The Difference between a DNP and a PhD in Nursing

 

The nursing profession is comprised of different specializations, and each of these faculties has its significant individual contribution to healthcare. Nursing education is the point where these forms of specializations are defined. DNPs and PhDs in nursing are among the degrees considered to be terminal, where the nurses demonstrate their clinical expertise in these fields. However, there are several differences between the two professions.

The first difference is the fact that Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is focused much on clinical practice, unlike the PhD which is based more on research (Neal-Boylan, 2020). Whereas each of these specializations has both advantages and disadvantages, the individual career goals of the nurse are the determinants of the best path to take. When MSN-prepared nurses want to take up an advanced role such as CRNA or Nurse Midwife, it is best that they take the DNP (Sebach & Chunta, 2018). On the other hand, individuals who want to be greater participants in nurse policy formulation should take up the PhD in nursing, as this would serve to make them better researchers.

Why I Choose PhD over DND

Research is one of my ambitions in nursing, and hence I believe that taking up a PhD in nursing would help me to better accomplish the same. During the pursuit of a PhD program, individuals have to complete a capstone project that involves the identification of a problem in healthcare and providing an evidence-based solution to the same (Sebach & Chunta, 2018). Such a program pertains a specific clinical area, and hence some of the concepts of DND may have to be executed on the same.

References

Neal-Boylan, L. (2020). PhD or DNP? That Is the Question. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 16(2), A5-A6.

Sebach, A. M., & Chunta, K. S. (2018). Exploring the Experiences of DNP-Prepared Nurses Enrolled in a DNP-to-PhD Pathway Program. Nursing education perspectives, 39(5), 302-304.