The Doctor of Nursing Practice: Looking Back, Moving Forward

In 2004, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) began what promises to be at least a decade-long conversation about advanced practice nursing education, when they adopted the position to move the current level of preparation necessary for advanced nursing practice roles from the master's degree to the doctoral level by the year 2015. This conversation and subsequent resolutions to adopt the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) credential as the required terminal practice doctorate are at the center of discussions about nursing education throughout the nation. This article provides an overview of the development of doctoral education in nursing, reviews the literature that outlines the rationale for the degree, reviews the benefits and risks of a new doctoral degree for advanced practice nursing, and proposes suggestions for moving forward.