The role of a nurse with a practice doctorate is multifaceted and significantly different from that of a nurse with a research doctorate
The DNP-Prepared nurse’s role
The role of a nurse with a practice doctorate is multifaceted and significantly different from that of a nurse with a research doctorate. As a DNP-prepared nurse, you may serve as a clinical nurse educator, a policy and legislation advocate, an organization leader, or an advanced practice nurse responsible for tracking, installing, and monitoring initiatives aimed at improving nursing and healthcare delivery.
Which role(s) are you most excited about? What do you hope to accomplish as a DNP-prepared nurse? Regardless of what the future holds for you, your Walden DNP program will help you develop the knowledge and skills necessary to enact these roles.
To prepare:
- Review this Week’s Learning Resources, paying special attention to the degree requirements for completing the Walden DNP and AACN’s The Essentials.
- Reflect on your personal motivations and goals in pursuing the DNP degree.
- Consider the expectations and role of a nurse with a practice doctorate and how they may differ from that of a nurse with a research doctorate.
- Reflect on any previous experiences you have had in addressing a gap in practice or a practice change within an organization.
- Consider what it means, as a DNP-prepared nurse, to address an organization’s quality improvement needs by attending to a gap in practice or implementing a practice change.
By Day 3 of Week 3
Post the following:
- A brief explanation of your personal motivations and goals in pursuing the DNP degree.
- A description of the expectations and role of a nurse with a practice doctorate and how they may differ from those of a nurse with a research doctorate.
- A description of how, as a DNP-prepared nurse, you hope to address an organization’s quality improvement needs by attending to a gap in practice or implementing a practice change. Include any previous experiences you have had in addressing a gap in practice or a practice change within an organization.
Note: Your posts should be a substantial (500 words minimum), supported with scholarly evidence from your research and/or the Learning Resources, and properly cited using APA Style. Personal anecdotes are acceptable as part of a meaningful post but cannot stand alone as the entire post.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ posts.
Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the Reply button to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click on Post Reply, you cannot delete or edit your own posts and you cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking on Post Reply!
By Day 6 of Week 3
Respond to at least two of your classmates, on different days, by offering one of the following:
- An additional expectation or role of a DNP-prepared nurse that they did not mention
- An additional difference between the expectations and role of a practice nurse and a research nurse that they did not mention
Note: Your responses to classmates should be substantial (250 words minimum), supported with scholarly evidence from your research and/or the Learning Resources, and properly cited using APA Style. Personal anecdotes are acceptable as part of a meaningful response, but cannot stand alone as a response. Your responses should enrich the initial post by supporting and/or offering a fresh viewpoint, and be constructive, thereby enhancing the learning experience for all students.
* Additionally, you must respond to your professor if they ask a question or comment on your post.
Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights that you have gained because of your classmates’ comments.
Learning Resources
Required Readings
- Bissett, K., Ascenzi, J., & Whalen, M. (2025). Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice for nurses and healthcare professionals: Model and guidelines (5th ed.). Sigma Theta Tau International.
- Chapter 2, “The Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice (JHEBP) Model for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) Process Overview” (pp. 16–37)
- Chapter 3, “The Practice Question Phase: The Problem” (pp. 42–52)
- Chapter 4, “Practice Question Phase: The EBP Question” (pp. 54–62)
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education
- Links to an external site.. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Publications/Essentials-2021.pdf
- Beeber, A. S., Palmer, C., Waldrop, J., Lynn, M. R., & Jones, C. B. (2019). The role of doctor of nursing practice-prepared nurses in practice settings
- Links to an external site.. Nursing Outlook, 67(4), 354–364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2019.02.006
- Johansen, M. L. (2023). The value of a DNP degree.
- Links to an external site. Nursing Management (Springhouse), 54(1), 56. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NUMA.0000905020.79954.e6
- Kesten, K., Beebe, S., Conrad, D., Corrigan, C., Manderscheid, A., Moran, K., & Niederer, M. (2023). Alignment of DNP degree competencies with employer perspectives: The value of academic practice partnerships
- Links to an external site.. Journal of Professional Nursing, 48, 112–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2023.07.003
- Kesten, K., Beebe, S. L., Moran, K., Conrad, D., Manderscheid, A., Pohl, E., Burson, R., & Corrigan, C. (2022). Practice scholarship satisfaction and impact as perceived by DNP-prepared nurses
- Links to an external site.. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 34(5), 722-730–730. https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000707
- Melander, S., Hampton, D., & Rayens, M. K. (2023). Celebrating over 20 years: Outcomes from the first doctor of nursing practice program
- Links to an external site.. Journal of Professional Nursing, 48, 186–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2023.07.011
- Prado-Inzerillo, M., Rivera, R. R., & Fitzpatrick, J. J. (2023). Academic-practice partnership for Doctor of Nursing practice in a large medical center
- Links to an external site.. Nurse Leader, 21(3), 366–369. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2023.02.004
- Thornton, C. P., Haut, C., Yefimova, M., Gettis, M. A., Calamaro, C., Ginsberg, J. S., & McCabe, M. A. (2024). Student-led Doctor of Nursing practice projects in the clinical environment: Viewpoint from hospital-based nurse scientists and leaders
- Links to an external site.. Nursing Outlook, 72(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102239
- Walden University. (n.d.). Doctor of nursing practice
- Links to an external site.. https://academics.waldenu.edu/catalog/nursing/doctor/nursing-practice
Note: Be sure to familiarize yourself with the degree requirements for completing the DNP at Walden. - Walden University. (n.d.). Doctor of nursing practice (DNP) practicum manual
- Links to an external site..
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/dnp-practicum-manual - Walden University Office of Research and Doctoral Studies. (n.d.). DNP capstone resources NURS 8702 and NURS 8703
Links to an external site.. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/research-center/program-documents/dnp-8702-8703
Note: Check this website for the latest version of the DNP Project Process Guide.
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