Dual-Degree DNP-PhD Programs: Bridging Practice and Research
Webinar Details
Dual-degree DNP-PhD programs prepare nurse leaders who can both generate evidence and translate it into practice. This session explore the unique value of dual-degree education, including program structure, student experiences, career opportunities, and strategies for succeeding in a rigorous academic environment.
Outcomes:
Participants will be able to:
- Describe the purpose and structure of dual DNP-PhD programs.
- Explain how the DNP and PhD complement one another.
- Identify career pathways available to dual-degree graduates.
Note: Recording of the webinar will be available soon after the webinar airs. Visit AACN's On-Demand Webinars to watch.
Speakers
Sara J. Crance, PhD, DNP, MBA, APRN, AGNP-C
Instructor, RN-BSN and CEP Programs
Arizona State University
Sara Crance is a board-certified nurse practitioner and researcher. She practices as a clinician and researcher with Hospice of the Valley’s Supportive Care for Dementia Program, through the Dementia Care and Education Campus in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Crance also serves as an instructor in Arizona State University’s post-licensure nursing programs. Her research focuses on dementia care, aging, and the experiences of people living with dementia and their care partners. Her work draws on narrative and relational approaches to better understand the lived experiences of individuals living with dementia. Through Hospice of the Valley, she teaches and presents dementia care to healthcare professionals, students, first responders, care partners, and community organizations throughout the community. Across her clinical, research, and educational roles, her work is grounded in a commitment to advancing person-centered, evidence-informed dementia care and ensuring that the experiences of people living with dementia and their care partners remain central to research and practice.
Alisa Squires, MSN, RN
DNP-PhD Student
Arizona State University
Alisa Squires earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Gonzaga University in 2017, and her Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Nursing Education from Arizona State University in 2019. She entered the concurrent enrollment Doctor of Nursing Practice and Doctor of Philosophy dual degree program at Arizona State University in 2022. She is graduating with both doctoral degrees in December 2026. Her Doctor of Nursing Practice is in Advanced Nursing Practice with specialized clinical training as an Adult-Gerontological Nurse Practitioner, and her Doctor of Philosophy is in Nursing and Healthcare Innovation. She is an experienced nurse, and as a clinician scientist, her primary research fields include cardiology and cardiovascular health along with implementation science and health equity with special interests in upstream health interventions promoting well-being, health literacy, homelessness prevention, and implementation of community-based, pre-clinical health screening programs. Her dissertation is an implementation study incorporating dementia screening into practices of public safety professionals serving vulnerable older adults in Phoenix, Arizona. Clinically, she will be practicing as a nurse practitioner in cardiac electrophysiology following her graduation this December.
Pricing and CE Credit
This webinar is free to deans, faculty, staff and students from AACN member schools of nursing. All non-member audiences will be required to pay a $59 webinar fee.
Continuing Nursing Education
One nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) credit is associated with this webinar; attendees must be present for the entire webinar and complete the evaluation to receive a certificate of completion.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.