Since the AACN’s 2004 recommendation to move the minimum educational standard for initical certificaion and licensure in each of the four advanced practice registered nursing roles (nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwife) from the master’s degree to the doctoral degree, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (the accrediting arm of the AACN) expanded its accreditation offerings to include DNP programs, citing research and trends in healthcare delivery and health professional education as the impetus for this change. Just a few of the major drivers leading to the DNP policy included:

• Research showing a clear link between more advanced levels of nursing education and patient outcomes
• Increased complexities surrounding patient care
• National concerns about the quality of care and patient safety
• Shortages of doctoral-prepared faculty
• The doctoral-level education requirement for other professions, such as pharmacy (PharmD), physical therapy (DPT), and audiology (AuD), among others

The DNP integrates seamlessly into healthcare reform and its focus on the “triple aim” of:

• Reducing costs
• Achieving better population health
• Realizing improved patient experiences

The DNP plays an important role in education, mentorship, and leadership. DNPs are advocates, problem solvers, and role models. Increasing the number of DNP nurses can also translate into more nursing faculty available to train additional nurses at the bachelor’s level.