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CMS-1403-FC
Medicare program because our educational standard for NPs
and CNSs is a master’s degree. Additionally, we do not
intend to eliminate the master’s degree in nursing
requirement and replace it with solely the DNP degree. We
also have no plans to require a MSN degree in lieu of a
master’s degree in nursing.
Comment: Two commenters stated that they have not yet
taken a position on the DNP degree and on the various DNP
programs that graduate APNs. However, the commenters noted
that many schools offering the DNP degree have programs
that focus on areas other than clinical practice such as
administration, leadership, business, and nursing policy.
The commenters also stated that DNP graduates seeking to
enroll in Medicare as new suppliers should hold a
clinically-based DNP degree and also, ideally, attain
advanced practice certification. The commenters believe
that NPs and CNSs who graduate from DNP programs should not
be allowed to bypass the master’s degree in nursing before
achieving the DNP degree because they believe that the
master’s education provides the appropriate foundation for
CNS practice. One commenter is opposed to Medicare’s
recognition of the DNP degree in Medicare regulations at
this time because of the varying routes of entry into a DNP
program have not been resolved, there is a lack of
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