What Can You Do With a Doctorate in Nursing Practice?

Earning a doctorate in nursing is a great way to advance your career as an experienced RN. You can take your passion further in this way by earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree online. This degree can prepare you for many different careers and responsibilities in the healthcare profession.

Conduct Research

A doctorate in nursing will qualify you to enter into clinical research. A clinical researcher works with other medical professionals to develop and conduct research and contribute to the academic aspect of the medical field. As a clinical research nurse practitioner, you carry out research that may help improve patient outcomes by improving the procedures healthcare professionals follow. DNP graduates can perform research in a variety of fields depending on their specializations, from helping to find cures for diseases to reviewing the impacts of common healthcare procedures and routine patient care.

Educate Future Nurses

After earning your DNP degree, you may be qualified to teach students who are preparing to enter nursing careers. DNP graduates with an interest in education can find opportunities at universities, hospitals and a wide range of academic and research institutions. This can be a great career option for people who want to combine their passion for healthcare with a passion for teaching.

Work as a Healthcare Executive

A Doctor of Nursing Practice degree can help you become a leader in the medical field through a variety of roles, including that of healthcare executive or health service manager. As a healthcare executive, you will be responsible for ensuring that your medical facility runs smoothly. You will help ensure that administrative systems and hospital operations remain organized and follow existing standards and regulations. You will also be responsible for learning about the newest innovations in technology and healthcare to help keep your medical facility up to date. Healthcare executives with a DNP background may also play a role in budgeting, helping medical facilities make the best use of their available resources and learning what other resources might be available to them.

Become an Advanced Practice Nurse

If you prefer the patient care aspect of the nursing field, you might want to leverage your DNP to become an advanced practice nurse. Many medical facilities require the specialized training and skills found in a doctoral nursing program. With this type of degree, you can consider a career as a family nurse practitioner, neonatal nurse, psychiatric mental health nurse or specialist in one of many other areas. In some states, advanced practice nurses can run clinics on their own without supervision from doctors.

Advocate for Healthcare as a Lobbyist

You can combine a passion for policy and a heart for healthcare by becoming a healthcare lobbyist. After completing a DNP program, you can pursue a career working to change and improve healthcare regulations and laws. As a healthcare lobbyist, you might work for a medical organization, insurance company or government agency. Your responsibilities there would include staying up to date on the latest news and trends regarding healthcare and representing the interests of your organization and profession with legislators.

You can prepare to take on a wide range of careers when you enroll in the DNP degree at Grand Canyon University. This rigorous program offers you a solid foundation for specializing in many areas as a healthcare professional, educator, researcher, executive or advocate. To learn more about the College of Nursing and Healthcare Professions, click on the Request Information button on this page.