When nurses want to specialize in their career or step into a more advanced role, earning a graduate-level nursing degree can be a logical next step. Nurses with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree obtain state-of-the-art medical skills and learn about the logistics and policies surrounding best practices in the healthcare industry.
In this article, you’ll learn what to expect from a DNP program and how a DNP prepares you to become a strong leader in your nursing department. You’ll also explore how the online Doctor of Nursing Practice – General program at Arkansas State University (A-State) can lead to nursing career pathways that align with your goals.
How Does a DNP Expand Your Nursing Career?
As modern healthcare advances, driven by medical and technological progress, the demand for skilled and experienced healthcare professionals increases. This includes advanced practice registered nurses (APRN), nurses who have earned graduate degrees beyond a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and have become nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and professionals with other advanced nursing specializations. In fact, many of these professions are expected to grow by 35% through 2034, making APRNs one of the most in-demand careers in the industry.
These nursing professionals made a median salary of $132,050 in 2024, and nurse practitioners made as much as $165,240 in the same year. According to ZipRecruiter, nurses with DNP degrees earn an average annual salary of $117,859, while the top percentile of DNP-holders earn $185,000. When compared to $93,600, the median salary of registered nurses in the same time period, that’s a significant potential increase in salary when advancing from a BSN to a DNP.
What Will You Learn in a DNP Program?
A-State’s DNP program builds on the foundations learned in a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, which is a requirement for admittance to A-State’s DNP program. In a DNP program, nurses work in both coursework and clinical settings to learn the responsibilities of a DNP nurse. DNP programs strive to teach their students advanced clinical knowledge in evidence-based practice, research translation, up-to-date care delivery models and the fundamental skills needed to fill DNP nursing leadership roles.
Students also discover how DNP nurses lead public health improvements and master one of the most important skills in any medical profession: nursing communication skills that help them collaborate with physicians, patients and patients’ families to optimize the care process. They’ll participate in clinical practicums for real-world applications, all while applying new skills to their everyday nursing career.
Steps to Earning a DNP After a BSN
Going from a BSN to a DNP program involves several steps related to both your current nursing practice and your nursing education. They include the following:
- Earning and maintaining an RN licensure
- Working as a nurse to gain the needed experience for an MSN program
- Applying for an MSN (either a general concentration or your desired concentration)
- Completing an MSN program and mastering skills like nursing administration, leadership and state-of-the-art delivery care models
- Working as a nurse in a specialized role with an MSN, and accumulating the minimum entry-level practice hours (usually around 1,000 hours) for a DNP program
- Applying to a high-quality, accredited degree program, like A-State’s online DNP program, and acquiring high-level knowledge in policy, patient and nursing education, and health systems management
After graduating with the required credit and clinical hours from your program, you can obtain licensure for your desired nursing career path, usually from administrative bodies like the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB).
What Are the Career Opportunities With a DNP?
Earning a DNP allows nurses to explore and advance in many different medical careers. Typical roles held by nurses with a DNP include:
- Clinical director
- Nursing director
- Nursing educators and administrators
- Healthcare policy advisor
- Hospital administrator
- Chief nursing officer
Most of these nursing positions are located in settings like hospitals, emergency rooms, mental health wards, retirement homes, hospice centers, family practice clinics and home health services. However, many DNP positions are versatile enough to work in locations like schools, correctional facilities, community health centers and substance abuse treatment centers.
Inside A-State’s Online DNP Program
When you earn a DNP degree through A-State’s online program, you’ll graduate with superior clinical skills and advanced nursing knowledge, ready to face any DNP position and nursing specialization available. The program combines foundational understanding with expert-level challenges, both theoretical and practical, an examination of population-specific health needs, leadership skills in the nursing industry, and a study of ethical healthcare concerns. You’ll learn to implement quality improvement projects, translate research findings to enhance patient outcomes, and develop solutions to organizational gaps in the patient experience and effectiveness of care.
With a flexible online schedule that accommodates a nurse’s existing work schedule, a supportive and knowledgeable faculty, and accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), A-State’s online DNP program is an excellent fit for working nurses looking to move forward in their field.
Step Toward a Higher Level of Care and Expertise
Following the educational pathway to a DNP allows nurses to advance in their careers to provide the highest-quality care possible for their patients. When you enroll in the DNP – General online degree at A-State, you’ll graduate with the skills and confidence needed to face modern-day challenges in any nursing specialization, ready to join a medical team of professionals making their patients’ lives better.
Take the next step in your career today. Explore A-State’s online DNP – General program for more details or contact a student engagement specialist to begin the application process.