It is difficult to overestimate the meaning of education for people’s professional success in many spheres, and nursing is no exception. Advanced educational degrees are needed to enhance the level of expertise and experience necessary for becoming an essential element of the health care industry. Nowadays, there are two terminal degrees for nurses – a Ph.D. (a Doctor of Philosophy in nursing) and a DNP (a Doctor of Nursing Practice). There is a difference between the two, and a choice of a specific education pathway depends on nurses’ preferences.
DNP and Ph.D. Explained
Even though these are both doctoral degrees in nursing, they are not the same. The main difference is represented by the fact that the Ph.D. is “a research-focused doctorate,” while the DNP is “a practice-focused doctorate” (Smith, 2015, p. 20). Thus, the Ph.D. prepares nurses to accumulate knowledge and share it with others, while the main task of the DNP is to train specialists who will be excellent at practice and health care delivery. In this case, the two phenomena represent the opposite sides of nursing, and it is impossible to state unequivocally which one of them is more important. The choice of a doctoral degree depends on a nurse and their understanding of which pathway to follow. As far as my opinion is concerned, I would choose a Ph.D. because of its attention to science. It seems to me that research is a bit more essential in medicine because scientists guide practitioners in what to do.
Conclusion
The two doctoral degrees are possible variants for those nurses who want to continue their education. Even though they are different, it is impossible to determine which one is better or more useful. If a person is thinking which pathway to choose, they should base this decision on their preferences, skills, and abilities. In every instance, any of these degrees will mean that a person is experienced, educated, and aimed at helping others.
References
Smith, L. S. (2015). Choosing a pathway: PhD or DNP? Nursing, 45(8), 20-24.