In an effort to offset the shortage of primary care physicians (PCPs), nursing schools are launching doctor of nursing practice (DNP) programs designed to endow graduates with a skill set comparable to that of PCPs, the Wall Street Journal reports. The two-year programs, which include a one-year residency, aim to create a "hybrid practitioner" with greater skills, knowledge and training than a master's-level nurse practitioner and place a greater emphasis on care coordination across multiple specialties and various health care settings than physician training programs. In addition to a background in diagnosing and treating patients, DNPs may have hospital admitting privileges, administer preventive care, and manage complex patient illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. While there are just over 200 nursing schools currently offering or planning to add DNP programs to their degree offerings, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) estimates that 1,874 students are currently enrolled in DNP programs, up from 862 in 2006. To standardize the programs, the not-for-profit Council for the Advancement of Comprehensive Care plans to today announce that the National Board of Medical Examiners will develop a voluntary DNP certification exam based on the test physicians take to qualify for medical licensure. The board plans to begin administering the exam, which will be smaller in scale than the three-part exam that physicians take, in the fall. To encourage participation in DNP programs, meanwhile, the AACN by 2015 intends to make the doctoral degree the standard for all new advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners (Landro, Wall Street Journal, 4/2/08 [subscription required]).