The Last Two Years: A post-DNP Chronological Review
On October 25, 2004, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) schools endorsed the Position Statement on the Practice Doctorate in Nursing. This endorsement marked a significant shift, advocating for the advancement of nursing education from the master's to the doctoral level for advanced nursing practice. In the 19 years since this landmark decision, over 73,000 nurses have earned their Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees. At some point, the utility of the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree became a controversial topic despite its 20-year existence. If you are a student or prospective student reading this, just know that what you do with your degree(s) is all up to you and your imagination. At the bachelor's level, people tell you how to think. At the master's level, people want to know what you think. At the doctorate level, you become the people.
~15 minute read
DNP Program Statistics
Current DNP Program Enrollment and Planning (2023)
Total Programs Enrolling Students: 433 New Programs in Planning:87 (42 post-baccalaureate, 45 post-master’s)
State Availability: DNP Programs Available: All 50 states plus the District of Columbia
Program Types and Schools Offering Them (2023) Post-Baccalaureate DNP Programs: 299 schools Post-Master’s DNP Programs: 397 schools
The Last Two Years: A post-DNP Chronological Review
I graduated from the George Washington University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Program in May 2022. I learned in NP school that I didn’t want to work in primary care. Upon graduating, the first specialty I explored was Integrative Medicine. I spent the entire summer learning about nutrition. Then, I asked myself, what would I do if I could do it for free? The answer was write. But, I needed something to write about. I reunited with dermatology and fell in love with it. That fall, I started building the Mahogany Dermatology website with a friend so I could write about what it takes to become a dermatology nurse practitioner. I wrote out a ten-year vision and in the process decided to create an ecosystem for other aspiring dermatology nurse practitioners to explore our personal, professional, and entrepreneurial interests.
Towards the end of the year, I discovered Diversity in Dermatology and became their Blog Chair. I joined the Achieve Program in January which was around the same time we started developing The Melanin Initiative podcast. I started learning about social media and marketing for the blog, the podcast, and through the EliteNP courses. At the start of 2023, I met one of my current mentees who attended a Kid’s Career Crash Course session dedicated to learning about nurse practitioners.
The Journal for Dermatology Nurses Association (JDNA)
I started the Mahogany Dermatology Instagram page (since renamed to Kimberly Madison DNP) and posted videos every day for something I called the Article a Day Challenge where I attempted to read and review a different article for 30 days about dermatology and discuss the implications for aspiring and practicing dermatology nurse practitioners (I made it to day 25 or 26). Within that 30-day period, I attended my first dermatology conference that March in Orlando, hosted my first Nursing Career Fair that April in Maryland, and attended my first God daughter’s Christening the same month in Michigan. I created my second e-book for the career fair called, ‘How to Become a Nurse.’ My mom met a pediatrician (and entrepreneur) on a plane who agreed to be my mentor! She was sweet and informative, but also very busy. We communicated for a while, but then I got very busy.
That spring, I joined the Journal for Dermatology Nurses Association (DNA) committee. Then, I became the first to submit a featured article accepted for a new column in DNA’s FOCUS, the member newsletter. I was honored when Dr. Susan Taylor, President-Elect of the American Association of Dermatology, granted me permission to share her research team's study titled, Beyond the Hot Comb: Updates in Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Treatment of Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia from 2011 to 2021. PMID: 36399228
Dr. Susan Taylor, MD
Dr. Taylor is a pioneer in dermatology, especially when it comes to skin of color. She founded the Skin of Color Society in 2004. The mission, "to promote awareness of and excellence within skin of color dermatology through research, education, mentorship and advocacy. They are committed to increasing diversity and inclusion in the field of dermatology to advance patient care." She served as served as the American Academy of Dermatology’s (AAD) Vice President from 2020 – 2021. Then she became the President-elect in March 2024 and will hold the office of President for one year beginning in March 2025. She’s also the co-author for one of my favorite books in dermatology: Taylor and Kelly's Dermatology for Skin of Color. A book I encourage schools of nursing list as recommend reading. There is a newer version I look forward to adding to my collection written by Dr. Taylor and Dr. Nada Elbuluk titled, Taylor and Elbuluk's Color Atlas and Synopsis for Skin of Color.
Nurses’ Week 2023
We premiered the first episode of The Melanin Initiative podcast in May during Nurse’s Week 2023. I was on my first cruise for a family reunion managing the show and making sure everything looked and sounded okay. I was invited to be a podcast guest for the first time by Dr. Wendy Mayo, DNP for her show, Wellness with Wendy. Dr. Mayo also helped tremendously with the podcast for which I am ever so grateful. Around the same time, I booked my first big interview for the Mahogany Dermatology blog, Victoria Garcia, PNP, DCNP, the Director of the Lahey Dermatology Nurse Practitioner Training Program. Her interview is one of the most visited pages on the blog.
By June I was working on getting a new state NP licensure and learning about the CE requirements. I was slowly applying for jobs and starting to speak to recruiters for the first time. I hadn’t interviewed for a job in over ten years. I tried to quickly figure out my life for the next few months. I was counting the days to the end of my contract, the end of my career at the bedside, the end of nights, and the end of my time in Colorado. I drove to Denver to get fingerprints for my licensure. Visited my favorite museum, the botanic gardens. I also hung out with one of my GWU classmates who was stationed in the Springs and by hang out I mean we hiked Manitou Incline (2,744 steps) and then relaxed in the hot springs at SunWater Spa. I also met Dr. Patrice Keisling, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, one of my DNPs of Color colleagues who was kind enough to join me for a hike at the Garden of the Gods and Red Rocks, and one last time for breakfast with my mom before I moved back to the DMV region. It just so happens that Dr. Keisling created a private Facebook page for NPs in the Springs.
Dermatology Shadow
The highlight of the month was shadowing a doctorally-prepared dermatology nurse practitioner, an opportunity I was able to land thanks to some advice given by Dr. Keisling; she really was a godsend! My experience was rich in medical and cosmetic dermatology exposure and only further cemented my love for the speciality. It also gave me a realistic perspective of the workflow. While I didn't shadow at Vanguard Skin Specialists, they are the largest practice in Colorado and one of their NPs, Emily Reynolds, FNP-BC, participated in the Lahey Dermatology NP Training Program. Vanguard has a 2-year Pre-health program tailored for college graduates aiming for a long-term medical career. They offer paid, hands-on clinical experience with a diverse team of MDs, NPs, and PAs. All the pre-health staff members are full-time, paid employees.
In planning the trip back to the east coast, I debated on whether I should take the northern route and visit places I’ve never seen or rent a place in Memphis for a few days to rest and reflect. I chose Memphis. In choosing this route, I was able to visit every college I ever attended. By the fall, I was able to check one more box, Tufts. It truly was a gift of reflection and a beautiful opportunity to honor my past while stepping into my future.
30-Day Burpee Challenge
I participated in a 30-day burpee challenge during this road trip, completing 100 burpees a day. I still somehow gained weight during that time. After a month of jumping and squatting, I decided to start a 365-day yoga challenge. I was still interviewing, getting better after having not interviewed for 10 years, and feeling more confident about them one by one. I only applied for derm or derm adjacent jobs. They were in different parts of the country. Most of the interviews were on online, but two were in-person. By the time Labor Day came, I visited Boston, signed my first NP contract, and was in the middle of onboarding while awaiting my start date. I was patiently waiting for my background check to be completed while car shopping and looking for a new place to live.
In September, my first doctoral mentee successfully defended his thesis and his degree was conferred! His study focused on the use of Artificial Intelligence to improve health outcomes for Black veterans at the Veterans Health Administration. In October, I started my new job, four years after graduating. Brought a car two weeks after starting the new job, thanks dad! Attended my second dermatology conference during orientation and became the Social Media Chair for DID. I was inspired by Dr. Keisling and the Sunrise Dermatology & Procedure Conference attendees to start the DMV Dermatology NP + PA Group which you can learn about here. We started season 2 of the podcast in October by recognizing breast cancer all month. We filmed all of the group episodes for season 2 in one day.
Anxiety
I was on my own at work by November and started experiencing a lot of anxiety, but didn’t know it. By December, I was also experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder, but didn’t recognize it. During this same time, I decided spontaneously to start my YouTube channel and by start, I mean vlog every day leading up to Christmas. Throughout the year, I would occasionally check in with my web designer to work on the website for the LLC. Then, I booked by next big interview for the podcast, Dr. Scott Boswell, the creator of Derm Bootcamp.
The Year 2024
In January of 2024, I was invited to speak to the Virginia Women’s Baptist Ministry on how to automate their life using AI. I created by third e-book for that presentation. My fourth e-book, Your Nurse Mentorship Match, was the one that inspired me to start the Virtual Preceptor Co., a collection of digital resources for clinicians and students. I created by first e-book two years ago when I was invited to give a presentation on Seasonal Affective Disorder. The irony is not lost on me.
Group Coaching
I made it somewhere around day 150 for the yoga challenge, but then I just had to do something about the weight gain so I resumed circuit and strength training workouts again. Then, spontaneously, I decided to participate in group coaching. First, it was for YouTube. Then, how to have a millionaire mindset. Next, I signed up to learn how to be a 6-figure speaker. Lastly, I worked with a coach to teach me how to create a million dollar offer. In the middle of this experience, I attended my third dermatology conference.
I started working on my first dermatology e-book and fairly quickly decided I wanted it to be my first hard copy publication. In April, I was a guest on the Nursing Dose with Farah podcast with Dr. Farah Laurent, DNP where we talked about the traits of an undercover nurse entrepreneur. I was invited and agreed to be on the Hair For You Advisory Board at Children’s National Hospital.
Nurses’ Month 2024
In May, I went to the Caribbean for my family reunion, but had to cut it short for my doctoral mentee’s graduation. Just as before, a new season of the podcast premiered while I was on vacation because it also coincided with Nurses’ Week. This time, I had help. I recently hired my first employee, but she was still onboarding, so I uploaded all the audio, video files, and social media content and started tweaking the systems I had in place for her to successfully onboard. I interviewed Kenya Hutton for the second time and finally met him in person when I attended DC Black Pride. Kenya is the current Deputy Director for the Center for Black Equity, but in August he’ll be promoted to the President and CEO. I’ll be writing a separate article dedicated to DC Black Pride, but for now, just know I will be back next year as either a provider in the Health and Wellness Pavilion or as a vendor in the market called Rainbow Row.
At the end of May, I was a guest on the SMK Medical podcast with Demetrius Kirk, DNPc talking about leadership. He lives in Hawaii, so filming was at 9 pm. Right before my interview with Demetrius, I interviewed Eunice Cofie-Obeng, the Founder and Chief Cosmetic Chemist for Nuekie, an innovative skin are line for people of color. I met her in person when I attend the Inaugural Nuekie Durbar, a wellness and beauty event, in Hampton Roads, Virginia on June 15th and 16th. At the time of this writing, I'm excited to announce I've just signed to be a mentor for my first DNP student! I'm looking forward to supporting them as they identify solutions to using Artificial Intelligence to improve outcomes in dermatology.
This article marks a special time in my journey. I’ve had a chance to explore so many interests and find what I’m truly passionate about. My journey to Becoming shifts into Being. As my journey shifts, so will my attention. You can find me in the pages of the Journal of the Dermatology Nurses Association, the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, and the Journal of DNPs of Color, as well as here on the Mahogany Dermatology blog and the Virtual Preceptor Co. I’ll continue to document the lessons I learn on social media, a place where you can create the reality of your dreams.
I appreciate your support and hope you found some inspiration here to keep going, to ask for help when you need it, and to take time to rest and reflect. Everyone’s journey looks different. Be intentional about yours. The beautiful thing about life is we each get our own. Make sure you’re living the life you want, not someone else’s or the life someone thinks you should live. Most importantly, make time for the people who matter, because in the end, they will be the only thing you can ever miss out on.
Kimberly Madison, DNP, AGPCNP-BC
I am a nurse practitioner with a passion for writing, entrepreneurship, education, and mentorship. I created this blog to share my journey as source of motivation and as a blueprint as you embark on your journey. Most importantly, I’m looking forward to increasing access to dermatology education and clinical training for aspiring and practicing nurse practitioners. I invite you to view the mission and vision statement on the homepage to see how we can best partner to make our dreams align.
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