Table Of ContentTThhee DDooccttoorr ooff NNuurrssiinngg PPrraaccttiiccee::
AA RReeppoorrtt oonn PPrrooggrreessss
CC.. FFaayy RRaaiinneess,, PPhhDD,, RRNN
PPrreessiiddeenntt
AAmmeerriiccaann AAssssoocciiaattiioonn ooff CCoolllleeggeess ooff NNuurrssiinngg
MMaarrcchh 2211,, 22001100
CCrreeaattiinngg tthhee FFuuttuurree
TThhee mmoovveemmeenntt ttoo tthhee DDNNPP iiss aabboouutt pprroodduucciinngg tthhee mmoosstt
ccoommppeetteenntt nnuurrssiinngg cclliinniicciiaannss ppoossssiibbllee ttoo mmeeeett tthhee nnaattiioonn’’ss
hheeaalltthhccaarree nneeeeddss..
AAAACCNN hhaass aallwwaayyss aaddvvooccaatteedd tthhaatt eedduuccaattiioonn mmaakkeess aa
ddiiffffeerreennccee iinn cclliinniiccaall pprraaccttiiccee..
AAAACCNN mmeemmbbeerrss uunnddeerrssttaanndd tthhee mmaannddaattee ffoorr cchhaannggee ‐‐ lleessss
tthhaann 11%% ooff nnuurrsseess iinn tthhee UU..SS.. hhaavvee ddooccttoorraall pprreeppaarraattiioonn..
RRaaiissiinngg eedduuccaattiioonnaall eexxppeeccttaattiioonnss iiss ccoommmmoonn aaccrroossss
pprrooffeessssiioonnss ssttrriivviinngg ffoorr eexxcceelllleennccee..
AAAACCNN MMeemmbbeerrss EEnnddoorrssee tthhee DDNNPP
October 2004, strong majority vote to endorse the
Position Statement on the Practice Doctorate in
Nursing.
Members approved a target goal for transition of
APRN programs by 2015.
Position developed through dialogue with an array
of stakeholders and opportunities for comment.
Position identified the DNP as the appropriate degree
for advanced nursing practice.
FFaacciilliittaattiinngg tthhee TTrraannssiittiioonn
TTwwoo AAAACCNN TTaasskk FFoorrcceess ccrreeaatteedd::
TTaasskk FFoorrccee oonn tthhee DDNNPP EEsssseennttiiaallss
TTaasskk FFoorrccee oonn tthhee RRooaaddmmaapp ttoo tthhee DDNNPP
AApprriill 22000099,, CCCCNNEE aammeennddeedd ssttaannddaarrddss ttoo rreeqquuiirree
DDNNPP EEsssseennttiiaallss
CCCCNNEE eevvaalluuaattiinngg aanndd aaccccrreeddiittiinngg DDNNPP pprrooggrraammss
CCCCNNEE hhaass aaccccrreeddiitteedd 1188 DDNNPP pprrooggrraammss;; 7700
aaddddiittiioonnaall DDNNPP pprrooggrraammss aarree ppuurrssuuiinngg CCCCNNEE
aaccccrreeddiittaattiioonn
OOrrggaanniizzaattiioonnaall RReessppoonnsseess
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
Council on Accreditation will not accredit new master’s
programs for nurse anesthesia after 2015.
Mandate that all CRNA programs transition to the practice
doctorate by 2022.
All new CRNA grads must hold a practice doctorate by 2025 to
be eligible for certification.
The Nurse Practitioner Coalition Statement
7 NP organizations (AANP, ACNP, AFPNP, NCGNP, NONPF,
NPWH, NPNP): “the DNP degree more accurately reflects
current clinical competencies and includes preparation for the
changing healthcare system.”
OOrrggaanniizzaattiioonnaall RReessppoonnsseess
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties
Endorsed the DNP and developed competencies for NP
practice at the doctoral level.
NNaattiioonnaall AAssssoocciiaattiioonn ooff CClliinniiccaall NNuurrssee SSppeecciiaalliissttss
NNeeuuttrraall ppoossiittiioonn oonn tthhee DDNNPP;; hhaass ddeevveellooppeedd DDNNPP‐‐lleevveell
ccoommppeetteenncciieess ffoorr CCNNSS ggrraadduuaatteess..
AAmmeerriiccaann CCoolllleeggee ooff NNuurrssee‐‐MMiiddwwiivveess
RReeccooggnniizzeess tthhee DDNNPP aass aann ooppttiioonn ffoorr ssoommee mmiiddwwiiffeerryy
pprrooggrraammss..
CChhaannggeess iinn CCMMSS RReeiimmbbuurrsseemmeenntt
AACN successfully advocated for CMS to change the
regulatory language regarding reimbursement for APRN
services from requiring nurses to hold a “master’s degree”
to holding a “graduate degree in nursing.”
This important language change removed any potential
barriers to DNP‐prepared nurses seeking reimbursement
for their services.
DDNNPP PPrrooggrraamm EEvvoolluuttiioonn
At the midway point to the 2015 goal, Schools of Nursing
have made great progress in transitioning to the DNP.
According to the 2009 AACN Annual Survey, 120 DNP
programs are currently enrolling students, with programs
now available in 36 states and the District of Columbia.
As expected, student enrollment in and graduations from
DNP programs has increased substantially over the last
five years.
DDNNPP EEnnrroollllmmeennttss && GGrraadduuaattiioonnss
Enrollments
6,000
Graduations
5,165
5,000
4,000
3,415
3,000
1,874
2,000
862
1,000
392 660
70 70 170 122 361
15
17 7 44 74
0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Programs: 2 2 3 11 20 53 92 119
Response: 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 99.2%
EEnnrroollllmmeennttss IInnccrreeaassiinngg iinn BBootthh
DDNNPP && PPhhDD PPrrooggrraammss:: 11999977‐‐22000099
6000
Research
5000
Focused
4000
3000
DNP
2000
1000
0
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Source: © American Association of Colleges of Nursing. All Rights Reserved
Description:AACN members understand the mandate for change - less than 1% of nurses regulatory language regarding reimbursement for APRN services from
