DNP vs. PhD: Understanding the Differences in Nursing Degrees - Essay Sample

Introduction

Both DNP and PhD are terminal degrees for nurses that demonstrate that the individual is a clinical expert. The main difference between the two is that a DNP is more focused on clinical practices while a PhD is focused on research (Registered Nursing 2020). For a PhD curriculum, the students are expected to complete a research project as well as a dissertation that may also include teaching, but it does not involve patient care clinical hours. DNP students are to complete a capstone project that consists of identifying an issue currently in the healthcare department and proposing solutions.

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DNP students are committed to a career in practice while PhD are committed to a research career. DNP students are also oriented to improve the outcomes in care while PhD are oriented towards the development of new knowledge and establishment of patterns for productive scholarship. The program outcome for DNP is that it contributes to improvement in healthcare through direct services while PhD seeks to encourage research contributions and products that are the foundation for advancement in nursing science. Generally, DNP prepares nurses for roles in high-level practice while PhD prepares nurse researchers whose content is retrieved from theories.

How the Roles Complement one another

Nurses in both programs of DNP and PhD hold distinct skillsets, yet they are very complementary. The roles complement each other because there is a need to put research into practice. In healthcare institutions, nurses apply research findings in practice in ways referred to as evidence-based practices together with clinical expertise and values to guide processes of decision-making (Trautman et al., 2018). The PhD students develop the evidence that they share through publication and presentation, and the DNP students put it into practice.

The best evidence that the nurses incorporate include that from randomized controlled trials, evidence from scientific methods as well as information from case reports and opinions of experts. The PhD nurse conducts the controlled trials that show how a condition like heart failure can be prevented by modifying one's lifestyle, and the DNP nurses develop the research and implement it at the practice level in that they encourage the patient to change their lifestyle and monitor the outcomes (Trautman et al., 2018). The DNP nurse also plays the role of following the patient to determine whether there have been any positive impacts of the intervention. Generally, the PhD nurse develops the evidence while the DNP nurse applies it in the nursing practices.

How the Roles could add value in addressing a Practice Problem

The roles of PhD and DNP nurses can add value in addressing a practice problem in a clinic setting by maximizing care of patients and their families. The nursing practices are guided by evidence from the scientists who, in this case, are the PhD nurses. However, it is in conjunction with the DNP expertise who address issues by incorporating patient values and needs into the plan for care (Eaton et al., 2017). This way, the DNP nurse becomes the end-user of the evidence provided by PhD nurses, and thus all the roles are necessary for nurses to adopt evidence, implement it as well as institutionalize it as protocol. Generally, the nurses have adequate training, education, and also practice expertise that they use to address the practice problem in a clinical setting and embrace activities that improve patient care.

References

Eaton, L. H., Gordon, D. B., & Doorenbos, A. Z. (2017). Innovation in learning: PhD and DNP student collaborations. Journal of Nursing Education, 56(9), 556-559. https://www.healio.com/nursing/journals/jne/2017-9-56-9/%7B16e63db0-02d1-4178-a881-63705dc4311e%7D/innovation-in-learning-phd-and-dnp-student-collaborations?platform=hootsuite

Registered Nursing, (2020). What's the difference between a PhD and DNP in nursing? Registered Nursing. ORG. https://www.registerednursing.org/answers/difference-phd-dnp-nursing/#:~:text=The%20main%20difference%20is%20that,a%20PhD%20is%20research%2Dfocused.&text=Additionally%2C%20the%20DNP%20program%20has,curriculum%20is%20more%20research%2Dbased.

Trautman, D. E., Idzik, S., Hammersla, M., & Rosseter, R. (2018). Advancing scholarship through translational research: The role of PhD and DNP prepared nurses. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(2). http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-23-2018/No2-May-2018/Advancing-Scholarship-through-Translational-Research.html