The Doctorate Of Nursing Practice

Synthesis Paper The Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) represents the terminal practice degree in the field of nursing. The DNP prepares Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) as expert practitioners and leaders of transformation in health care. As the healthcare environment continues to become increasingly complex DNP APNs are well prepared to lead the way to ensure the system meets patient needs.

Evolution of the DNP Degree The DNP embodies the convergence of the various practice doctorates in nursing and was adopted as the terminal practice degree in nursing by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in 2004 (Chism, 2016). Historically nurses have been prepared at the doctoral level through a variety of degrees outside of and within nursing. These various degrees include, but are not limited to, the doctorate in education (EdD), doctor of nursing science (DNS or DNSc), doctor of nursing practice (DrNP), nursing doctorate (ND), and PhDs in nursing as well as fields of basic or applied sciences related to nursing.

Doctoral education for nursing began at Columbia University Teachers College in 1924 and conferred an EdD designed to address the nursing and education needs of leaders in the nursing profession resulting in

In response to the National Mental Health Act of 1946 the creation of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in 1949 was formed. Furthermore, there was a new awareness of post-war mental health issues along with recognition of the role of nurses in addressing the mental health needs of the country. The National Mental Health Act of 1946 “identified psychiatric nursing as one of four core disciplines for the provision of psychiatric care and treatment, along with psychiatry, psychology, and social work” (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2014, p. 5). This was when graduate level training in psychiatric mental health nursing