Graduates who have put in the hard work for a DNP degree will find that there are many career opportunities. As the healthcare system grows and there are more complexities that go with it, the DNP graduate is going to become a professional who can serve as an industry leader and will help make a difference in this field.
The exact career path that you are able to take in this DNP program can largely depend on your own areas of interest and your unique skills. From health care administration to lobbying efforts, there are so many opportunities out there for you to explore. Some of the best career options for a DNP graduate include:
Healthcare Executive
In order to see success, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and private practices will need to operate well. They need a strong leader that will keep the system running efficiently and smoothly. This is where a healthcare executive can come into play and help out these facilities. This is a great leadership role for those who have the right degree and the right experience.
A healthcare executive is going to be a knowledgeable professional who will coordinate, strategize, and direct all of the different healthcare services. A position is a good option for DNP graduates who would like to have a career that involves the daily operations in their medical facility.
It is estimated that the health care management field is going to grow at least 32% from 2019 to 2029, which is faster than a lot of the other available occupations. Salaries will depend on the position and the location, but the median annual wage for these professionals was more than $104,000.
Nursing Faculty
According to the AACN, the future nursing shortage is a big crisis that will affect everyone and they are working diligently with universities, policymakers, nursing organizations, and even the media to help raise awareness of this problem. This crisis means that there are many new opportunities for a DNP graduate to enter into the realm of higher education.
AACN information shows that someone who graduates with a DNP may choose either a theory-driven or a clinical faculty position in various nursing programs. The annual salary for this position as of May 2020 is $80,790 and the projected job growth from 2019 to 2029 is 9%. This is a lot of growth in the coming years.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
An APRN will include a lot of different positions such as a nurse-midwife, clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, and nurse anesthetist. In these roles, the APRN will be able to coordinate the care of the patient while also offering additional services in the health care field.
This field is expected to grow at least 45% from 2019 to 2029. The big growth is mainly due to the emphasis across the nation on preventive care, expanding the demand for health care services for all ages, and even major changes in the laws and regulations of the healthcare industry.
While it is possible to get this kind of career with a master’s degree, many will choose to go all the way to the DNP degree in order to further their leadership and career opportunities. While their responsibilities will depend on the specialty they choose, they can counsel patients, make referrals, prescribe treatment, and work with physicians to help the patient.
Health Care Lobbyist
This may not be the first career that comes to mind when you do a DNP degree, but if you would like to have some influence on health care policy and you like politics, then this may be a good option to help you get started.
These lobbyists are often found working for insurance companies, professional nursing organizations, and government agencies. If you have any experience in law or if you have worked in a corporate health care environment, this can be a good career for you. You can work on a local to a federal basis depending on what works the best for you.
While it is hard to find precise figures on how much professionals in this field will be able to make, professionals who work as political scientists, which is a similar career, will make more than $125,000 a year. The specific responsibilities you would have in this role will depend on the level of experience, position, location, and the organization you work for.
Clinical Researcher
If you are someone who likes to spend your time learning and researching, then you may want to consider becoming a clinical researcher when you are done with your DNP degree. This is a field of clinical nursing that lets you explore and learn something new, something that could change the world.
DNPs may choose to be involved in clinical research. When they do this, they will be able to use their expertise to generate evidence that will support current practices or will guide the changing of practices to help improve the outcome for the patient.
It is possible that these professionals will become more involved in the critical appraisal of existing evidence, the development of different practice guidelines that need to be used, and even the evaluation of the outcomes of the practice. It is not uncommon for these professionals to design, implement, and evaluate quality improvement methodologies as well.
Choosing The Right Career Opportunity For You
There are many great career opportunities out there for a professional with a DNP degree. Whether you would like to work directly with the care facility or you would like to work on changing some of the regulations in the industry, there are options that you are sure to love.
There are many different careers that you can choose once you are done getting your DNP degree in nursing and are ready to take on the world. Take a look at some of the great career opportunities above for a DNP graduate and determine which one is right for you!
