Difference between a DNP and a PhD in Nursing

According to May (2020), a Doctor of Nursing Practice is a doctorate that is pursued by the already experienced nurse practitioner who aims at moving to a given leadership position or just advancing their clinical practice. Thus, a DNP is designed to aid in various advanced nursing practices since the main objective is to improve the health care outcome in different medical settings (Woroch, 2021). It also prepares nurses to work in a given clinical environment, mostly as the leaders of an interdisciplinary health team, because it is based on nursing practices.
On the other hand, a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) is a nursing program whose main focus is research, and it's designed to help advance the science and explanation that direct various nursing practices. Unlike DNP in nursing, which prepares professionals to work in a clinical environment, it equips nurses with the necessary skills to conduct research (Rivaz et al., 2021). Additionally, unlike a DNP, a PhD in nursing mainly entails mentored teaching experience as the students begin teaching in their second year.