A Comparison of DNP and PhD Nursing Doctoral Degrees

This report provides a comparative analysis of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) degrees. The author explores the key differences between the two doctoral programs, emphasizing their distinct focuses and career implications. The DNP is highlighted for its emphasis on real-world clinical practice, making it suitable for nurses aspiring to advanced clinical roles like nurse practitioners. Conversely, the PhD is presented as ideal for those interested in clinical research, healthcare policy, and patient outcome improvement. The author expresses a preference for the DNP, aligning with their career goal of becoming a nurse practitioner. The report concludes by underscoring the importance of choosing a doctoral program that aligns with one's career aspirations, providing a concise overview of the contrasting aspects of DNP and PhD programs and their relevance to nursing careers.

Running head: DOCTORAL LEVEL DEGREES IN NURSING
DOCTORAL LEVEL DEGREES IN NURSING
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1DOCTORAL LEVEL DEGREES IN NURSING
Introduction
Both degrees of Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Doctorate of Philosophy in
Nursing (PHD) demonstrate significant expertise and experience when possessed by a nurse.
However, both degrees are different based on one’s career objectives and expectations
(Trautman et al., 2018). The following paper will briefly discuss on the key difference between
these two terminal nursing degrees.
Discussion
A DNP degree in nursing instills greater emphasis on practicing across real life, clinical
environments rather than research. Nurses who have completed their post graduate degree in
nursing, such as a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN), and who wish to practice in advanced
level clinical role such as a nurse midwife or a nurse practitioner, would benefit from pursuing a
DNP degree (Staffileno, Murphy & Carlson, 2017) For degree completion, a nurse pursing a
DNP degree would have to engage in an extensively practical based curriculum comprising of
developing capstone project papers where a healthcare problem and is associated evidence based
interventions will be explored. In contrast, a PHD degree is degree due to its extensive focus on
research. Post graduate nurses wishing to pursue a career of clinical research applications for
patient outcome improvement such as development of healthcare policies and care procedures
would benefit immensely from a PHD program (Trautman et al., 2018).
If provided with the opportunity to pursue doctoral level education, I would wish to
pursue a DNP degree. This is because of my interest to purse a nurse practitioner career in the
future – a role which requires nurses to autonomously diagnose, prescribe and treat patient health

2DOCTORAL LEVEL DEGREES IN NURSING
concerns. Pursuing a DNP would provide me adequate clinical practice experience required for
this career.
Conclusion
Thus, the given paper provides a brief discussion on the key differences between a DNP
and a PHD degree in nursing. To conclude, while degrees carry significant credibility, a nurse
must wisely choose to pursue any one based on his or her career expectations.

3DOCTORAL LEVEL DEGREES IN NURSING
References
Staffileno, B. A., Murphy, M. P., & Carlson, E. (2017). Determinants for effective collaboration
among DNP-and PhD-prepared faculty. Nursing outlook, 65(1), 94-102.
Trautman, D. E., Idzik, S., Hammersla, M., & Rosseter, R. (2018). Advancing scholarship
through translational research: The role of PhD and DNP prepared nurses. Online
Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(2).