Discussion Post: Professional Development in Nursing
Nursing practitioners are often required to go through divergent education programs to attain their certifications. The first education program is the Doctor of Nursing practice (DNP) which is a degree pursued by experienced nurses who want to advance their clinical practice. The second program is the Ph.D. program which prepares nursing scientists on how they can develop nursing knowledge. The main difference between the two is that the former does not require a mentored teaching experience, while the latter prompts the nurses to undergo mentorship to design, develop and research various topics (Krippaehne, 2021). The second difference is that the DNP program requires a capstone project which is focused on accentuating clinical practice, while the Ph.D. program calls for the development of a dissertation. The dissertation requires the practitioner to disseminate and defend the gathered research information. The third difference is that the DNP program takes between 1 to 3 years to complete, while the Ph.D. program can last between 4 and 5 years. The fourth difference is that the Ph.D. is rooted in science and theory, which helps the nurses gain the requisite skills needed to formulate the research dissertation. The DNP conversely focuses on clinical practice and applied learning (Moskowitz, 2019). Personally, I will choose the DNP program because it will help me understand the clinical practice and how I can apply various theories in the practice setting. Furthermore, it will help me learn how to become a good leader.
Sources must be published within the last 5 years.
Discuss the difference between a DNP and a PhD in nursing. Discuss which of these you would choose to pursue if you decide to continue your education to the doctoral level and explain why.
The response should include a reference list. Using one-inch margins, Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space and APA style of writing and citations.