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Doctor
of Nursing Practice Program (DrNP): Essential Facts
Essential
Questions About the the Drexel Doctor of Nursing Practice (DrNP)
I.
What is the new doctoral nursing degree that Drexel is offering?
The Drexel DrNP is a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nursing Science.
II.
What kind of nursing doctorate is this?
The Drexel DrNP is a Clinical Research Doctorate with an increased
focus on clinical nursing practice. Our graduates will be educated
for many diverse career roles and will also be able to engage in
practical, clinically oriented scholarship and research.
III.
Is the Drexel DrNP a practice-doctorate?
Yes, the Drexel DrNP is a doctor of nursing practice degree, but
it is a hybrid. It is modeled after the DrPH (Doctor of Public Health)
and the PsyD (Psychology Doctorate) degrees, but it is an academic
doctorate (similar to the PhD) in that a clinical dissertation is
required.
IV.
Is the Drexel DrNP like the DNP programs that are forming around
the country?
No, the Drexel ‘DrNP’ is not a ‘DNP’. The
DNP is a professional doctorate and it does not require the dissertation.
The Drexel DrNP is a hybrid academic doctorate (instead of a professional
doctorate) and we believe the Drexel DrNP degree will give the graduate
more career options.
V.
What career options am I prepared for if I complete the Drexel DrNP?
The DrNP was primarily designed for students in two tracks: “The
Practitioner Track” for the student who wants to remain in
clinical practice post-graduation and “The Educator Track”
for the student who aspires to a career as a nursing professor,
but who also wants a doctorate more grounded in clinical practice.
Two other tracks are also available: “The Clinical Scientist
Track” for graduates who seek a clinical research career,
particularly in clinical trials management or as a stepping stone
to a postdoctoral research fellowship; or “The Clinical Executive
Track” for graduates who want careers in executive nursing
and health care management, but who still prefer a nursing doctorate
with a connection to clinical practice
VI.
What are the research requirements for the Drexel DrNP?
Although the Drexel DrNP is not as research intensive as the PhD,
all Drexel DrNP students will complete a clinical dissertation that
is similar to the clinical dissertation that students in PsyD (Psychology
Doctorate) programs typically complete. The clinical dissertation
is scholarly and is generally completed in one year. It should substantively
contribute to our growing need for more evidence-based nursing practice
and nursing science knowledge development, but differs both in scope
and in its applied emphasis from the typical PhD dissertation.
VII.
How long will it take to complete the Drexel DrNP?
The Drexel DrNP is designed as a Cohort Program. It can be completed
part-time by continuous year-round enrollment in three years. There
is also an Alternate Cohort Program for students who want to slow
the pace of coursework down (starting in year 2) and this program
can be completed part-time in four years. The DrNP Program requires
a minimum 48 quarter credit hours.
VIII.
Can I complete the Drexel DrNP online?
While the Drexel College of Nursing and Health Professions has many
completely online programs, the DrNP is not offered online. However,
all DrNP classes are conveniently located on the Center City Hahnemann
campus in Philadelphia which is easily accessible by train or Amtrak
at 30th Street Station. DrNP classes are scheduled one day a week
starting at 2:30pm in the afternoon. Further, students may not need
to be on campus continuously in the third year when the clinical
dissertation study is being conducted.
IX.
What makes the Drexel DrNP unique?
First, while our program is the second DrNP in the country, it is
the first clinical research doctor of nursing practice. Our program
has a heavy technology focus and all students are supplied with
high-tech PDAs for use in their two doctoral practica. Our students
will also twice attend an intensive one week residency each summer
where a Clinical Scholar-in-Residence will network with DrNP students.
X.
Why did Drexel decide to develop this unique degree and not the
DNP?
At Drexel, we believe in innovation and our faculty is committed
to clinical practice excellence. We wanted to create a doctoral
degree that would develop clinical scholars who could make a major
impact on nursing practice, but who could also contribute to nursing
science knowledge development. This program was designed for the
working adult who wants a rigorous, reputable doctorate that offers
outstanding career advancement and the skills to engage in practical
clinical scholarship. While we believe the DNP has value, it is
a professional doctorate, and graduates with this degree will likely
not be eligible for tenure-track faculty positions in most universities.
Drexel wanted to prepare our highly educated doctoral graduates
for as many diverse career options as possible.
XI.
Is or will the Drexel DrNP program be accredited?
Traditionally,
research doctoral programs in the United States, including doctoral
programs in nursing (PhD, DNSc, DSN, or DNS) are not accredited.
While the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (the autonomous
accrediting body of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing)
has recently stated they are going to begin to accredit ‘DNP’
programs, the Drexel doctor of nursing practice ‘DrNP’
is not a ‘DNP’ and thus we will not seek accreditation
by them. Our clinical research doctor of nursing practice degree
is a hybrid, part professional-practice and part academic-research
doctorate, and our DrNP degree is a post-master’s option only.
Therefore it is not subject to accreditation by traditional
nursing accrediting bodies. The Drexel DrNP program was approved
by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the degree is the
province of Drexel University. Advanced practice nursing (APN)
licensure and certification at Drexel will remain at the master’s
level where our APN programs are fully accredited by the Commission
on Collegiate Nursing Education and the National League for Nursing
Accrediting Commission.
Note:
On December 1, 2005 the National League for Nursing Accrediting
Commission announced a different position statement on the accreditation
of clinical practice doctorate programs than the Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education http://www.nlnac.org/statementClinPrac.htm
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