A DNP stands for Doctor of Nursing Practice, which is a professional degree in nursing. It is one of three doctorate degrees in nursing in the United States, the others being the research degrees PhD and the Doctor of Nursing Science. The DNP program is designed to prepare nurses for leadership and/or certain specialized advanced practice nursing roles. It is a post-masters degree, also known as a terminal degree, and includes advanced training in specific nursing skills and disciplines for use in the field. The DNP program may often include additional clinical/residency hours, some as many as 500, as well as a DNP Capstone/Final project which is usually a clinical practice research project that is often implemented through direct clinical nursing care in an effort to improve healthcare outcomes. The DNP Capstone/Final project reflects the scope of the students doctoral level work, with a short goal program of demonstrating mastery of study the often students online newly acquired skills and knowledge.

It is important to note that a DNP degree is a pathway for both experienced registered nurses (RNs) and NPs to advance their nursing careers; a DNP is not a career in and of itself. While a DNP degree is a doctoral-level degree, NPs with DNPs are not the same as physicians or other medical doctors (MDs). Instead, a DNP signifies a nurse has completed the highest degree of educational training in the nursing profession. Some NPs with DNP degrees move on to leadership roles in the healthcare field, while others remain in the field and use their qualifications to take on NP roles.