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Future of PA Profession


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Hey guys, 

I just wanted to start this topic because I haven't seen it many places. I am a PA-S 2, and I am 3 more rotations away from graduation

Recently on my rotation one of the nurse practitioners basically shit on our profession and said if an NP and PA go out for the same job the NP will always win. I was just wondering what are some of your thought on this?

and was also wondering if anyone knows what the AAPA or CAPA are doing to further our practice scope so that we can stay competitive with nurse practitioners?

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Let that NP run his/her mouth. Yes, it's common for NPs to be the preferred candidate due to current practice laws, however, PAs are still holding strong for ED and surgical specialties. NPs will not  always win. They just sound like someone with a chip on their shoulder. Do yourself one better, do a residency/fellowship program.

Don't worry though, many NPs are not currently working at the bedside due to travel RN pay and many RNs are leaving the profession entirely which means less future NPs in the market. 

Unfortunately, students get hit with bad attitudes (doesn't matter if PA-S, NP-S, or medical student). Get to graduation and pursue w/e field that will provide a great learning environment. There's enough sick clients to go around.

Edited by Diggy
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There are more nurses, so in America, everyone knows someone who knows what an NP is.  NP education is deficient compared to PA education and getting weaker, but they have better marketing and political clout just based on sheer numbers. That doesn't mean that NPs can't be great clinicians... but their training or boards don't make them that, their own conscientiousness has to.

When you get into practice, you will be one more person educating people why a brand-new PA is a better clinician than a brand-new NP.

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It’s also a numbers game. NPs pump out 22k per yer to our 10k. There is 30 NP applications at our hospital for every one PA. We want more PAs and they don’t function any differently than the NPs. Just not enough of us to go around.

if it makes you feel any better, I’m paid more than any NP at my hospital, and technically I’m junior by sheer years in practice, but I’m well recognized as the senior based on training (residency). 

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I think one key role for PAs in protecting hospital jobs is getting more PAs into administration. Traditionally, many admin people are from a nursing background and therefore favor NPs once in administration roles. Maybe there should be special MBA-Hospital Admin schools especially for PAs with this ambition. Maybe a PhD in healthcare admin designed for practicing PAs. It would be an enticing route if a PA wants to earn >200k/year while protecting the profession.

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On 3/30/2022 at 8:24 PM, Breen said:

Hey guys, 

I just wanted to start this topic because I haven't seen it many places. I am a PA-S 2, and I am 3 more rotations away from graduation

Recently on my rotation one of the nurse practitioners basically shit on our profession and said if an NP and PA go out for the same job the NP will always win. I was just wondering what are some of your thought on this?

and was also wondering if anyone knows what the AAPA or CAPA are doing to further our practice scope so that we can stay competitive with nurse practitioners?

Yeah I've heard that stool being spouted by NPs for years! Having worked hundreds of miles from the nearest hospital or my SP and noticing the dearth of NPs confirmed my opinion of the NP profession! I recall working as a locum out in the middle of the Bearing Sea where the clinic "medical director" was an NP who told me that she felt better about the safety of her family with me on the island! So just look at those 500 hours of online "education" NPs are claiming validates the superiority of NPs over PAs clinical education and skills! When are NPs going to admit to patients their bogus mantra of "practicing advanced nursing not medicine" is part of the  scam of pushing being "Doctors" Nursing Practice when speaking to the public!!!

Edited by CAdamsPAC
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