Today, I attended a nursing curriculum meeting, and we discussed how the DNP program proposal is progressing. There will be 30 credits in the core of the program, and students will choose a concentration in Mental Health, Management, Education, or Gerontology.
We have been funded for two full-time doctoral faculty, but we are concerned if we will be able to find doctoral prepared faculty who are willing to relocate to northeastern PA. Since the program will be online, it was questioned if the faculty member would be required to move to PA and that answer is undecided.
The syllabuses have been sent for approval to the University curriculum department and the Department of Education. We are planning to start this program online in the fall of 2008, and we need a cohort of 20 to 30 students. Since it is mid October, I was wondering if it will be difficult to recruit these many students. I do not know how long it will take for the University and Department of Education to approve the program. In addition, we will need time for advertising, submitting of applications, and interviewing prospective students.
It was discussed that the DNP programs are “taking off” on the East coast, and the West Coast are not as interested in the program. I was wondering why? Also, some universities are allowing faculty with a DNP program to obtain tenure and others are not. I personally feel that a faculty member with a DNP should not receive tenure because the amount of credits in a DNP program is considerably less than a Ph.D. degree. The Ph.D. degree is a research degree and the DNP is a practice degree, and research skills are needed by nursing faculty.
Another point that was mentioned is that the University cannot guarantee the job market for our DNP graduates. One faculty member commented that she does not believe that hospitals will pay nurses for the DNP degree. I question why there is such a “push” for the DNP degree. I realize that nurses need the terminal degree to be competititive with other professions, e.g., pharmacy, physical therapy, etc., but will the employers be willing to pay for this degree? The University that I teach at is a private school. Students will be paying a great deal of money for their tuition, and they will not be guaranteed a job that will pay for this level of degree. I realize that the DNP degree will be required in 2015. At that point, will employers start paying nurses more money for the degree?
I have mixed feelings about the DNP program. In my Exploring Scholarship class, we had to debate the DNP program, and I was on the con side. I really haven’t change my opinion regarding this program, and it has been over a year since I have taken that class.
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I have an EdD, and find myself positioned somewhere in the middle of the two groups: an interesting vantage point to observe the tensions. The tension between the two groups is palpable.
The EdD is considered a practice degree, but it's the primary educational doctorate for teachers (distinct from administration, etc) and usually includes a pretty heavy research focus. Of those nurses who understand what an EdD degree is, the PhDs relate to me because of my research background and DNPs relate to me because of my practical teaching focus.
Accordingly, I find that practically trained nurses tend to disdain theoretically trained nurses for having lost touch with practice and theoretically trained nurses seem to view the practically trained nurses as being mired in practice. I find myself wondering whether the DNP movement is about competing with other professions or if it's really about competing with nurses who have theoretical degrees. I hope it works out well, but I can already see some real problems brewing on the horizon.
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