When starting out in the world of nursing, the many different career options open to us can seem a bit bewildering, especially as each pathway usually requires specialist training. Whether you are looking into neonatal care, family practice, or in advanced leadership roles, a DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) qualification is the foundation of many advanced nursing career choices and the ticket to opening opportunities towards the higher-paid salary roles.
What is a Doctor of Nursing Practice?
A Doctor of Nursing Practice, commonly abbreviated to DNP, is a post-graduate qualification in nursing meant for those wishing to take on leadership roles within either nursing practice or the administrative side of nursing.
It is possible to do a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in nursing, and both the DNP and the PhD qualification are seen as equal in academic achievement. But the DNP qualification is based more around practical experience and practice, with the PhD based more within the research and scientific data fields. The DNP is a qualification for those who do not need or want a strong research focus and who require advanced practice knowledge.
A Doctor of Nursing Practice will allow graduates to have a firm grounding in advanced competencies, especially in more complex faculty, clinical and leadership roles. The DNP course is strongly focused on developing the leadership qualities of the nurse so that they may have a bigger impact on strengthening practice and health care delivery and, in turn, improving patient outcomes in a science-backed thought-leadership position.
What kind of job can I get with a DNP?
There are a wide variety of roles open to the practitioner who has gained their DNP. It's worth noting that some roles will be more clerical and academia based, and some roles will be much more clinical and practical based. It really depends on the individual and the individual's personal skills and experience as to which one is right to take. A couple of the jobs you can get include:
Executive Nurse Leader - This is a leadership role specially designed for those who are confident and skilled to lead teams that effect change within an advanced health care setting. The role requires a sound understanding of strategic planning, environmental factors, and multiple data sources. Executive Nurse Leaders will need to be able to be authority figures and have excellent managerial skills. They will need to study and keep on top of trends in patient care and legislation as well as forecast and monitor for future changes. This is a skilled role that suits practitioners with a varied skill-set and wide level of experience across the health care field.
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) - Family Nurse Practitioners care for families across a wide range of age groups. This can range from infants to adolescents, adults and senior citizens. Their work is usually focused on medically stable patients (those who are not facing acute life-threatening conditions, or who's conditions are life-threatening but stable). Although Family Nurse Practitioners can work with a variety of age groups, it is not uncommon for practitioners to go on to specialize in specific age groups or patient populations.
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) - Neonatal Nurse Practitioners are specially trained to provide care for infants from birth to the age of two. They work in a variety of settings, including neonatal intensive care units (NICU). The NNP may work in an academic setting, teaching others, or in a more clinical setting where they are hands-on providing care both in hospitals and in the community. They work with other health care providers to ensure a holistic healthcare approach.
Nurse-Midwifery (CNM) - Despite the name, this is a varied role for professionals in the field. Nurses of Midwifery are usually the first point of contact for women before, during, and after pregnancy and may even provide support and counselling throughout the infancy of the child.
How much does a DNP make a year?
An advanced practice nurse can expect to earn a salary in the region of $111,000, a figure that is expected to grow by 22% in the next 2 years.
The average salary for a DNP qualified advanced practitioner does vary depending on the role taken and the setting of the role, but usually this is between $130,000 to $170,000.
It's not uncommon to see Executive Nurse Practitioners taking home a salary of $170,000 on average, with the top 22% of practitioners earning between $200,000 and $249,999.
Some practitioners (around 10%) who rise to the top level of their career can expect to see earnings topping $250,000 a year.
Why gain a DNP Qualification
In an ever-changing and ever more advanced health care system, it's important that we stay on top of both skills and new discoveries so that we may be able to provide the best level of care for patients from pre-birth to end-of-life and everything in between.
In advanced nursing practice, the standard entry-level requirements may soon include a doctorate qualification, such as a DNP, or equivalent (like a PhD). This was a recommendation put forward and voted for in 2004 by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), from the original qualification level of only a masters degree.
Whilst a masters-level qualification undoubtedly shows that Nurses are highly skilled and experienced in their field, a doctorate level qualification shows that the practitioner has built on this success and has training in evidence-based practice. The Doctor of Nursing Practice qualification shows that the practitioner is on the right track to be in a leadership position for advanced practice.
Having more DNP qualified practitioners in advanced care is vital for the growth and stability of healthcare. Doctorally educated individuals are becoming ever more prevalent in other related fields, such as pharmacology, psychology, audiology, and across the field.
Practitioners who are highly educated and confident in their abilities will allow the healthcare sector to face challenges such as the epidemic we are currently facing, whilst remaining calm and taking a science-led approach to the response.
