The world relies on registered nurses, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists (CNS), and nurse researchers for care and new treatment plans. If you’re wondering how to become an RN in North Carolina or a CNS in Virginia, the answer is that it takes a lot of work. That’s especially true for young nurses looking to pursue advanced degrees, like Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees.
Such advanced degrees open the door to new opportunities within healthcare. Not only can you get job titles that would otherwise be unavailable, but you can also make a bigger difference. That’s because holding an advanced degree typically means that you play a bigger role in what goes on at your healthcare facility.
Even still, some people may not realize how much advanced degrees like DNPs and PhDs affect healthcare overall. Follow along as we highlight what DNPs and PhDs bring to modern healthcare.
Terminal Degrees Create Extraordinary Medical Professionals
Working in the medical field in any capacity means that you must have plenty of drive, discipline, and intelligence. That said, many people take the extra step and go the extra mile to earn terminal, or advanced, degrees to broaden their horizons. This is especially true for aspiring nurses and doctors who want specialized job titles, such as nurse practitioner.
Many driven nurses pursue a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree. Both DNPs and PhDs are reputable and desirable, but they ultimately have different outcomes.
While anyone can appreciate the effort it takes to earn advanced medical degrees, it’s sometimes hard to grasp the weight of doing so. Nurses with DNPs or PhDs affect modern healthcare in more ways than some may know, such as:
1. Provide New Insights
Having a PhD as a nurse typically opens the door to a more research-oriented role in the medical field. Naturally, research is essential, and nurses with PhDs can provide new medical insights that help countless people. This won’t happen overnight, but the process of earning a PhD can prepare a nurse for what it takes to conduct meaningful research.
What better way to affect modern healthcare than to research current health conditions, viruses, and medications? Doing so can save lives, as PhD nurses can conduct research and test new treatment plans and medications. In many cases, this research can include environmental, biological, social, and age-related medical factors.
2. Offer Advanced Care
The biggest difference in the DNP vs PhD debate is that DNP nurses primarily focus on clinical care. Many nurses with DNP degrees become nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists. Both job titles involve nurses working closely with patients, as opposed to the often research-focused positions that PhD nurses typically hold.
For example, nurse practitioners ultimately perform many of the same tasks as doctors. They can diagnose conditions, create treatment plans, and prescribe medication to patients. However, nurse practitioners also offer unique perspectives, given their different paths into the medical field.
Clinical nurse specialists work closely with many other medical professionals. Research is a big part of what they do, but their consulting work can impact patient care and outcomes. Both roles are essential to modern healthcare.
3. Serve as Leaders
Many people outside of the medical world don’t think about healthcare leadership. However, healthcare leaders affect everyday patients as much as they affect nurses and other medical staff. Nurse leaders set the tone for the nurses who work under them.
They ultimately play big roles in patient care and what goes on behind the scenes. Nurse leaders also train new nurses and often determine their schedules. A DNP isn’t necessarily required for every nursing leadership role, but it certainly helps.
Having a DNP can prepare you for a great nursing leadership career because of what the curriculum entails. Policy is a big part of DNP programs, which you must understand well to become a great nurse leader. DNP nurses can effectively set the tone for the nurses who work under them, which will affect each patient under their care.
4. Shape the Next Generation
Nursing school serves as a feeder system for the next generation of talented, driven, and essential nurses. Many nursing school teachers are nurses who have earned advanced degrees, such as PhDs. PhD nurses have plenty of academic and clinical experience, which they can share with aspiring nurses.
Many of them work as teachers, whereas others develop curricula for nursing schools all over the world. Shaping the curriculum can effectively determine how countless future nurses learn and absorb new information. This is a tough job, as you must offer invaluable information in a way that young adults can retain.
Teachers and curriculum developers alike have a lot of responsibility and cannot take that lightly. However, anyone who has ever received clinical care owes it to these driven nurses. Nursing curriculum constantly evolves, and so do the nurses who come out of school.
Changing Healthcare Through Terminal Degrees
Working in healthcare is something to be applauded, whether you have a bachelor’s degree or a PhD. No matter what your degree is, it shows that you’re selfless and want to help others. That said, some people want to take it a step further, continue their schooling, and have a bigger effect on healthcare.
In that case, it’s worth pursuing a DNP or PhD degree to see how far you can take your skills and passion. A PhD may appeal more to people who want to dedicate their skills to conducting research and making it practically applicable. However, a DNP degree may appeal more to nurses who want to move into higher positions, like a nurse practitioner.
Whether you become an educator, curriculum developer, or nurse practitioner, you will benefit countless people. Drive and compassion are the two biggest traits that it takes to earn an advanced nursing degree. No matter which path you choose, you can make a big difference with a terminal degree.
