Nursing roles are no longer limited to menial secretarial duties, assisting physicians and serving patients like orderlies. Modern-day nurse practitioners perform many clinical functions previously limited to skilled physicians and specialists. It all boils to how nursing students decide to shape their careers by choosing academic pathways that align with their core interests.
Nursing advancement and leadership roles demand continuous learning and higher education. It’s common for many nurses to remain stagnant within entry-level positions and administrative functions. However, those who pursue RN, BSN and MSN programs build specialized skills to gain clinical authority over patient care and treatments.
But the learning process doesn’t end with an MSN degree and a clinical specialization. Ambitious and passionate nursing leaders pursue doctoral programs to make remarkable contributions to their professions. A DNP program can open numerous lucrative opportunities to advocate against health equities, inform health policymakers, and teach nursing students.
Keep reading to explore how pursuing an online DNP program can accelerate your career.
Table of Contents
1. Research Endeavors & Groundbreaking Discoveries
A DNP program allows ambitious and passionate nurses to explore rewarding avenues of serving large communities with groundbreaking research-driven discoveries. DNP nurses break free of all the shackles that constrain BSN and MSN nurses, cementing their positions as clinical leaders. These professionals enjoy clinical authority, peer esteem, and leadership positions, whether they serve nursing institutions, healthcare facilities or policymakers.
If you’re presently serving as a family nurse practitioner (FNP), vying to advance your career further, a DNP program will prepare you as a healthcare administrator, nursing educator, clinical leader, or open your private practice. A Ph.D. in nursing is the highest qualification you can earn to cement your skills and expertise in your chosen field.
Many professionals explore online DNP programs to enjoy accessibility, affordability and ease of balancing their academic and professional responsibilities. A Ph.D. program will equip you with advanced skills and clinical expertise to run clinical trials and investigate risk factors. You can contribute your studies and empirical observations to highly acclaimed nursing and clinical journals worldwide.
Researchers make monumental discoveries around diseases, risk factors, treatments, patient safety guidelines, and medication errors. Suppose you’re interested in investigating the dietary risk factors contributing to type 2 diabetes—as a DNP professional, you can lead research teams during clinical trials or longitudinal observational studies.
Nursing leaders and researchers have made profound contributions to patient safety guidelines, innovating healthcare quality worldwide. Research is the most significant avenue to leave a lasting mark on your field, and DNP paves the way.
2. Professional Esteem & Clinical Authority
Suppose you’ve finished your MSN program quite early on in your career and started working as a specialized practitioner. In that case, you are ideally poised to embark on a DNP program and add advanced credentials to your resume. There’s enormous prestige and professional esteem in earning a Ph.D.
It’s common for nurses to feel undervalued or slighted by their peers, especially physicians, doctors and surgeons. However, modern-day nurses with MSN specializations perform many of the functions delegated to physicians. For instance, MSN nurses can prescribe medications, design treatments, administer tests, and perform a diagnosis. However, despite years of experience and specializations, many nurses are still made to feel incompetent by retiring physicians.
A Ph.D., however, makes you a highly qualified, senior clinical leader – an indisputable authority in your field. A DNP program will combine clinical and administrative training to award you the same stature as doctorate-level clinical and medical practitioners.
You will become a treasured and insightful member of any medical care, research or health policy team. Healthcare facilities are increasingly vying to secure DNP leaders to lead clinical and nursing teams towards the highest quality standards.
3. Numerous Avenues to Make Meaningful Contributions
Most nurses pursue doctoral programs to make meaningful contributions to nursing practice and healthcare policy. For instance, minority nurses pursuing DNP programs can make monumental strides in promoting healthcare workforce diversity. They can pave the road for aspiring nurses from various minority groups and marginalized communities to pursue leadership roles. Minority DNP nurses also make profound contributions to promote health equality and amenities to previously underserved communities.
It all boils down to the causes that fuel you with determination to change healthcare practices. As a Ph.D. nurse leader, educator and researcher, you have the power to stir the conversation and promote awareness. You can raise awareness on any issue close to your heart, such as rising child obesity, post-partum depression or post-traumatic stress disorder.
DNP researchers must research and present empirical data to improve patient care and safety practices across the country. For instance, nurse researchers lead investigations in nursing practices that reduce mortality rates and promote positive outcomes. These findings are implemented by healthcare facilities and hospitals looking to improve their treatment outcomes.
Did you know that policymakers also invite DNP nurses to get their opinions and insights on healthcare policies? For instance, nurse leaders advise public hospitals on hiring policies and job descriptions for nurse practitioners. Likewise, nurses advise lawmakers on potential policies to improve health outcomes and reduce burdens on hospitals.
4. Crafting & Honing Future Nursing Leaders
Healthcare sectors worldwide are struggling with acute shortages of skilled staff members, including nurses, physicians and surgeons. These shortages not only reflect in hospitals and clinical settings but also in the education sector. Nursing institutions are facing shortages of qualified and experienced DNP nursing educators. As a Ph.D. nurse, you can help address this shortage and contribute to the future of nursing by developing leaders.
The crux of leadership lies in inspiring new leaders rather than creating a flock of sheep. And DNP nurses inspire young nursing students to aspire to clinical authority, leadership roles and professional glory. They instill values of compassion, cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence to encourage nursing students to regard their careers as spiritual callings.
As a nursing educator, you will allow more aspirants from culturally diverse backgrounds to enter the profession.
Final Thoughts
The sky is the limit for a DNP nursing leader, as endless career paths are brimming with lucrative opportunities. A Ph.D. program will allow you to excel in your clinical expertise and position yourself as a medical leader. All your limitations and professional constraints will crumble, allowing you to join the ranks of senior and seasoned clinical practitioners. You can steer your career in any direction that aligns with your core ambitions and heart’s calling.
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