title: Nurse Practitioner preparation: is it time to move beyond masters level entry in Australia?
abstract: Nurse Practitioner education in Australia currently requires a post graduate qualification at masters level for endorsement by national registration bodies and entry into practice. This paper reviews the evidence and debate in America that saw the education of Nurse Practitioners advance to the doctoral level in 2004. Consideration will then be given to the similarities between the American and Australian context, in order to open the debate about whether it is timely for Australian universities to consider the need to advance Australia Nurse Practitioner education to the Doctor of Nursing Practice.
authors.affiliation: Health and Well-Being Research Cluster, School of Health and Human Service, Southern Cross University, Lismore Campus, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia.
authors.forename: Lea-Anne
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Tuaoi
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cashin
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
authors.forename: Iain
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate; D006801:Humans; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000193:education*; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States