Reply To: Navigating the jobs search as DNP who is not an APRN

[Kristina]

As the profession of nursing continues to grow and evolve, I can see that there is still much confusion and misunderstanding about how these roles and degrees exist and what each one can bring to the table. I would assume that administrators in academia would be slightly more aware than perhaps in the practice setting but maybe that is not necessarily true. One perspective that I can bring to this discussion is the idea of finding the right fit for the open position and considering the goals of the candidate in question. If I was the administrator responsible for filling these vacant faculty positions, I might wonder if an NP with a DNP degree applying for a faculty position is wanting to teach or do clinical practice. I assume that APRNs would likely want to be in the clinical practice setting and depending on what the open faculty position entails, this may or maybe not be a fit. Finding the right fit is essential for increasing employee satisfaction and ultimately securing longevity and decreasing turnover. I hope that insight helps and I wish you luck as you seek to find your perfect position.