Currently, the MSN remains the minimum educational standard for advanced practice nursing roles. However, many nurses choose to look beyond the MSN in an effort to meet the increasing demands of patients, improve the quality and outcomes of care, and achieve senior-level leadership positions in clinical care and nursing systems. Doctoral-trained nurses earn higher salaries and enjoy more opportunities for advancement; assuring that academic achievement and specialized expertise align with better pay. Salaries for DNP nurses continue to outpace MSN nurse salaries, which motivates many nurses to earn the DNP. A 2018 salary survey by Advance Healthcare Network revealed that DNP-prepared nurse practitioners earned nearly $8,000 more than their master’s prepared counterparts. The goal of the DNP is to integrate nursing science with biophysical, psychosocial, organizational, and analytical sciences. Therefore, DNP nurses are able to use science-based theories to better understand the nature of health and healthcare delivery and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. The DNP expands on the MSN concepts, providing an education that focuses on:
- Scholarship in the practice setting
- Innovation and testing of care delivery models
- Practice improvement
- Examination of healthcare outcomes
- Proficiency in establishing clinical excellence
- Practice management
- Quality improvement strategies
- Cost measurement strategies
- Risk management strategies
- Translate research into practice
- Evaluate and analyze practice data
- Improve the reliability of healthcare practice and outcomes
- Participate in research
- Use information systems to support and improve patient care, quality, and system organization
- Design, influence, and implement healthcare policy options
- Assess illnesses
- Design and implement interventions based on nursing science
- Demonstrate advanced levels of clinical judgment and evidence-based care
