Growth of the DNP degree: Promoting change and improving quality of care

摘要

Every January, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) organizes a conference focused on clinical and research doctoral education in nursing. Although the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) did not become a required degree for entry into advanced practice nursing as proposed in 2015, the number of DNP programs and nurses who have earned a DNP degree has grown exponentially over the past 20 years. The most recent statistics reported by the AACN indicate that there are 336 DNP programs currently enrolling students nationwide, with more than 100 in planning stages for postbaccalau-reate and postmaster's programs. All 50 states plus the District of Columbia have registered programs, and 9 states have 10 or more programs. From 2016 to 2017, the number of DNP students enrolled (29,093) increased by 15.04%, and the number of graduates (6,090) increased 25.44%.