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DNP vs. NP: What’s the Difference?

April 28, 2021 by Cindy Blye

The difference between DNP and NP is much more than just one letter.

A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a terminal educational degree, while a nurse practitioner (NP) is a professional role and job title. Nurse practitioners can be prepared at the master’s level or earn a DNP degree.

As you explore advancing your nursing career, you may be comparing DNP vs master’s NP programs. Below, we share more information about the differences between DNP and NP, and how each path may align with your professional goals.

The Difference Between DNP and NP

Let’s first look at how these nursing acronyms stand on their own.

What is a DNP?

A DNP degree program prepares nurses for not only advanced clinical practice roles, but also for leadership roles in healthcare organizations.

A DNP degree is on par with a Doctor of Philosophy, or Ph.D. degree in nursing, but focuses on nursing practice rather than research. Instead of conducting nursing research or teaching at the college level, a DNP-prepared nurse might provide direct patient care, provide clinical training for nurses and NP students, serve on a hospital board or in a nursing administrative position or work on emerging health policies.

The DNP degree requires coursework focused not only on more advanced clinical practice skills, but on high-level organizational skills, such as leadership, program management, healthcare administration, and health policy.

A nurse who holds a DNP degree has reached the pinnacle of the nursing practice-based educational ladder, placing them on equal ground with other healthcare providers that hold doctorate degrees, such as pharmacists, physical therapists and psychologists.

What is an NP?

A nurse practitioner (NP) is the title bestowed upon a nurse who has earned a master’s degree and completed additional clinical training that qualifies them to become certified in one or more specialties.

An NP is one of four Advanced Practice Registered Nurse roles. These roles – which also include Certified Nurse-Midwife, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and Clinical Nurse Specialist — require a nurse to hold at least a master’s degree with additional clinical training beyond the requirement for their RN license.

NPs must be certified by an accredited certification body. While nurse practitioners can choose from multiple certifications and practice areas, including gerontology, neonatology and oncology, 88.9% of NPs choose family, or primary, care as their focused area of practice.

For this reason, many nurse practitioners will specialize their education by earning a MSN - Family Nurse Practitioner degree.

Should I Attend an FNP or DNP Program?

As you explore DNP vs. FNP programs, consider your future professional goals.

Attending a Family Nurse Practitioner program prepares you to take your nursing practice to the next level, with more autonomy – from independently diagnosing and managing patients, to prescribing medications independently.

A DNP degree can open the door to other opportunities within a healthcare organization, such as positions in healthcare administration, heading a nursing department or as a clinical nurse faculty member.

Here’s a further comparison of attributes of Chamberlain’s MSN FNP vs. DNP programs to help guide your exploration of DNP vs FNP programs:

	DNP	MSN FNP
Education Required for Admission	Master’s degree in nursing or higher Full admission requirements	Bachelor’s degree in nursing or higher Full admission requirements
Length of Study	As few as 6 semesters, or 2 years	As few as 8 semesters, or 2.5 years
Career Fields	Clinical, leadership, clinical faculty, administrative, health policy, program management	Clinical – multiple specialty and subspecialty areas, clinical-based research
Certification Exam Required	No	Yes

DNP vs. NP FAQs

Is a DNP the same as a nurse practitioner?

No, a DNP is a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and a nurse practitioner (NP) is the title bestowed on a nurse who has at least an MSN degree and has completed the nurse practitioner clinical and didactic requirements.

What’s the difference between DNP and FNP?

Comparing DNP vs. FNP is like comparing DNP vs. NP. An FNP is a family nurse practitioner or an NP who provides patient care in a family practice setting, treating all ages from birth to death. A DNP is a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.

Is a doctorate required for nurse practitioners?

No, a doctorate is not required for nurse practitioners at this time. However, several nursing organizations, including the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) support a movement to require a DNP degree as the entry-level education requirement for APRNs. The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) wrote a position paper in 2018 calling for all new NPs to be educated at the doctorate level by 2025.

Which is higher, NP or DNP?

One is not higher than the other, as it’s comparing an educational degree to a certification. An NP is a master’s- or doctorate-prepared nurse that is certified and licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse. A DNP is a higher-education degree. An NP can earn a DNP degree, but a DNP-prepared nurse does not have to be an NP.

What can a DNP do that an NP cannot?

A DNP-prepared nurse has a deep knowledge of evidence-based care and the ability to apply this knowledge in practice. A nurse with a DNP degree can influence healthcare policies, take on administrative roles and provide clinical education for nursing programs. An NP without a DNP degree has not reached a terminal educational level that might be required for some roles.