Bsn degree vs. Physician assistant certification/licensure??

TakeBack · Aug 29, 2009

nps can run their own practice without supervision of a md, pas must practice under the supervision of a md

State by state variability re: requirement for physician/BOM involvement

Pearson Report, pg 18

http://www.acnpweb.org/files/public/2008_Pearson_Report.pdf

TakeBack · Aug 29, 2009

The whole "NP's practice independently" vs. PA's "practicing under MD's license" is weird to me.

PAs have their own licenses...

Music in My Heart · Aug 29, 2009

BTW it's Physician Assistant, no 's.............

Thanks for correcting me. I couldn't decide and didn't feel like investigating...

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Aug 29, 2009

Greetings!
This might not be much of a debate. Maybe someone can shed some light:
RN, BSN(degree), CEN, CFRN
...or...
RN, PA(certified/licensed Physician's Assistant), CEN, CFRN
Which credentials of a BSN or PA is much more appealing to an employer, and much more likely to pay higher raises(by very little or a lot)??

Very vague question...

are you asking if a Registered Nurse with a BSN who has further training and certification as an ER Nurse (CEN) and as a flight nurse (CFRN) will have a better earning potential than a Registered Nurse who obtained further education as a Physician Assistant (PA-C) but also has certification as an ER Nurse (CEN) and a Flight Nurse (CFRN)? I really don't know the answer to that...and now, even I'm confused. The one with the RN, BSN, CEN, CFRN would probably be very marketable in an emergency field or setting. On the other hand, the PA-C with an unusual mix of credentials probably wouldn't benefit from all the additional nursing letters as the PA-C alone will get him a job in any healthcare field where PA's are employed in.

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Aug 29, 2009

PAs have their own licenses...

Actually, they don't - hence the "PA-C" - meaning, PA certified. NPs are just that, NPs (and RNs as well - no "c's").

PA's aren't licensed and it's more than semantics.

As a side note, whoever posted about the connection with Duke and PAs and the reason for the existence of such a program was correct - Duke was actually the first PA program in the country.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Aug 29, 2009

Actually, they don't - hence the "PA-C" - meaning, PA certified. NPs are just that, NPs (and RNs as well - no "c's").
PA's aren't licensed and it's more than semantics.
As a side note, whoever posted about the connection with Duke and PAs and the reason for the existence of such a program was correct - Duke was actually the first PA program in the country.

Well, much of it is pretty much semantics. The term "licensure" has been used to denote a document allowing a professional to practice in a specific state of jursidiction such as licensure as a Registered Nurse in New York or licensure as a Medical Doctor in California. "Certification" on the other hand, can denote passing requirements by examination set forth by a specialty board that is usually national in scope for a specific profession such as Board Certification as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner or Board Certification as an Emergency Physician.

NP's are licensed as RN's in all states and in some states, are also given a separate NP license by the Board of Nursing. There are states that do not award the separate NP license and instead, certification as an NP is granted. Regardless of whatever the document is called, the RN License must be current for the NP to be considered active or valid in all the 50 states. PA's, on the other hand, pass national certification via the PA Board but are also granted the priviledge to practice their profession via a state-issued license in all 50 states that is under their own name and independent of their supervising physician's. PA state licensure is issued by the the Medical Board in the individual states.

kanzi monkey · Aug 29, 2009

Actually, they don't - hence the "PA-C" - meaning, PA certified. NPs are just that, NPs (and RNs as well - no "c's").
PA's aren't licensed and it's more than semantics.
As a side note, whoever posted about the connection with Duke and PAs and the reason for the existence of such a program was correct - Duke was actually the first PA program in the country.

AANP certified NPs are NP-C's

ANCC certified NPs are APRN-BC's

Have to have certification to have a license.

On PA licensing, I got my info from Carolyn Buppert 2008 p. 10 "PAs practice medicine under the license of a physician, never independently"

Having not worked as an NP yet, I suppose I don't truly grasp what this means. As far as I'm concerned (and how I intend to practice--in collaboration with a supervising MD) the licensing issue IS pretty much one of semantics.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Aug 29, 2009

AANP certified NPs are NP-C's
ANCC certified NPs are APRN-BC's
Have to have certification to have a license.
On PA licensing, I got my info from Carolyn Buppert 2008 p. 10 "PAs practice medicine under the license of a physician, never independently"
Having not worked as an NP yet, I suppose I don't truly grasp what this means. As far as I'm concerned (and how I intend to practice--in collaboration with a supervising MD) the licensing issue IS pretty much one of semantics.

I have the same book Kanzi and Carolyn Buppert is definitely very knowledgeable. I wonder if what she meant is that PA's have to practice under physician supervision and never independently from a physician whereas NP's by virtue of us not having a "medical license" per se are practicing under our own "nursing license". Definitely many ways to interpret the statement.

TakeBack · Aug 29, 2009

Actually, they don't - hence the "PA-C" - meaning, PA certified. NPs are just that, NPs (and RNs as well - no "c's").
PA's aren't licensed and it's more than semantics.
As a side note, whoever posted about the connection with Duke and PAs and the reason for the existence of such a program was correct - Duke was actually the first PA program in the country.

Actually, they (I!) do. Actually, you don't really know what you're talking about.

Certification is a nat'l issue. Licensure is satewide, and license varies state-to-state.

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Aug 29, 2009

I have the same book Kanzi and Carolyn Buppert is definitely very knowledgeable. I wonder if what she meant is that PA's have to practice under physician supervision and never independently from a physician whereas NP's by virtue of us not having a "medical license" per se are practicing under our own "nursing license". Definitely many ways to interpret the statement.

Which is what I was told - it's an RN license, not a medical license, which is something PAs don't have either, and I was told that by a PA. (!!!!) :banghead:

Being an OCN certified RN won't change the fact that I'm a licensed RN, any more than being a certified oncology NP doesn't change the fact that that NP is still a licensed NP (at least in NC, even if that's the RN license). If being certified and being licensed comprise the same thing, why are they different?

Here's my opinion: PAs are probably considered certified because the AMA (whom I have a very tenuous trust of at best) doesn't/didn't want the term 'licensed' used - could that be where it came from? Seriously - I'm asking a legit question. You all know how docs get about that sort of stuff. Semantics are right up their alley.

And all these acronyms are confusing me more than the military's did.... :clown:

kanzi monkey · Aug 29, 2009

Actually, they (I!) do. Actually, you don't really know what you're talking about.
Certification is a nat'l issue. Licensure is satewide, and license varies state-to-state.

I like my book and all, but I in no way would question whether or not you have a license/certification or anything else you say to do what you do. That would be weird.

:)

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2009

Personally, as long as the practitioner's legal, most of us don't care, patients or not.