Clinical Nurse Specialists should have Doctor’s degree
Posted almost 10 years ago by Nicholas M Perrino
"The National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists has endorsed the requirement that, by 2030, Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees be earned for entry into practice as a clinical nurse specialist. Until now, the association has consistently supported either the Master of Science in Nursing degree or the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree as adequate preparation for a clinical nurse specialist.
'In recognition of the increasingly complex needs of patients, the dramatic and ongoing changes in healthcare, and the pivotal role that the (clinical nurse specialist) plays in ensuring high quality, evidence-based, patient-centered care, (the association) has determined that the (Doctor of Nursing Practice degree) will better prepare these nurses to meet the future demands of the evolving healthcare system,' said NACNS President Peggy Barksdale, MSN, RN, OCNS-C, CNS-BC.
The association's new position also supports the recommendations of the 2010 Institute of Medicine report, 'The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health,' and the 2009 Carnegie Foundation report, 'Educating Nurses: A Call for Radical Transformation,' to increase the number of doctorally prepared nurses.