Utilization of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Practitioner to Meet North Carolina Healthcare Needs

Since the development of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in 2002, limited published data are available regarding the utilization of the DNP prepared nurse practitioner (NP) in various settings such as primary care, academia, or administration. With over two hundred universities offering the DNP degree and over two thousand graduates per year, documenting the value and impact of the DNP NP on healthcare, access to care, and health outcomes is crucial in advancing the nursing profession. Evidence supports NP outcomes but limited information is available for DNP graduate outcomes. Data from an electronic email survey sent to 5,038 NPs in North Carolina (NC) was summarized. Findings from the survey delineate the role of the DNP prepared NP practicing in NC and their utilization of the DNP Essentials to affect health care quality. Recommendations to better understand the impact of DNP prepared NPs will provide data to further identify the added competencies and capabilities of DNP educated advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and suggestions for future research are offered