AACN Applauds the National Academy of Sciences’ Report
Which Supports
the Practice Doctorate in Nursing and Calls for More Nurse
Scientists
AACN Task Force Releases Draft DNP
Essentials and Hosts Regional Meetings
WASHINGTON, DC, September 12, 2005 –
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
applauds a recent report from the National Academy of
Sciences (NAS) that calls for nursing to develop a “non-research
clinical doctorate” to prepare expert practitioners
who can also serve as clinical faculty. This recommendation
supports AACN’s position statement adopted in October
2004 which recognizes the practice doctorate as the terminal
degree in nursing practice. AACN also supports the recommendations
related to doubling the number of nurse scientists and
increasing the number of productive research years for
nurses prepared in PhD, DNSc and similar doctoral programs.
The NAS report, titled Advancing the
Nation’s Health Needs: NIH Research Training Programs,
is the 12th in a series of congressionally mandated reports
monitoring changing needs for biomedical and behavioral
research personnel in the United States. The chapter on
nursing focuses on the career trajectory for nurse scientists
and includes recommendations for responding to the shortage
of nurse investigators. Though focused on preparing researchers,
the report states that “the need for doctorally prepared
practitioners and clinical faculty would be met if nursing
could develop a new non-research clinical doctorate, similar
to the MD and PharmD in medicine and dentistry.”
The report acknowledges that these programs are already
offered at some nursing
schools.
“The expert panel at the National Academy
of Sciences clearly understands the value of the practice
doctorate and its role in enhancing the productivity of
nurse researchers,” said AACN President Dr. Jean
E. Bartels. “Doctorally-prepared nurse clinicians
are needed to fully implement the emerging science and
practice innovations developed by nurse investigators.”
In its Position Statement on the
Practice Doctorate in Nursing, AACN recommends
moving the current level of preparation necessary for
advanced nursing practice roles from the master's degree
to the doctorate level by the year 2015. Read more about
the movement toward the practice doctorate in nursing
on the Web at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP.
AACN also applauds the NAS report’s
recommendations related to enhancing the nursing research
workforce, including creating a new institutional research
training grant (T32) focused on rapid progression into
nursing research careers, fast-tracking baccalaureate
students into doctoral programs, and expanding the interdisciplinary
scope of research-focused programs. This report was supported
by a grant between the National Academy of Sciences and
the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health
and Human Services. Additional support was provided by
the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. To purchase
a report or to read it online, see http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11275.html.
Draft DNP Program Essentials
Released and Regional Meetings Planned
As part of AACN’s work to support the
development of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs,
a draft version of the DNP Essentials
was released for public review and comment on August
18, 2005. Prepared by AACN’s Task Force on the Essentials
of Nursing Education for the Doctor of Nursing Practice,
this document is the first stage in the development of
curricular expectations that will guide and shape DNP
education. This document is available online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/pdf/Essentials.pdf.
AACN invites practicing nurses, faculty,
employers, graduate students and other stakeholders to
learn more about the national movement toward the DNP
and discuss the draft DNP Essentials at a series of regional
meetings held September 2005 through January 2006. Representatives
from AACN's DNP task forces will share details about their
work and provide forums for attendees to give feedback
and discuss related issues. The following conferences
are scheduled:
· September 14-15, Simmons College,
Boston, MA
· September 29-30, Saint Louis University, St.
Louis, MO
· November 3-4, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
· December 8-9, University of Texas Health Science
Center, Houston, TX
· January 12-13, University of San Diego, San Diego,
CA
For more information about these regional
meetings including an application to register, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/DNP/RegConf.htm.
The American Association of Colleges
of Nursing is the national voice for university and four-year-college
education programs in nursing. Representing more than
585 member schools of nursing at public and private institutions
nationwide, AACN's educational, research, governmental
advocacy, data collection, publications, and other programs
work to establish quality standards for bachelor's- and
graduate-degree nursing education, assist deans and directors
to implement those standards, influence the nursing profession
to improve health care, and promote public support of
baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, research,
and practice. Web site: http://www.aacn.nche.edu.
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