Over the past decade, leading health care organizations have recommended doubling the number of doctorally prepared nurses to meet the future demands of health care. In 2018, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties committed to move all nurse practitioner degree programs to the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree by 2025. As more and more doctorally prepared nurses enter the workforce, other nurses are considering returning to school for a terminal degree. This column will review options for doctoral education in nursing and the strength, focus, and program requirements for PhD and DNP degrees.
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