There are a lot of credentials out there to be earned. An interesting article in the Philadelphia Inquirer highlights some of the issues surrounding different degrees for the advanced-practice nurse. Specifically, it explores the new trend of advanced-practice nurses earning a doctor of nursing practice degree (NPD). Enrollment in NPD programs have risen from 70 in 2002 to more than 5,000 last year, according to the Inquirer.

To be clear, NPDs are not the same as a Ph.D., which is more research-focused. They belong to the category of practice, professional, or applied doctorate (a physician’s doctorate is also this kind of degree). The article weighs in certain questions regarding this trend:

• Does this confuse the patient population to a dangerous degree? Or does it give advanced practice nurses the respect and autonomy they need?
• Is it a bad time to demand more training of nurses who provide primary care?
• Will fewer nurses become nurse practitioners if they feel an NPD is required?
• Will NPD programs lure nurses who would otherwise receive a Ph.D. in a time when nursing faculty–who usually have a Ph.D. –are in short supply?
• Is NPD the next step in a more complex system of care?

What do you think of NPD programs? Do you have one? How does it benefit you? Share your thought below.