Harmonizing excellence: Crafting the nexus of competencies, standards, and degree demands in nurse practitioner...

Nurse practitioner (NP) programs have a long history of producing safe and competent NPs; however, bold, transformative leadership is needed to set a minimum standard for quality NP education to support a 21st-century healthcare system. This paper is a call to action for leaders in NP education to transition NP education to the DNP degree utilizing the 2022 National Task Force Standards for Quality NP Education and a competency-based approach as defined in the 2021 AACN Essentials. There is now an opportunity to redesign healthcare systems with quality and equity as a primary consideration and DNP-prepared NPs are positioned to lead this redesign. The 2022 NTF Standards include several critical changes in clinical hours, oversight of clinical sites, and preparation of NP students to enter clinical sites. By emphasizing competency attainment within NP programs, the 2021 AACN Essentials ensure that NP graduates are practice-ready.