FOR RELEASE:
June 1, 2010
Edwards and Loder First at CVMC to Receive Doctor of Nursing Degree (DNP)
HICKORY, NC – Jane Edwards and Lesley Loder recently became the first
nurses at Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) to receive nursing’s
advanced Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, or DNP. According to the American
Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the DNP degree enables the
pursuit of “enhanced knowledge to improve nursing practice and patient
outcomes.”
The DNP degree differs from nursing’s Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
or Doctor of Nursing Science (DNS) degrees because it focuses on practice-oriented,
clinical specialty areas rather than on research.
The AACN has required that all master’s degree nurse practitioner
programs transition to DNP programs by 2015. (Nurses who have earned MSN
degrees prior to the transition will not need to obtain a DNP.) In true
CVMC form, Edwards and Loder are already ahead of the curve. Eddie Beard,
CVMC’s Senior Vice President of Patient Care and Chief Nursing Officer,
is beginning his DNP studies this month.
“Magnet designation recognizes advanced education and training as
a key indicator of a medical center’s excellence in nursing,”
said Beard. “Both Jane and Lesley have demonstrated this commitment
at CVMC by taking their clinical training to the highest possible level.
We commend them for their exceptional achievements, and we are proud to
have them on our team.”
Catawba Valley Medical Center is a not-for-profit, public healthcare system
providing and promoting the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual
well-being of the public in addition to serving as a center for health
education, wellness services, preventative medicine and acute care. Located
in Hickory, N.C., CVMC
has received three Magnet designations from the American Nurses Credentialing
Center and has been recognized for providing “An Outstanding Inpatient
Experience” for a third consecutive year by J.D. Power and Associates.
For more information, please visit
http://www.catawbavalleymedical.org.