Practice Doctorate Resource Center

Resources

  The materials identified below may be useful resources to NONPF members and
others interested in learning more about the practice doctorate in nursing.

DNP NP Curriculum Template Exemplars from NONPF
NONPF is pleased to provide the document "Sample Curriculum Templates for Practice Doctorate NP Education" as a resource to NP educators who are developing NP curricula for practice doctorate education.  The document included exemplars for post-BSN and post-master's models.   . 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NONPF Recommended Criteria for NP Scholarly Projects in Practice Doctorate Programs: A subcommittee of the NONPF Practice Doctorate Task Force identified recommended criteria for scholarly projects conducted by NPs in practice doctorate programs.  This document also describes the scope of projects and provides specific examples of projects done in a variety of practice doctorate programs.

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NP Practice Doctorate Competencies:

The National Panel for NP Practice Doctorate Competencies completed its work of developing and validating competencies for the NP practice doctorate graduate.  The NP practice doctorate competencies build on the existing core competencies for all NPs.

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Recommendations for Faculty Qualifications, Faculty Development, and Student Admissions Criteria

A subcommittee of the NONPF Practice Doctorate Task Force has completed a statement of recommendations available here.

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Subcommittee Work:

The Practice Doctorate Task Force of NONPF agreed to post on this web site the charge to each of its three subcommittees: Student admissions, faculty qualifications and faculty development; Curriculum; and the Capstone/scholarly project.  The links below will provide each subcommittee membership list, the charge to the subcommittee, and the specific questions posed for consideration.  The NONPF PDTF hopes that posting this information now as the work is in progress will assist schools as they begin to discuss their ideas for the practice doctorate in nursing degree program. As these questions stimulate dialogue they can enrich all of our thinking and improve the future of nursing education. Comments can be directed to Katherine Crabtree, Chair of the Practice Doctorate Task Force at crabtree@ohsu.edu and nonpf@nonpf.org

See Student admissions, faculty qualifications and faculty development; Curriculum; and the Capstone/scholarly project.

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NONPF RESPONDS TO WALL STREET JOURNAL ARTICLE 

An article that appeared on April 2 in The Wall Street Journal described the growth of doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program and presented the ensuing concerns about the “blurring lines” between nurse practitioner and physician practice.  The article focused mainly on the work of Dr. Mary Mundinger at Columbia University and the Council on Comprehensive Care (CACC) in advancing the DNP, as well announced that the National Board of Medical Examiners has agreed to develop a voluntary DNP certification exam based on the same test physicians take to qualify for a medical license.  

The NONPF Board of Directors felt that a response from the organization was warranted to clarify the important role of the NP over the past 40 years for primary care, currently and through the DNP evolution.  The Board identified numerous shortcomings of the article, notably its limited focus in presenting the DNP and the issue of certification.   Keeping in mind the general readership of the Wall Street Journal, the Board kept the response brief and focused on the broad topics of relevance to the public.  The Board does recognize that issues such as certification do need further clarification within the profession, notably to ensure understanding of certification at the role and population focus for regulation versus other voluntary certification.   The DNP is a degree title – not a new nursing role – and our continued priority is to concentrate on shaping the DNP educational programs that will prepare the NP clinician.  

The response submitted to the WSJ and subsequently published follows:

“’Making Room for Dr. Nurse’ describes the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree as a powerful innovation in nurse practitioner education.  We agree. With a looming primary care physician shortage on the horizon, qualified primary care providers are in great demand-and who better than nurse practitioners to provide leadership to help meet that demand?  Over the past 40 years, nurse practitioners (NPs) have provided high quality, cost effective care to very diverse patients with complex health care needs.
 
Like other health professions, including pharmacy, psychology, and physical therapy, the breadth and depth of knowledge and responsibility in advanced practice nursing warrants clinical doctorate preparation.
 
Now, as in the past, nurse practitioners are "not the same as doctors" as Roger Moore stated nor do we purport that DNPs will be. Ask patients who see NPs and they will tell you the difference and how satisfied they are with NPs. NPs have a different approach to managing patients while using the same evidence based standards of care that physicians use. Nurse practitioners will continue to provide person-centered, high quality care to the patients we serve. Doctoral education will enhance the already important clinical contributions of nurse practitioners.
 
Most importantly, we agree that "the primary aim of the DNP is not to usurp the role of physicians", but to address the health care needs of the nation.

Submitted April 4, 2008 by

Joanne M. Pohl, PhD, APRN, BC, FAAN

On behalf of NONPF Board of Directors

Additional Resources:

Bibliography Relative to the Practice Doctorate in Nursing (2005)

Prepared by the Medical College of Georgia, School of Nursing

Moving Forward Together: The Practice Doctorate in Nursing (September 2005)
This article appears in the current issues of Online Journal for Issues in Nursing, which also has several articles addressing the topic of "The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP): Need for More Dialogue."

Medscape Article on Curriculum Models

Sample Curriculum Models for the Practice Doctorate in Nursing (2004)

AACN Position Statement on the Practice Doctorate in Nursing (2004)

The Practice Doctorate in Nursing: Future or Fringe? (2003)
Published in Topics in Advanced Practice Nursing eJournal Medscape Nurses

Executive Summary of the National Forum on the Practice Doctorate in Nursing (2003)

 Presentations relative to the practice doctorate (2002)

National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)
900 19th Street, NW, Ste. 200B
Washington, DC 20006
tel: (202) 289-8044 ● fax: (202) 384-1444
nonpf@nonpf.org

President: Mary Anne Dumas, PhD, CFNP, FAANP