The master's is not broken: commentary on 'The Doctor of Nursing Practice: a national workforce perspective'.

摘要

It is morning in America in 2016. What do we see? Will the promise of health care reform enable millions of citizens to become insured? Has the Institute of Medicine's "Future of Nursing" document encouraged more nurses to seek a baccalaureate degree?1 And what about advanced practice nurses (APRNs) and their education? Have they continued to increase in numbers at the master's level and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) level to meet societal need? Or is there fear and confusion in the nursing ranks about direction, scope, and focus? We agree with the recommendation of Cronenwett et al2 that the master's degree is not broken, and we welcome the opportunity to dialogue on the ramifications and unintended consequences of pushing for an all-entry-level DNP by 2015. The post-Master's DNP seems to us to be the best approach.