Will doctorally prepared NPs confuse the public?
No. The title of Doctor is common to many disciplines and is not the domain of any one group of health professionals. Many NPs currently hold doctoral degrees and are frequently addressed as “doctors”. Other health care providers are addressed as “doctor”, including clinical psychologists, dentists, and podiatrists. APNs should retain their specialist titles after completing a doctoral program. For example, Nurse Practitioners will continue to be called Nurse Practitioners. All nurses should explain their role and preparation to patients.
