The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has recommended that the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) become the level of preparation for advanced practice nursing. Currently, the master.s degree is the level of preparation required for advanced practice nursing. However, for most DNP programs, some or all of the clinical hours accrued in the master.s program will count toward the DNP clinical hours should you decide to go for a DNP in the future.