Fostering professionalism in doctor of nursing practice students

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the terminal degree for advanced practice nurses. All documents outlining competencies for doctorally-prepared nurses include professionalism as a requirement. While fostering professionalism in DNP students is expected of faculty, there is little data or guidance that describes specific educational strategies related to this concept. The available literature related to professionalism in healthcare education is not specific to advanced practice nursing. The purpose of this article is to define domains of professionalism for DNP-prepared advanced practice nurses, discuss specific examples of each domain, and propose strategies for including the domain within the DNP curriculum.