157chapter FIVE
Refl ective Response
Lucy N. Marion
In Chapter 5, “The Role of the Practitioner,” the authors presented an interesting
and lively continuing debate about Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) educational
issues. These issues include the DNP role versus the degree, the future of the master
of science (MS) versus DNP practice degrees and respective levels of practice, the level
scholarship for DNP practice project versus the DNP dissertation, and traditional cer-
tification within the DNP and certification at the end of the program. The authors also
addressed the scope of practice changes and qualifications to teach in nursing educa-
tion programs.
After reading Chapter 5 in this edition, I felt that the data and references painted
a truly positive picture for the DNP future. The authors captured the important DNP-
related papers and surveys conducted by the major professional organizations and chal-
lenged relevance of documents such as the American Association of Colleges of Nursing
(AACN) Essentials. In this comprehensive and useful chapter, the authors provide much
of the history and current status of the DNP and its issues. However, the interpretation
was less optimistic, perhaps somewhat impatient, about the progress of the new nurs-
ing degree that started in earnest in about 2001—only 15 years ago.
Chapter 5 validated our early vision for anticipated struggles and trust in future
leadership to tackle issues as they arose. Three decade-old publications described the
hopes for the new DNP and the issues we faced or expected to face (Marion et al.,
2003; Marion, O’Sullivan, Crabtree, Price, & Fontana, 2005; O’Sullivan, Carter, Marion,
Pohl, & Werner, 2005). National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)
Board members wrote these articles during very exciting times when NONPF, along
with other organizations, took much of the early leadership in defining DNP/NP
parameters (NONPF, 2004). Later, the NONPF DNP Task Force led national forums,
webinars, and conferences, and appointed more task forces to prepare first DNP/
NP competencies. I was honored to represent NONPF on the first AACN DNP Task
Force, with Dr. Elizabeth Lenz as chair, and on the Council for the Advancement of
Comprehensive Care (CACC), with Dr. Mary Mundinger as chair (AACN, 2004). In
2005, I shepherded the development of the first DNP program in Georgia at the Medical
College of Georgia (now Augusta University) and over time served as consultant to sev-
eral DNP planning committees across the nation. Augusta University now offers only
BSN to DNP for all NP concentrations and plans to transition the Nursing Anesthesia