The Cal State University will offer graduate students a doctorate in nursing practice for the first time next fall.
The nursing program will be offered collectively at Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Los Angeles because it requires a certain level of competence in different areas of study, according to Margaret Brady, professor of nursing at CSULB and doctor of nursing practice (DNP) faculty coordinator at the Chancellor’s Office.
Brady said that, for the first two semesters, students at the CSULB-DNP program will take their core classes at CSUF.
After that, students can take courses at CSULB, CSUF or CSULA, depending on their concentration.
According to Brady, the joint DNP program at CSULB is scheduled to accept around 36 students for the first year.
Nurse practitioners are currently required to have a master’s in nursing; however, Brady said that could change.
One reason the DNP program is being offered is because it is likely that, in the future, a doctorate in nursing will become the new standard for the profession.
“It’s a national trend that the terminal degree in nursing will be the DNP,” Brady said.
Nop Ratanasiripong, associate director for Student Health Services at CSULB, who is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in nursing online through the University of Missouri, said nurses should pursue doctoral degrees because it will improve their practice and quality of care.
“Having a higher degree gives nurses the authority to make their practice more evidence based as opposed to just doing procedures, like an IV,” Ratanasiripong said.
According to the New York Times, many nurses with doctoral degrees now want to be called “doctor” — a title that is usually reserved for physicians.
When Brady, who has a Ph.D. in higher education, was still practicing as a pediatric nurse practitioner, she would introduce herself and say, “I have a doctorate and I’m a nurse practitioner.”
However, Brady said it would be fine for a nurse practitioner to say, “Hi, I’m Dr. Brady and I’m a nurse practitioner.”
Many who are opposed to nurses using the title of doctor are concerned that it would cause confusion for patients. Ratanasiripong thinks the responsibility to clear things up lies with individual nurse practitioners.
“To my patients, I say, ‘I’m Nop, your nurse,'” she said. “But in a conference with my colleagues, I’d introduce myself as Dr. Ratanasiripong.”
Graduate students with master’s degrees in nursing or a related health care field may apply for the joint DNP program at CSULB on CSU Mentor now through Nov. 15.
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