Reply To: The Discouragement Received From Nurse Colleagues When Pursuing DNP

[Hassan]

I really do run into this often when I am working, but I am always open and ready for this discussion. They have told me that it is silly to go for a terminal degree in nursing, that it really doesn’t lead to anything. I feel like this is a justified response, but one begotten of old ideas and opinions. There was a time where going for such a degree would be seen as very limiting and almost unnecessary, and I believe much like many things in nursing some things have a hard time modulating to the times. I do tend to lean on much of what I have learned in my classes as evidence, in a bid to at least expose them to newer views and perspectives on the role of APRNs. It does eventually fall on us to educate others on what the role of an APRN is, the categories and even the variance of practice opportunity. We can turn moments like these into a bit of practicing why we do what we do, so that eventually when we do reach our goals we will be able to better stand and say I am. One day I feel these views will be a thing of the past and our field will be better for it.