Accelerated BSN or PA school?

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I am a third year student in University and I'm majoring in Health Sciences in the East Coast. I know I want to be in the medical field but I am torn between getting a post-bacc in Nursing or going straight to PA School. I want to achieve my highest potential but I don't know if starting with a BSN and working my way up would be more or less beneficial than going to grad school to become a PA. Any Suggestions? Please be informative and considerate.

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Specializes in CTICU.

I'd go straight for PA if I were you and not already doing nursing. PA will allow you to choose any adult/pediatric specialty and would be faster to finish.

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Thanks for your response. The accelerated post baccalaureate program BSN is about 15 months whereas the PA program varies from 24 months onward. So, the PA program is in fact longer than the BSN.

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Specializes in ICU.

A PA in my area makes a lot more money than a nurse, if that matters to you. Since you said you wanted to do something in the medical field, the PA would probably make more sense that a BSN, which is based on the nursing model, not medical.

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Specializes in ICU.

Most (all?) PA programs require significant paid health care experience before you can apply. Do you have that?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Really depends on career goals. PAs and RNs have totally different job duties / responsibilities. If you think your ultimate goal is to become an NP, then go to PA school - very similar / identical role in most hospital settings and schooling would be a lot shorter. Some friends that went to PA school did have some healthcare experience before starting, but I also have a handful with no paid experience - they got EMT license while in college though - 6 months at community college. I recommend trying to shadow an RN, then a PA and an NP. I know its not easy to find people to shadow if you don't know them, but talk to a counselor or someone at school that can set you up.

Good luck!

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I am trying to make the same decision, although my Bachelors is in a non health field. I am leaning toward BSN simply because there are no PA programs where I live and I have a husband and a baby which makes moving difficult. If it weren't for my geographic limitations, however, I'd probably pick PA school if for no other reason than the higher earning potential.

I've noticed that some PA programs have different focuses, so that might be something to consider. Are you interested in primary care, or do you see yourself working in with critical patients? Personally I really like the idea of being a surgical PA, and as a nurse I would probably pursue OR as well, but I feel like I could really enjoy a lot of different roles in health care which makes it hard to decided.

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Specializes in Prior military RN/current ICU RN..

I agree...research the two different careers and see what you want to do. Nursing and PA are totally different. I would worry less about the time than what you actually want to do. Other than working in a hospital, they are very different careers.

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Specializes in CTICU.
Thanks for your response. The accelerated post baccalaureate program BSN is about 15 months whereas the PA program varies from 24 months onward. So, the PA program is in fact longer than the BSN.

Well yes, but you end up with a BSN on one hand, and a masters degree as a provider on the other. They are not equivalent roles. For an extra 9 months, you can skip to a higher pay grade. If you plan to eventually do a further degree and/or become a nurse practitioner, then this would be faster in your case to get to an equivalent role.

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I was trying to make the same decision a few months ago. I got a job in a hospital as a PCT and applied for the Spring BSN term. The PA schools in my area only take Fall admissions, and I did not yet have enough patient contact (800-1200 hours) this past Fall. Yes, RNs and PAs have very different roles, but I was interested in going on as an NP--which is closer to a PA. While working in the hospital, I had the chance to see how the NPs and the PAs work--and it's quite different. The NPs have far more patient interaction, while the PAs are more like doctors and just do daily rounding. They are very similar in my state in regards to what they actually do, but the clincher for me was that NPs can practice autonomously, while PAs must work under a doctor.

That was how I came to my decision--well, that and being accepted to my top BSN program this Spring--but you might feel differently. I would recommend shadowing both to get an idea of how they work.

Good luck!

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Thank you all so much for your responses. You're all very positive and I appreciate your contribution to my decision making.

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