If a Nurse Practitioner Student was asked the difference between NPs and PAs...

[purplecats07]

How do you figure?

 

User 1234556 --I always considered getting an RN degree as part of their school. Plus I thought there was some time they had to practice as an RN before applying for NP school. So when trying to become a NP, it takes longer; as you have to go to nursing school, be a RN and practice, then go to NP school.

But when I think about it now, I can see that nursing school is similiar to the undergrad degree. And praticing as an RN is similar to the prior med experience needed for PA school.

 

So, NP school and PA school itself are similar in lengths, when you think in ways other then my crazy original thoughts. :;;D:

[courtney.luoma]

PA training is fantastic. im jealous of it now that im trying to get a handle on care plans and the nurse education community and their quirks.

 

PA... fanboy... Fantastic?? Really? Hmm... that's not hype? It's obviously your opinion that PA education is "fantastic" and superior. And an opinion that not everyone shares with you... Actually, talked to my PA who is my PCP and she too agreed they are "the same" as well as the doctors I have asked. Most people really don't care or can tell the difference between the two in the "real world"... I too have been surveying my audiences as I am already accepted into PA school. I actually have a choice...

[courtney.luoma]

In addition, when I interviewed for PA school... what was the number question I was asked? Why would I want to go to PA school since I already had my BSN?? I actually had to tell the faculty some of the benefits of PA school in my opinion. One guy even said "they are the same". These are opinions from PA's that are obviously unbiased...

[richpac]

"OK, I have to comment on this post. I'm going to be a grad of a BSN program in May and have been accepted into PA school to start this Summer. However, I am most likely going to decline my acceptance and continue on to become an NP after I have experience as an RN."

 

Great, why don't you be the professional you allude to and make that call first thing Monday morning? In this way someone with the demonstrated the desire to become a PA can take the seat you seemingly have no desire to fill. You make quite obvious your opinions regarding the selection and education processes will likely hinder your success in any PA program.

 

It has been stated on many occasions that several ADCOM members subscribe to this forum. If you had been honest with yourself and the ADCOM in your interview, I'm certain (in most cases) they would have declined you admission and wished you success in your goal of becoming a NP. You seem to be a very impulsive individual with strong opinions.

 

I wish you good luck in your pursuit of a career in nursing.

 

I often marvel at some of the "strong" personalities that come out on this forum. :;-D:

[courtney.luoma]

Thanks for the reply. Actually, I was very honest with the admissions committee. I never said that I would not be considering NP programs, and I was clear that I was in fact a nursing student. I believe I was offered admission because I have demonstrated a desire to become an excellent patient care provider and could prove dedication to my academic endeavors. I think there are many true bonuses to the PA education over the NP education. As my original post was to point out some of the opinions about NP education that some people do not know about. I have never said anything negative about the PA profession and admire PA's. I also admire the NP profession. Unfortunately, some people seem to be "offended" that I am able to objectively see the "pros" and "cons" of both educational paths. I know that I could be successful in either program, because my only motivation is to provide excellent patent care someday as a primary care provider for people who have little or no access to care.

 

I honestly did not want to become an NP when I applied for the PA program. However, after being accepted, I spoke to many nurses and other professionals that I respect and have THEY advised me to reconsider and think about which program would be best for me, my family, and my future.

 

My posts are generally defending the NP profession from people who think the education is inferior. As there are not many NPs to defend their education on this forum. Just as when I would tell people about the PA profession and had negative feedback, I would defend the benefits of the PA profession. As a future nurse, I present information, as I know it, for people who may be interested in my opinion. This forum is no more than a place to discuss and debates topics related to the PA profession.

 

I would hardly say I am impulsive because I am able to respect both professions and voice my opinions.

 

When interviewing, and with talking to my PA (my PCP), the PA's talked well of NP's and this actually gave me A LOT of respect for how professional they truly are.

 

I think it is sad that some one can get "crucified" for voicing an opinion in relation to a topic that may go against popular opinion on this forum. I just refuse to believe that one educational path is far superior to another. As I have said before, I believe the end result of a NP or PA are very similar (I also said this pretty much word for word in my interview) and I feel I could be successful in either role. It is very obvious that there are people who feel they have to "exert superiority" over NP's... I guess I just don't see it that way. I think, as I have said before, that both professions worthy of pursing.

[Craigk]

In addition, when I interviewed for PA school... what was the number question I was asked? Why would I want to go to PA school since I already had my BSN?? I actually had to tell the faculty some of the benefits of PA school in my opinion. One guy even said "they are the same". These are opinions from PA's that are obviously unbiased...

 

You "actually" didn't have to tell the faculty of the benefits of PA vs. NP. They asked you that question (same as I and every other nurse that interviews for PA school) as a means to evaluate your decision to be in PA school. If you give a long drawn out explanation of the benefits you see in the profession as opposed to saying something along the lines of "they are the same" then your interview score will reflect that. The remark "they are the same" was tossed in to further dig into your reasons for being there. Everything is a test on interview day, every question has a purpose and meaning. Don't think for one second that the interview committee walked into that room needing a refresher on the differences. I got a better understanding of the planning that goes into interviews when my school recently had mock interviews for prospects and allowed current students to conduct a portion of it. Every aspect of that interview has been has been planned out before you ever step in the room.

[brookspa]

nursing diagnosis: the degree to which an RN finds "nursing Dx." beneficial, is directly , inversely proportional to the amount of clinical, ER/ ICU. bedside nursing that the RN does in their job. only out of touch, academics find them even remotely helpful if not outright confusing to the care of the actual flesh and blood patients. Nursing is just that, nursing. The practice of medicine is the practice of medicine. The two are only slightly similar with occassional overlap. I think all agree with the last 3 atatements. what is the disagreement about? By the way, very few of the NP students i see now are spending any time as a nurse before NP school. Several are on the one weekend a month at the college plan with lots of "nursing research" papers. There is little original research done in this area. Read some paperw or books and "write a book report". Whatever works for you. After you get what ever you decide on, jusst do a real good job each and every day on every single patient you see and never make a mistake.....thats the standard we are held to, rightly of not. Loving my country PA gig in the ER. hoep you do to.

[courtney.luoma]

Craigk, I would like to clarify. I definitely agreed with you. I did not mean that I needed to tell them as if they didn't know the differences, but I was telling them the benefits of becoming a PA (vs an NP) in my opinion. I guess I hadn't thought that he was saying they were the same "to dig out" more info but that is a good point. I really just told him about what I thought the benefits to PA school. While we were talking about the differences, he seemed (like myself) to agree that they were basically the same when we were speaking about future career opportunities and how these professions function within healthcare. The ADCOM at the school I interviewed with were really awesome people. I truly think they wanted to talk to me about how I was feeling regarding both professions. I spoke highly of both professions and I think they honestly respected that. I mentioned how I would like to "bridge" professions together by inviting students of all types to work together volunteering or on research, etc. This goes back to my belief that there is not one profession "better" than the other. They were also extremely honest. When I asked about an opinion on job outlook for PA's, he gave me (in his opinion) the good and the bad. I highly respected every person I interviewed with and would be truly lucky to have the opportunity to learn and be mentored by them.

 

The school I am affiliated with is actively promoting Interprofessional Teamwork among all members of the healthcare team. In this, we are expected to have a working understanding of the roles of the professions we work with. This has really been an eye opener for me; there have been a lot of barriers knocked down and people are truly seeing that each profession is a piece to a big puzzle; which is providing the best and most quality care we can for people. It is my opinion that there are not superior careers; but that each role functions with the other to "make things happen". My strongest opinions are promoting support for all professions regardless of my affiliation. I would also defend a RT, a PT or speech pathologist if someone said an RN or NP or whoever was "better". Everyone offers expertise within their training. Obviously, some people have more education and training and positions within the team are reflected in that. And thank you brookspa... "After you get what ever you decide on, jusst do a real good job each and every day on every single patient you see and never make a mistake.....thats the standard we are held to, rightly of not" This is the exact opinion I have on the matter. Whatever I choose will be based on finances, and my family dynamics; not because one is better or worse. I really hope people can respect my opinion. I had hoped to receive guidance, advice, and wisdom from others here who may have had similar situations.

[Kaepora]

I won't say which nursing school I'm doing specifically. For a few reasons. But I do want to say that being an RN does give you a definite leg up when going into any program (PA or NP). I would definitely like to see NP programs step it up. I think if an RN attended a program structured like PA school offers, then the resulting clinician would be excellent. Great knowledge base and experience entering school, and then a great program to produce a competent provider. I think CRNA programs do a great job of this, whereas NP programs can be lacking.

 

Now, we have "Care Plans" for sure. It's just that our care plans don't have any of that nursing Dx r/t to... as evidenced by... nonsense on there. I think the traditional 4 year BSN students have that. I am in the accelerated program and so everything we do has a very clear purpose with nothing extraneous thrown in. Our care plans go something like this:

Patient age: Gender: Race:

Allergies: ___________________ Diet: ________________ Activity: _____________

Patient goal for the day (ask the patient):

Why was the patient admitted to the hospital, include medical diagnosis and the patient’s explanation:

Medical Diagnoses (place A next to active diagnoses and R for resolved diagnoses):

Presenting Symptom(s):

Pathophysiology:

Surgical History:

Health Risks: (e.g. Overweight, obese, elevated cholesterol, etc. in addition to following information)

Tobacco use: Current YES NO AMOUNT

Quit

Alcohol use: Current YES NO AMOUNT

Quit

Other drugs: illegal, OTC, herbal, etc.: Current YES NO

List Drug and Amount

Quit

Social History

Do you have support at home (who):

Lives with

What kind of work do they do or are retired from?

On disability?

Medications

List current medications and answer the following questions for each medication (IV drips go here too):

Why is the patient receiving this medication e.g. what is the classification/Mech. of Action and desired effect?

Allergies – any issues?

Right labs and vital signs- what vital signs and lab values would you need to check

Range? Is the drug dosage in the normal range for this patient/method of delivery?

Incompatibilities or interactions?

Only you are about to give this to the pt. – Will you?

Return when for what surveillance –when will you come back to reassess your patient.

Safety? what to teach the pt before leaving.

Laboratory Values

VALUE - NORMAL RANGE - REASON FOR ABNORMALITY/TREATMENT

Discharge Plan for your patient:

What is the current home setting? Is their home 1 story, 2 story, etc.? What is the current plan for disposition at discharge (home, rehab, family member’s home, skilled nursing facility, assisted living, etc.). If they are NOT going home, what was the deciding factor in determining their disposition? If they are going home, what are their home care needs? (think about any assistive devices e.g. walker, wheelchair; Does the home have to be modified e.g. ramp, all furniture on first floor, hospital bed etc.) (Again – Do Not answer that there is no discharge plan)

Will they be able to return to their job/current activities?

Why/why not?

What support/lack of support (family/community; social/financial, etc,) has been identified?

What is the follow-up plan for your patient after discharge from the hospital? (Scheduled appointments, how soon, planned surgery/diagnostic test, blood work, etc.) (Again – anticipate what this might be if it is not currently known.)

What educational needs have been identified for your patient?

What teaching did YOU do? To family/patient/other?

What are the cultural influences for your patient? (Do not answer that there aren’t any.)

What are the spiritual influences for your patient? (Do not answer that there aren’t any.)

What are the social influences for your patient? (Do not answer that there aren’t any.)

List at least 3 clinical concerns for your patient. For each concern, list up to 3 patient specific nursing interventions. (NOT MD orders – what are YOU as a nurse doing for this patient. INDIVIDUALIZE these interventions. Do Not cut and paste from a book.)

 

Luckily the instructors don't want word for word NANDA on your sheet. So if your patient's H&H is really low they want to see possible reasons why (overhydration, loss of blood etc) and what you are going to do about it (assessments and interventions). Things like dressing changes, caths, etc go here too. Thank goodness it's like this because I hear about other nursing care plans that have these huge diagrams and how everything must be worded a certain way... I couldn't do that. I want real world, applicable information/assignments.

[NeoTrion]

Interesting thread we have going on here. It seems that we are running into the same discussion that they had with MD / DO. Lets face it, our educational backgrounds all give us a leg up in some form or fashion. Most people here have those skills that contribute to either profession. Isn't that what makes us evolve and network with each other. Not many people would be able to touch me when it came to Brachytherapy, Nuclear Medicine, or Radiology. But I totally suck when it comes plans of care and some lab values. The point is that the PA profession was built on multiple professionals coming together and sharing their knowledge to make each other better. We learn the basics from school, but like any profession we learn the specifics by experience and from each other. We are on the same coin people. We may be on different sides and different philosophies, but we work for the betterment of our patients. In stead of this thread becoming an interesting debate, it has become a contest of who is better. I have several friends that are NPs, PAs, and MDs. Do I think some are better than others in certain situations, yes. Would I ask a radiologist to do a DRE on me, um no. I think with experience the line tends to blur; for me the main difference is philosophy of the plan of care towards the patient. I have had the advantage of being schooled by NP's, PA's, MD's, and DO's. I am fortunate to have picked up something from all of them. I choose the PA profession because he best fit goals for specialties. But that is just my humble uneducated opinion.......... I want a team and not just I.

[psychonaut]

Wow, I'm glad I remembered to log back in, this thread took off!

 

This is actually a question I get a lot from patients. What the difference is between a PA and a NP.

As I am not very familiar with NPs and their education process, I usually tell them that we are very similar. We are both midlevel practitioners but follow the different models. Our school is shorter and more intense, med model vs nursing ect.

 

But what I like to tell them also is that the PA is very flexible, that we can switch specialties if we wanted easier then an NP. Of course you would have to work and study if you are making a big jump but it is easier then it is for NPs.

I say that as I am under the assumption that nurses have to take special boards for the field they go into like psych, family med, or peds. While our certification covers all specialties, negating the need to take a certification exam for each different specialty. While the NPs have a certification exam for each different field, which I would imagine makes it harder for them to switch.

If I am wrong about that please correct me as I would like to learn more about NPs as well.

 

This is pretty much the equivalent format that the majority of my classmates adopted to answer the question, generally benign with a little, "but we are just a teeny bit better because..." For the record, your answer above is pretty much spot on.

 

Bear in mind, this was a discussion questions for FNP students in their final semester. Being the fanboy I am, I dug deep into the pahx site and other resources and wrote a loooong post describing the origins of both our professions, heavily referenced and footnoted. The one thing I could not reference was something I heard around here (David C., maybe?) that Dr. Still original approached nursing for his fast-track program, was firmly rejected, then went with Corpsmen and the rest was history. Then, soon after, Loretta Ford and Dr. Silver started the first NP program in Denver. With no cite, I had to chalk it up as a "rumor."

 

The times I got pretty annoyed with a few of my classmates were things like harping on the "holisitic" stuff (you PAs and the physicians don't care about health promotion or the whole patient, dontcha know), overemphasis on prior RN experience (prior experience is great, but learning at this level is a whole new game, as you all know), and overemphasis on the "dependent" nature of PAs. One phrase that came up a few times was "NPs have a scope, PAs have a job description." The repetition and trite nature of this response makes me think they are getting it from somewhere, but it was a new one on me.

 

Bear in mind this is a class taught by a DNP (we are MSN students), and it was made clear that if our goal is not to be 100% independent ASAP after graduating then we are weak willed and dependent.

 

Thanks everybody for the responses. I love being a nurse and I am going to take pride in my new profession as an NP, but I'm very glad I took the time to get an understanding of your profession and educational system. You all have gotten quite a bit right and I have no problem borrowing these aspects to improve my own profession.

[psychonaut]

OK, I have to comment on this post.[snip]

 

This is essentially the opinion of many of my fellow NP students, pretty much word-for-word.

[Febrifuge]

I'm not entirely sure if this is good or bad, but one thing that's worked for me in the past is to ask a patient a question in reply, if they ask what a PA is.

 

"Do you know what a Nurse Practitioner is?"

 

(Very often, they'll say) "Yeah."

 

"Okay, then," I've said. "Think of me as a Medical Practitoner."

 

...And then I can add detail about the medical model, blah blah, same courses as med students (at my school, which had both programs and yes, we overlapped a lot), and sometimes I casually throw in my 2000+ hours of supervised clinical clerkships. I do always mention that after a few years of doing the job, the differences really seem to iron out and matter less and less, the further one gets from that student mindset.

[treejay]

Do NP schools do cadaver dissection? I'm sure the answer is "yes" and "no", depending on the school... But in general, do a lot of them, or a few of them? My sense of PA schools is that most of them do one. It certainly has been the highlight of my PA program to date (I'm in my 3rd semester)...

[medman2007]

really depends on the pa program. I ended up with more fp hours than an fnp due to several required primary care rotations. I also had FAR more er/critical care/trauma surg hrs than an ENP or ACNP. I had more surgery hours than an rnfa.

the "extra" hours pa's have in specialties in which they do not end up working serve to make them a well rounded provider. for example a psych np might lack skills and training regarding a comorbidity that one of their pts has that a pa would not due to a more extensive clinical training.

a few other issues: training before pa or np school does not train you for the role of a midlevel provider so you can't add rn school(or medic or rt school) etc hrs to provider training hours. they are a different creature. helpful, yes but different.

there are now many direct entry np programs which I would compare to the direct entry pa programs taking folks with minimal experience. I am not a fan of either.

I agree that there are good and bad pa's and np's out there with varying levels of skill and experience. I have several good friends who are np's who I would not hesitate to see for my care or the care of my family. there are also pa's out there I don't trust to run a minute clinic.

 

Well put. Can't go wrong (in most instances) with either NP or PA, although in the end you garner respect from colleagues via individual aptitude. However, and as an NP myself it pains me, I'm not a fan of the direction many NP programs are going out there. Yes, there are good and bad NP and PA programs. But, as I've been exposed to the specifics of NP/PA education, there is less and less consistency in many NP programs. Even the CRNAs are beginning to voice more derision regarding NP programs. In some educational conferences, several have voiced their disapproval of the standard NP curriculum and expectations. I have myself experienced this firsthand, as many a NP student in my area of the country "set up" their own rotations in ER, IM, etc. There have been more than several that do a couple of shifts per week over a 3-4 week period and call that their "rotation". There are no objectives, end of rotation testing, etc. Basically, no one from NP faculty (who may actually be three states over) are keeping up with what's going on; the NP just fills out log forms and sends it in and, boom, done with IM rotation. As many CRNAs, I can't understand this idea of "online" NP programs. Many students tout online classes as "tougher" or "just as tough" than the classroom, but how can you learn about master-level, advanced concepts in virology, pathology, immunology w/o hands-on experience in lab? I also found that most of the tests for these online classes are not proctored, the student just "logs in" to take the tests. How does faculty know who is actually taking the test? Just happened at a couple of mid-sized NP programs here in the Carolinas - three NP students were dismissed b/c medical resident boyfriends or 4th year med student sister taking the tests rather than NP student. Are all (non-proctored) online tests open book?

[EMEDPA]

we recently had an np student whose "er rotation" consisted of 9-5 m-f for 1 week and she probably actually did 30 hrs as she arrived late and left early several days.. that's called an orientation, not a rotation.

[Planteater]

How does faculty know who is actually taking the test? Just happened at a couple of mid-sized NP programs here in the Carolinas - three NP students were dismissed b/c medical resident boyfriends or 4th year med student sister taking the tests rather than NP student. Are all (non-proctored) online tests open book?

 

awww...c'mon medman2007- they were just brushing up on their "collaboration" skills....

[psychonaut]

Do NP schools do cadaver dissection? I'm sure the answer is "yes" and "no", depending on the school... But in general, do a lot of them, or a few of them? My sense of PA schools is that most of them do one. It certainly has been the highlight of my PA program to date (I'm in my 3rd semester)...

 

How am I supposed to dissect an on-line cadaver? Lol, no cadavers here. Maybe other schools. We did get SPs (in a pseudo Step2 CS - lite format) and suturing on rubber mats (about 2 hours of that total).

 

Well put. Can't go wrong (in most instances) with either NP or PA, although in the end you garner respect from colleagues via individual aptitude. However, and as an NP myself it pains me, I'm not a fan of the direction many NP programs are going out there. Yes, there are good and bad NP and PA programs. But, as I've been exposed to the specifics of NP/PA education, there is less and less consistency in many NP programs. Even the CRNAs are beginning to voice more derision regarding NP programs. In some educational conferences, several have voiced their disapproval of the standard NP curriculum and expectations. I have myself experienced this firsthand, as many a NP student in my area of the country "set up" their own rotations in ER, IM, etc. There have been more than several that do a couple of shifts per week over a 3-4 week period and call that their "rotation". There are no objectives, end of rotation testing, etc. Basically, no one from NP faculty (who may actually be three states over) are keeping up with what's going on; the NP just fills out log forms and sends it in and, boom, done with IM rotation. As many CRNAs, I can't understand this idea of "online" NP programs. Many students tout online classes as "tougher" or "just as tough" than the classroom, but how can you learn about master-level, advanced concepts in virology, pathology, immunology w/o hands-on experience in lab? I also found that most of the tests for these online classes are not proctored, the student just "logs in" to take the tests. How does faculty know who is actually taking the test? Just happened at a couple of mid-sized NP programs here in the Carolinas - three NP students were dismissed b/c medical resident boyfriends or 4th year med student sister taking the tests rather than NP student. Are all (non-proctored) online tests open book?

 

When I talk about wanting to improve our education, THIS is exactly what I mean. We set our own rotations, all tests are on-line and non-proctored, we get about 10 hours total "lab" experience for the whole program (simulated pelvics, simulated suturing, you get the idea). There is a recent post on AN.com where a NP student described his pathophys exams as having x amount of time for looking up the question, and y amount to answer it. The "look-up" time was actually blatantly included in the time-per-question! We got it much harder as BSN students, and they still do as I am involved in teaching them. The divide amazes me...at the RN level it was pounded into us that this was serious business, we could seriously hurt/maim/kill a patient, and we damn well better know our stuff or fail out. I have no idea how I could fail out of the NP program. I haven't had a didactic exam for two semesters, all PBL and discussion stuff. Thankfully I have great preceptors who expect a lot out of me.

 

we recently had an np student whose "er rotation" consisted of 9-5 m-f for 1 week and she probably actually did 30 hrs as she arrived late and left early several days.. that's called an orientation, not a rotation.

 

I can use 8 hrs per week this final semester for "specialty" rotations. What knowledge base would that get me? I'm spending some time with an on-site sports med doc to sharpen up my MSK assessment/dx/tx skills, but keeping it all FP/primary care, so at least I am getting better at what I will be qualified for after graduation.

 

awww...c'mon medman2007- they were just brushing up on their "collaboration" skills....

 

You have no idea, believe me. "Collaboration" as anything other than asking a specialist a question and saying in response "yes, that's exactly what I was thinking" is considered demeaning of our independence by our fearless leaders.

 

I don't have to tell you all that "real world" NPs aren't by and large like this. But the academics, man, it's really an eye-opener. It's not like I'm at Colombia or some hot-bed of DNP activity, just a middlin' State U with a great BSN program, many awesome NP clinicians, and some true Kool-Aid drinkers in positions of power.

 

Thanks again for the dialogue, always greatly appreciated!

[EMEDPA]

10 hrs of lab? seriously?

we had a 16 week 2 hrs/week course just for em procedures....we also had primary care skills labs throughout the program

[psychonaut]

10 hrs of lab? seriously?

we had a 16 week 2 hrs/week course just for em procedures....we also had primary care skills labs throughout the program

 

For real...2 days at the beginning of the program for Physical Assessment (and my fellow students cried a river about even that much time), back at end for head-to-toe pass-off on a partner in front of an instructor. 2nd and third semesters, no beginning-of-semester meetings as I recall, one end-of-semester clinical visit for each. This final semester, 2 8hr days with lectures, 2hr suture lab, and end-of-semester will be a mock cert exam (I asked "Does it match ANCC or AANP?" they said "Uuuhhh...., both?") and 2 SP exams. "The real learning begins when you graduate" is the answer my pleas for more in-person time are met with.

 

I am lucky (esp as a guy) to have had many PAPs/Pelvics, a very solid PC peds rotation, and a decent msk/joint experience. Lots of H&Ps, just started jumping right in and getting 'em done. Procedures (other than GYN, ironically) are pretty much zilch, and my gero exposure is fairly weak as well. I know I don't know what I don't know, you know? I'm going to seek out a primary care/ambulatory care site for my first job, one willing to train me up, and take total responsibility for getting in as much patient care and book learnin' as I can. I hope it goes without saying that I will have NO issues with shutting up and learning from PAs.

[burnpac]

Interesting dicussion, and one that I have had many times with many different folks. I prefer to keep it simple in my description of the differences.

 

1. PAs are trained in schools of medicine, and NPs are trained in schools of nursing.

 

2. PAs are regulated by state boards of medicine, and NPs are regulated by state boards of nursing.

 

3. PAs practice medicine in conjunction with physicians, and NPs also routinely practice medicine in conjunction with physicians and have limited independent practice in certain jursidictions.

 

In California, NPs and PAs practice in very similar roles, both in and out-patient. I work with NPs both in the ED and as hospitalists. Surgery is the exclusive domain of PAs at our facility.

 

The bottom line is that every physician, PA and NP that we can possibly train and deploy in the health care system is desparately needed into the foreseeable future given changes stemming from the Affordable Care Act.

[burnpac]

so when everyone here is up in arms about the name change, arent you one of the folks that could help fast track that idea for them?

 

That is a question for another thread. I'm no longer in any leadership position in any state, specialty or national PA organization, so the short answer is no. I certainly have an opinion on this matter and how to get it done.

[burnpac]

my bad. i recognized you from when i was an affiliate aapa member and recieved the publications. didnt know they changed the guards already.

 

Thanks for remembering, but my last day of leadership was June 9, 2011. Just a trench PA now trying to make a living!

[Guest hubbardtim48]

RN hours (school or work) are not the same as NP or PA hours. So, your pre-NP hours don't count toward NP hours. That would be like me saying my RRT hours (9,000) before PA school means I have 11,000 hours of PA hours....NOT. Every other profession is also very competitve to get into. It also depends on where you went to school, I was lucky to go to a top 1% of top 10 out 400 RRT schools in the nation, do you think this was hard to get in to....?

[Guest hubbardtim48]

Better enjoy those biology classes because you won't get any of that in nursing school or if you are an NP, practicing nursing.