Career Paths for Nurses with a DNP

Whether you’re looking for a hands-on clinical role or a role that leads or creates policy, there are many career paths for nurses with a DNP.

As a “terminal” degree, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the pinnacle of education in nursing practice. It also can put you at the forefront of nursing with skills that can take you in many directions.

Many of your career opportunities won’t necessarily have to do with hands-on nursing, and the type of doctorate you earn will factor into the work you do. For example, a nurse with a DNP might work as a nurse executive in a hospital or clinic, while a nurse with a Doctor of Nursing Philosophy (PhD) usually focuses on scholarly research.

“DNP graduates can consider advanced roles that perhaps they didn’t think they could pursue before,” says Daria L. Waszak, DNP, RN, CNE, COHN-S, CEN, associate dean and assistant professor at the Department of Graduate Nursing at Felician University in New Jersey. “They can become a leader, entrepreneur, consultant, policymaker, researcher, peer reviewer, writer, expert clinician, speaker, or educator. In many cases, it will be more than (one role) at the same time. The sky is the limit.”

Here’s a primer on some of the DNP career paths you can take.

Types of Jobs

Many nurses with DNPs continue to build their careers as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). Others move out of direct care and into nonclinical roles.

All DNP programs provide a core curriculum, and an opportunity to pursue your passion through specialized coursework.

All DNP programs provide a core curriculum, plus an opportunity to pursue your passion through specialized coursework. As part of the core, you’ll learn to evaluate evidence-based research to improve patient outcomes. Then you’ll choose one of two paths:

“I think that if someone is interested in the advanced clinical practice degree [DNP], whatever flavor that is, from there go into what you want to do whether it’s administration, academia, research, informatics, or patient care,” says David G. Campbell-O’Dell, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP, president of the professional association Doctors of Nursing Practice Inc. “I think that those who do not get the advanced clinical practice degree are going to be limited in the long run.”

Clinical Career Paths

DNP programs with a clinical focus include:

Advanced practice nurses in these clinical roles can have their own private practice, depending on the state. Otherwise, they generally work in:

Depending on their expertise, nurses with DNPs in clinical roles also may work in other settings. Here’s a look at clinical roles and additional workplaces.

Clinical Specialty Areas

While certified nurse midwives and certified registered nurse anesthetists are specialties in themselves, nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists select a specialty to pursue.

Nurse practitioners specialize in one of the following patient populations:

Clinical nurse specialists focus on specialties defined by:

The different ways of describing practice areas for nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists reflect the subtle difference between these roles:

Top NP Specialties

An APRN’s specialty will determine what certification exam they will need to take to be licensed. Here’s a look at the top specialties for nurse practitioners and required certification.

Top Specialties for Clinical Nurse Specialists

As you’ll see, the names of the top specialties for CNSs might sound similar to the names of NP specialties, but the job descriptions and required certification are very different.

Common Nonclinical Roles and Workplaces

Nonclinical DNP programs that emphasize leadership, management, policymaking, and other areas away from the bedside include:

Nurses with DNPs who pursue nonclinical roles may work in general medical hospitals, but they can work in many other settings as well.

Certification for nonclinical roles like these can vary based on experience, a nurse’s specific position and workplace. Here are three common certifications for nonclinical roles:

What Can I Expect to Earn?

Salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn’t report nursing salaries by degree, so it can be difficult to determine specific salaries for nurses with a DNP.  However, chances of earning a higher salary with a DNP can be a good bet.

Typically, the higher your education and the more certifications you have, the better your job opportunities and salary, says Campbell-O’Dell. For instance, the BLS reports that RNs, a category that includes nurses with all levels of education, earn a median annual salary of $86,070, while CRNAs earn a median of $212,650.

With a DNP, you can land on the higher end of the salary spectrum for a position. Surveys indicate that a DNP nurse makes more than nurses without DNPs in the same role, says Campbell-O’Dell.

Advancing Your Career

Even with a DNP, there can still be room to push your career ahead. For instance, you can add more specialty certifications or narrow your practice focus with certification in a subspecialty. If you decide to do this, consider where there’s demand and room for growth in nursing.

Two areas where a post-DNP certificate may be especially useful are education and executive leadership.

Two areas where a post-DNP certificate may be especially useful are education and executive leadership.

“I think we will continue to see a demand for DNP-prepared professionals who are skilled in nursing practice but especially in leadership,” Waszak says. “We are also seeing more and more nurse faculty with a DNP degree.”

Whether you decide to earn your DNP or you already have one and want to add a certification, you’ll find many options for online doctoral education. While you’ll have to complete clinical hours at an approved site and may have some onsite class requirements, online learning can allow you some flexibility to achieve your educational goals.