In the evolving world of healthcare, nurse practitioners (NPs) are gaining attention for the critical roles they play in patient care. Many people wonder: What exactly is a nurse practitioner? And more importantly, can a nurse practitioner be a doctor?
In this article, we’ll break down the nurse practitioner role, how it differs from a physician, and whether nurse practitioners can earn the title “doctor.”
A nurse practitioner (NP) is a nurse who has advanced clinical education and training. NPs share many of the same duties as doctors. They perform physical exams, diagnose and treat diseases and other health conditions, and prescribe medication. A nurse practitioner must have a graduate-level degree of education.
Care provided by NPs results in high patient satisfaction, mostly related to the assurance of continuity of care, and to receiving information and advice on coping with the disease. Research shows that health care provided by NPs equals the quality of care provided by physicians. Patients may be even more satisfied with care provided by NPs. Because patients’ views have only been examined quantitatively, underlying experiences and meanings remain unclear.
Research shows that patients overall appreciate the care provided by an NP. In some studies, patients are even slightly more satisfied with the care provided by NPs than that provided by physicians.
Education Path of a Nurse Practitioner
To become a nurse practitioner, an individual must:
- Earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
- Pass the NCLEX-RN exam
- Gain clinical experience as a registered nurse
- Complete a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
What do nurse practitioners do? Analysis of a skills survey of nurse practitioners
What Do Nurse Practitioners Do?
Nurse practitioners provide a wide range of healthcare services that include
- Performing physical exams
- Diagnosing and treating illnesses
- Prescribing medications
- Managing chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, hypertension)
- Ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests
- Educating patients on disease prevention and healthy lifestyle choices
Analysis of a skills survey of nurse practitioners
When it comes to understanding what a nurse practitioner does, the most important factor to remember is that a nurse practitioner acts as a primary care provider for their patients. This means that nurse practitioners can provide care to their patients without being directly overseen by a physician in many states. They can also write prescriptions and order diagnostic tests when necessary. The result is that NPs have vastly more freedom and flexibility in their role than many other types of nurses, including registered nurses.
Nurse practitioners work in a variety of settings, including emergency rooms, hospitals, managed care facilities, surgical clinics, and private practice. In these settings, NPs treat a wide range of patient populations depending on their unique area of focus. This can include pediatrics, women’s health, and adult gerontology, among many others.
Particular interest has been shown in the concept of nurse practitioners providing front line care in general practice and in emergency departments. In this way they may potentially substitute for doctors, particularly in the management of patients with acute illness. Nurse practitioners have undergone further training, often at graduate level, to work autonomously, making independent diagnoses and treatment decisions. It is important to consider whether the evidence supports the notion that nurse practitioners can substitute for doctors by providing safe, effective, and economical front line management of patients.
Nurse practitioners have been established in North America for several decades, and studies of their role have been reviewed previously. But these reviews are dated and of limited applicability to the United Kingdom. After the expansion of nurse practitioners in the NHS during the 1990s, several relevant randomised controlled trials have been published that directly compare nurse practitioners and doctors. We aimed to systematically review research that assesses the process, costs, or outcomes of care provided by nurse practitioners compared with doctors, working in primary care as a first point of contact for any patient with undifferentiated health problems.
Nurse Practitioner vs Doctor: What’s the Difference?
While nurse practitioners and medical doctors may provide similar care, there are key differences:
| Aspect | Nurse Practitioner (NP) | Medical Doctor (MD/DO) |
|---|---|---|
| Education Time | 6–8 years | 10–15 years |
| Degree | MSN or DNP | MD or DO |
| Clinical Focus | Holistic, patient-centered care | Disease-focused medical model |
| Prescribing Meds | Yes (varies by state) | Yes |
| Independent Practice | In some states | In all states |
| Title | “Doctor” (only if DNP earned) | “Doctor” (MD/DO degree) |
Can a Nurse Practitioner Be a Doctor?
This question can be answered in two ways:
1. Academic Doctor (DNP)
Yes, a nurse practitioner can earn a doctoral degree in nursing, known as the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). With a DNP, an NP may use the title “doctor” in academic or professional settings—but they are not a medical doctor (MD).
For example:
Dr. Jane Smith, DNP, FNP-C – Family Nurse Practitioner
2. Medical Doctor (MD or DO)
No, a nurse practitioner is not a medical doctor unless they attend medical school and complete a residency program.
However, an NP who chooses to return to school can pursue an MD or DO degree and become a physician. This is rare but possible.
An NP who completed Chamberlain’s three-year MSN program and two-year DNP program would accumulate five years of post-undergraduate education and 700 hours of clinical training. Does this consistently prepare them for independent clinical practice?
By contrast, a graduate of a physician residency program has at least seven years of post-undergraduate education with roughly 4000 hours of clinical training in medical school and 8000 hours in residency. Then they sit for a specialty board certification examination. NPs are not required to complete residency training or sit for a certification examination in their area of practice. NPs can practice independently in 14 states immediately after graduation without additional training. Read more. And we have all seen that they can leave one discipline of medicine and immediately enter another without demonstrating clinical competence.
How did it come to the point where physicians, the most regulated professionals in our society, must provide specialty boards, state medical boards, and hospital credentials committees with mountains of evidence demonstrating our clinical competence while demonstrably less educated clinicians can freelance around the health care system with comparatively little oversight? And how does the lay public differentiate the quantity and quality of education between two competing groups when both of them introduce themselves as “doctor?”
DNP vs MD: What’s the Real Difference?
- DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) is focused on nursing leadership, patient outcomes, and clinical practice.
- MD/DO is focused on medical science, diagnosis, and disease treatment.
While both may be addressed as “doctor,” only MDs and DOs are considered licensed physicians under U.S. law.
I often hear from colleagues who are struggling to decide whether to go back to school for a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) or a doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree. Before the DNP came into being, not all that long ago, the choices were more or less limited to the PhD and doctorate of nursing science, with a couple of other less common options.
Since the advent of the DNP, many nurses have opted for that choice, not fully understanding why they were getting it or how they might use it to further their careers. Not insignificant in the consideration was the decision by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) that “call[ed] for educating advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and other nurses seeking top clinical positions in Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs.”1
I remember thinking that this was unlikely to happen for 2 main reasons: employers, especially physician employers, would not know the difference between a DNP-prepared nurse practitioner (NP) and one without a DNP, and there was unlikely to be a salary differential, so what was the incentive?
Since then, the number of nurses, not just NPs, working toward and earning the DNP degree has grown tremendously. While employers and patients probably still don’t know what a DNP degree entails or how it translates to patient care, some employers do give a pay differential if you have a DNP. Meanwhile, the PhD is languishing, so much so that a lot of discussion focused on how to get more students into PhD programs at a recent AACN deans’ meeting in Washington, DC.
Why People Confuse Nurse Practitioners with Doctors
There are several reasons patients may assume a nurse practitioner is a doctor:
- They often work independently in clinics
- They can prescribe medication and manage complex health conditions
- They use the title “Dr.” if they have earned a DNP
Still, professional ethics and state laws often guide how and when NPs can use the title “doctor,” especially in clinical settings.
A recent article titled “Should nurses with doctorates be called doctor? Lawsuit targets Calif. rule,” reported on litigation filed by Jacqueline Palmer against the California attorney general for the right to call herself “doctor.” (Washington Post.
Ms. Palmer introduced herself to patients as “doctor” and embroidered her lab coat with “Dr. J. Palmer, FNP-C” after graduating from Chamberlain University with a doctorate in nursing practice (DNP).
She recently stopped doing this because another nurse practitioner in California with a DNP paid $20,000 in a civil settlement for describing herself as a doctor. Only physicians and surgeons can use “doctor” or “Dr.” under California law. Ms. Palmer’s suit seeks to change that. Other online news outlets picked up this story, some favoring Ms. Palmer’s position by pointing out that other nonphysician health care providers utilize the term “doctor,” including dentists, optometrists, podiatrists, and chiropractors.
Final Thoughts: Are Nurse Practitioners Just as Important as Doctors?
Absolutely. Nurse practitioners fill a crucial gap in the healthcare system, especially in rural areas and primary care shortages. While they are not physicians, their role is vital, respected, and growing fast.
Whether you’re considering a career as an NP or just curious about the difference, understanding these roles helps you make informed choices—whether as a patient or a healthcare student.
According to a study Results: 11 trials and 23 observational studies met all the inclusion criteria. Patients were more satisfied with care by a nurse practitioner (standardised mean difference 0.27, 95% confidence interval 0.07 to 0.47). No differences in health status were found. Nurse practitioners had longer consultations (weighted mean difference 3.67 minutes, 2.05 to 5.29) and made more investigations (odds ratio 1.22, 1.02 to 1.46) than did doctors. No differences were found in prescriptions, return consultations, or referrals. Quality of care was in some ways better for nurse practitioner consultations.
