Assignment Instructions
Discuss the difference between a DNP and a PhD in nursing. Select a role requiring either a DNP or a PhD in nursing, and explain how this role functions within an interdisciplinary healthcare setting (clinical or non-clinical).
Sample Answer
Discuss the difference between a DNP and a PhD in nursing.
DNP and PhD nursing are different in terms of focus. DNP prepares nurses to work in the clinical setting and as leaders in interdisciplinary health teams. Their coursework reflects on the formulation of evidence-based solutions to provide high-quality patient care. On the other hand, nurses who are PhD-prepared are researchers. These nurses pioneer major changes in research that are implemented by DNPs (Trumble, n.d.). For a nurse to get a PhD, they must complete a dissertation project. A dissertation is a long piece of academic writing that is based on original research. On the other hand, DNP nurses must complete a capstone project that tests their ability to apply the existing knowledge in real time. The other difference between the two lies in the time taken for completion. On average, a BSN-to-PhD degree takes between five to seven years to complete and a BSN-to-DNP route takes three to four years to complete (Trumble, n.d.).
Select a role requiring either a DNP or a PhD in nursing, and explain how this role functions within an interdisciplinary healthcare setting (clinical or non-clinical).
One of the roles that require a Ph.D. in nursing is a nurse researcher. Nurse researchers research the different aspects of health, illness, and care provision. These researchers work with government agencies, non-profit organizations, research firms, and health institutions such as colleges and universities. In the interdisciplinary care setting, nurse researchers work in collaboration with other researchers, health administrators, and clinicians to design and implement research studies, identify research questions, and disseminate research findings (Negarandeh & Khoshkesht, 2022). An example of research led by nursing researchers is the effectiveness on the effectiveness of alternating air pressure mattresses in preventing pressure ulcers. In this research, the nursing researcher's responsibilities will be; designing the research study, collecting data, data analysis, and results interpretation. The role of the clinicians is to implement the pressure ulcers intervention and other researchers will analyze data and interpret results. On the other hand, healthcare administrators provide resources for study execution and facilitate the application of the research findings.
References
Negarandeh, R., & Khoshkesht, S. (2022). Expected roles of PhD graduated nurses: a scoping review. Florence Nightingale journal of nursing, 30(2), 202. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9449742/
Trumble, P. (n.d.). DNP VS. Ph.D. - 12 Key Differences Between DNP And Ph.D. In Nursing. Nursingprocess.org. https://www.nursingprocess.org/dnp-vs-phd.html