Is Eligibility for Tenure Possible for the Doctor of Nursing Practice-Prepared Faculty?

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived feasibility of the eligibility for tenure being granted to nurses prepared at the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) level. An exploratory survey was conducted utilizing doctor of philosophy faculty and deans randomly chosen from the doctor of nursing program list obtained from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. A questionnaire was developed that was used to gather data regarding the perceived feasibility, benefits, concerns, and challenges inherent in the tenure process as they relate to DNP-prepared faculty in becoming eligible for tenure.

The findings indicate that it may be feasible for DNP-prepared faculty to become eligible for tenure. Several benefits were cited, including recruitment and retention of qualified faculty. There were concerns noted as well, the most predominant being the lack of training of the DNP to be successful in producing scholarly research. The challenges related to the need for reevaluating the criteria used in granting tenure to DNP-prepared faculty.

Index words: DNP, Faculty, Tenure