CONTINUED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 4
ContinuedProfessional Development
InstitutionAffiliation:
ContinuedProfessional Development
Inthe past, most nurses who were willing to continue with theireducation were pursuing Ph.D. as a traditional doctoral degree innursing. Eventually, when Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) wasintroduced, they had the option of deciding whether to do Ph.D. orDNP. Therefore, the main aim of the research paper is to examine thedifference between DNP and Ph.D. as applied in nursing.
Differencebetween DNP and PhD
Themain difference between Ph.D. and DNP can be seen with regards totheir objectives, for instance, Ph.D. prepare nurses for research,and they have the opportunity to gain new knowledge while DNP ispractice-oriented that equip nurses with clinical practice at ahigher level (Loomis, Willard & Cohen, 2007). Similarly, thesetwo degrees differ in career focus, for example, PhD students areresearch oriented, and they handle issues emerging in the nursing atvarious levels such as regional, national and international. On theother hand, DNP students are prepared for leadership roles within thefollowing department such as academia, health information technology,and management (Loomis etal.,2007).
PursuingDNP at doctoral level
Formy doctoral level, I have the desire to pursue DNP since it will giveme an opportunity to practice my leadership role within the clinicalsetting. Additionally, completing a DNP degree takes a shorter periodvarying between 2-3 years as compared to Ph.D. that last for about4-5 years (Loomis etal.,2007). Moreover, DNP degree is the most appropriate for professionaland personal objectives, and it will also help to increase the numberof nurses within the faculty, and it meets the expectations ofclinically oriented nurses (Loomis etal.,2007).
Conclusion
Ph.D.in nursing is very significant as far as research is concerned butDNP degree provides nurses with an opportunity to exercise theirleadership roles, and that helps to improve performance within thehospitals.
References
Loomis,J., Willard, B., & Cohen, J. (2007). Difficult professionalchoices: Deciding between the Ph.D. and the DNP in nursing. OnlineJournal of Issues in Nursing, 12(1).