Is a DNP a Doctor? Overview and FAQ
Advanced practice nursing is one of the most rapidly growing occupations in the U.S., which means more patients than ever rely on nurse providers — such as doctors of nursing practice (DNP) — for their care. This growth area also gives facilities the opportunity to deepen the level of expertise within their nursing team and to leverage a broader nursing skillset for their patients.
But all of this raises some important questions for your patients, namely, Is a DNP a doctor? If so, where exactly do they fit into a nursing team? Patients are right to ask because the role can be somewhat confusing.
Yes, a DNP is a doctor, no, they are not physicians. As healthcare is projected to become increasingly reliant on advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) due to provider shortages, full transparency around care team credentialing and scope is critical to avoid unintentionally misleading patients.
Frequently Asked Questions by Patients About DNPs
If you have DNPs on your staff, you may get inquiries from patients about how these providers differ from medical doctors and how this might impact the care they receive. To help you address these questions and concerns, here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the differences between a DNP and a doctor.
What is the definition of a DNP?
A DNP is a Doctor of Nursing, which is the highest level of education and training possible in the nursing field. Earning a DNP degree usually takes a nurse somewhere between 2 to 4 years and approximately 1,000 hours of supervised clinical work.
Is a DNP a doctorate similar to a PhD, or more like an MD?
Like the names, the paths to earning a DNP, PhD, and MD are entirely separate.
A DNP may take a baccalaureate nurse as many as 4 years to complete, but it can take upwards of 7 to 10 additional years to finish an MD. Both fields of study are clinical in nature, which means their curriculums may overlap. However, they’re defined by two fundamentally different approaches: the nursing versus medical model.
The Doctor of Philosophy, or PhD, is another distinct academic field and is much less clinical in nature. Nurses more interested in research and education often choose the PhD route.
So, is a DNP a doctor or a nurse?
Short answer: Yes and yes, which is why it’s so important to clarify the difference.
A DNP is a nurse who has earned a doctorate and is therefore entitled to refer to themselves according to that achievement. Like someone who has a PhD in an unrelated field (say, economics) going by doctor while working as a professor, a DNP is also recognized academically as a doctor — but not as a physician.
This is less clear in the clinical setting. To refer to yourself as a doctor while in a hospital or other medical facility implies an MD license, which a DNP doesn’t have. In some states, like California and Georgia, DNPs are prohibited from calling themselves a doctor with patients. Other states allow the title, but that may change as more states introduce legislation that could forbid a DNP from identifying as a doctor with patients.
Is a DNP a nurse practitioner?
Both are advanced practice nurses, but a nurse practitioner (NP) is a masters-prepared APRN, and a DNP is a doctorate-prepared APRN. The additional instruction, preparation, and training often grant DNPs more access to leadership roles. The higher academic level may also increase opportunities for a DNP to expand and develop nursing research and education.
In the clinical setting, both DNPs and NPs practice under the same guidelines and scope of practice.
How is a DNP provider different from a doctor?
The classical nursing, or DNP, approach to medicine addresses the whole person and prioritizes preventative measures, whereas the historical physician-led approach is more disease centered. However, as healthcare and patient priorities shift, these cultural differences become less accurate.
Clinically, there is significant overlap in the roles of the DNP and the doctor, though with key differences, as seen below.
| Key Similarities | Key Differences |
|---|---|
| Track and plan care around patient health and physical information.
Order and review diagnostic testing and labs. Specialize within particular fields, like dermatology or pediatrics. Act as leaders (functioning as healthcare executives, for example). |
A physician’s earning potential is typically much higher than that of a DNP.
DNPs may assist with surgeries but they don’t lead surgical procedures. Unlike doctors, a DNP’s scope is limited by state laws and which of the three associated practice environments a state has adopted for nurse practitioners.
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Is it better to have a DNP provider or an MD?
The inclusion of APRNs into the provider team has proven to lower institutional costs and improve patient satisfaction and wait times. Their addition also promotes better access to care, reducing physician burden and increasing availability of appointments for patients.
For many who openly prefer an APRN provider such as a DNP, bedside manner and convenience are often cited as key benefits. Others who prefer physicians attribute their trust in the qualifications required to become an MD. No matter which is right for you, both DNPs and physicians provide care that is guided by their respective fields’ highest levels of education and training.
Curious About Provider Roles and Other Important Details?
As healthcare roles continue to grow more diverse, questions like, Is a DNP a doctor? become increasingly common. For answers you can trust, IntelyCare offers continuously updated, expert-informed guidance and resources.