The curriculum for the United States DNP degree builds on work completed during previous master's-level courses.
It provides education in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and systems leadership, and is typically more clinically oriented than a PhD.
[citation needed] The DNP, as a professional degree, has a different focus from a research doctorate such as the PhD in Nursing.
[12][13] Lawsuits have also resulted from this confusion, where holders of the DNP have referred to themselves as the title "doctor" in clinical settings.
[14][15] In some US states, there is a legal basis limiting nurses using the title of "doctor" in clinical practice.