Coordinated by Kathleen Leask Capitulo, DNSc, RN, FACCE

摘要

Although there are reasons to support the DNP degree, I believe that we should not mandate the DNP for APNs by the year 2015, as proposed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). One of the major criticisms is the notion that the DNP will place nursing more on par with the education of MDs and PharmDs (AACN, 2004, 2006). Most disciplines that prepare licensed independent practitioners (e.g., podiatrists, psychologists, optometrists, PharmDs, osteopaths, medical doctors, and dentists) have the doctorate as the entry into practice degree. Nursing does not. Nursing has, as we all know, multiple educational routes into the profession and has relied on the master's degree for advanced practice. One problem with the DNP, therefore, is the concern that a transition to clinical doctoral preparation for nurse practitioners will disenfranchise master's prepared practitioners; we must guard against this happening (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 2006).