include foundational outcomes and specialty competencies. Loescher et al. (2021) suggested that foundational outcome competencies in the DNP program comprise information technology, organizational leadership for quality improvement, analytical approaches for EBP, and scientific underpinnings for practice, alongside patient care technology. These foundational competencies are important for all DNP program graduates, irrespective of their specialty or functional sphere.
On the other hand, specialty competencies focus on the practice and learning experiences for a particular specialty that the DNP graduate may choose to undertake. These competencies are categorized into two distinct categories: DNP roles that specialize as advanced practice nurses and roles that specialize in practice at an aggregate/systems/organizational level (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2006). The distinction between the two categories is vital since the advanced practice nurse often faces different regulatory, liability, licensure, reimbursement, and credentialing issues than those practicing at the organizational level. The advanced practice nurse category includes the nurse practitioner, certified midwife, clinical nurse specialist, and certified registered nurse anesthetist.
The expectations for a DNP nurse may be different from those of a nurse who is pursuing a Ph.D. degree in nursing. As suggested by Bullin (2018), Ph. D focuses more on research and academics, while a DNP is best suited for nurses interested in leadership while still working in clinical settings. Despite the specialty differences among the DNP graduates, they are allowed to hold doctoral-level degrees and often take the highest positions in nursing practice. DNP graduates should demonstrate excellent nursing skills in delivering quality care to patients irrespective of their social or economic rank, age, and gender. On the other hand, Ph. D graduates end up in policy and research-focused careers intending to improve scholarly work in research fields to advance professional nursing.
My motivation to pursue a DNP degree comprises different aspects and aims to handle challenges linked with promoting the nursing profession. The DNP degree poses an ultimate challenge for the nurse and demonstrates one’s attainment of the highest level of education in the field. I am always striving to provide and deliver the best possible care to my patients, particularly those with mental health conditions. The DNP degree also holds expectations for the graduates to elevate nursing and influence health policy. This expectation relates to my motivation to pursue a DNP degree to have a voice on matters that impact me personally and my profession at large.
My experience in addressing a gap in practice in my organization dealt with the lack of knowledge regarding the safe prescribing of controlled substances. Addressing this gap involved identifying the best practice, analyzing the current practice, and what should be done to address the gap. The administration facilitated training on the Controlled Substance Act and the best practices involved in prescribing these substances.
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2006). The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice. Washington, DC.
Bullin, C. (2018). To what extent has doctoral (PhD) education supported academic nurse educators in their teaching roles: An integrative review. BMCNursing, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-018-0273-3
Houser, J. (2016). Nursing research: Reading, using and creating evidence. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Loescher, L. J., Love, R., & Badger, T. (2021). Breaking new ground? The dual (PhD-DNP) doctoral degree in nursing. Journal of Professional Nursing, 37(2), 429- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2020.05.001
May, J. T., Littzen, C. O., Morrison, H. W., & Loescher, L. J. (2020). Experiences of dual PHD- DNP nursing students during doctoral education. Journal of Professional Nursing, 36(5), 348-355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2020.02.004
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Question 
The assignment:
Post a brief explanation of the role of the nurse with a practice doctorate. Be specific. Explain the expectations associated with obtaining this degree, including how these expectations might be different for a nurse who holds a different degree.
The Doctoral Degree And Professional Nursing Practice
Then, explain how these considerations relate to your motivation to pursue a DNP, including a brief description of how your role as a DNP-prepared nurse will meet a potential organization’s need to address a gap in practice or implement a practice change. Discuss any experiences you have had in addressing a gap in practice or a practice change within an organization. Be specific.
Please provide at least 3 references (APA format)