BSN to PA

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Any info is appreciated.

I will be graduating with my BSN in a few months. I am planning on working as a nurse for a minimum of one year before pursuing further options. I am caught up between CRNP and PA. I would like to do the CRNP, but I am hesitant with the new changes coming in 2015.

I'm trying to keep all my options open and be informed about my options. Is anyone aware if there are programs for BSN to PA and approximately how long of a period is required to complete the program? Regardless of which route I take, I will most likely continue schooling part time.

Thanks.

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I don't know of any specific BSN-PA programs. However, if you want to go to PA school, you need to have a Bachelors' and patient care experience. Also, you need to have all the pre-reqs completed. You may need to take extra classes to fulfill all the pre-req courses. I also don't know of any programs that allow part-time study. Then again, I haven't looked into that, so I wouldn't doubt that it exists. Full time PA programs generally take 2 years to complete.

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What changes in 2015? Any changes that have been talked about are still just theory and speculation, and no one has put pathways in place to make nationwide objectives reflective of this "talk". The fact that all NPs across the country will be required to get a DNP in 2015 is a fallacy with no realistic proof that it will be implemented by any, and certainly not all 50 states. I have nothing wrong with becoming a PA, but I for one am more impressed with an NP future as it will allow me to practice independently in all the states I ever want to live in. A PA will always have to answer to a physician :-)

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Specializes in Pediatrics, ER.

Hi. I'm a BSN who was accepted to Northeastern University's PA program for the fall. I had to turn it down in the end, but that's another story. There's no BSN to PA program. You have to make sure the prereqs are completed for that specific program and haven't expired. Make sure you research your state's PA scope of practice. Some states severely limit a PA's ability to practice.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, ER.

P.s. Not all programs require patient care experience, but many have a minimum requirement of 2,000 hours. I don't believe there are any PA part time programs. It's EXTREMELY rigorous. Programs range from 24-30-36 months, depending on whether students are in school winters and summers. It's 8-5 Monday-Friday the first year and only 1-2 week break between divisions of the program. You will study 20-40 hours a week on top of classes. It's not a program you can skate by on. It's very challenging.

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Specializes in ER.

There are no bridge programs to go from anything to PA and no part time programs to become a PA. Like Neo said, Extremely rigorous. I'm at the end of my didactic year and since last july we have been in class M-F 33-36 hours per week, I study about 40-60 per week outside of class, I've not worked since July 4th last year and prob won't work til I'm done with school. Our clinical rotations start end of July and by graduation July 2012 I will have 1800-2000 clinical hours in PA school. We go for 16 week terms the 1st year with 1 week of between and got 1 week for Christmas. Clinical year we only get a week off at Christmas.

As a PA you do have a delegation of service agreement with your supervising physician and yes your tied to that doc but they are not looking over your shoulder and most times not even in the same office. As a PA you can jump specialties whenever you like but you can't carry your previous scope of practice with you. Basically if your SP doesn't do it then you can't do it. I could do ER for a few years, move to surgery if I want, jump to pediatrics or whatever I desire without any further education. One thing to consider is PA's re-test every 6 or 7yrs, can't remember but as a NP one and done. Make your decisions based on your own needs, PA school = no work so >school loans but also more freedom to choose your career. NP school = part time vs. full time, ability to work so

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There is one bridge program that I know of a collegue of mine applied to in North Dakota. Here is an excerpt At present, there are more than 150 accredited Physician Assistant Programs in the United States. The University of North Dakota Physician Assistant Program is the only PA Program in North Dakota. It has also been the only program in the United States that is geared to the certified/licensed clinically practicing professional who wishes to change professions and become a physician assistant.*

Also here is a link http://www.med.und.edu/physicianassistant/

Good luck whatever u choose :)

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They want u to have three years clinical experience..http://www.med.und.edu/physicianassistant/applicant.html

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Specializes in ER.

UND is not a bridge program, it is set up similar to other schools, like Stanford, but they limit their applicant field. Where most schools consider LPN's, EMT's CNA's to be valid HCE, UND doesn't. PA education is pretty much the same at all 154 schools with some variances and we all take the same exam given by the NCCPA. I've got a couple nursing school buddies that went to UND and talk very highly of it but it's not a bridge program.

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I also was interested in either the NP or PA and spent days researching the differences in education and career. The biggest decision maker for me was that the PA is full-time all on campus only, whereas with the NP you can go part-time or full-time and there are a lot of classes that are part on campus and part online or fully online. This way you can also be continueing to gain experiance as a nurse and having money come in while you are in school. You won't have to wait a year to get your experiance, that's one more year of school you can have done while you are getting your experiance.

Plus I liked the idea that as an NP you will be focusing on one aspect of medicine, such as pediatrics, family, acute etc but as an PA you will learn about everything then have to specialize afterwards similar to an MD.

In 2015 you will need a doctorate but thats not as big of a deal as it seems. Besides if you are going to be in the field of medicine you need to consider yourself a student for life anyhow, lol!

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NeoPediRN said:
P.s. Not all programs require patient care experience, but many have a minimum requirement of 2,000 hours. I don't believe there are any PA part time programs. It's EXTREMELY rigorous. Programs range from 24-30-36 months, depending on whether students are in school winters and summers. It's 8-5 Monday-Friday the first year and only 1-2 week break between divisions of the program. You will study 20-40 hours a week on top of classes. It's not a program you can skate by on. It's very challenging.
lckrn2pa said:
There are no bridge programs to go from anything to PA and no part time programs to become a PA. Like Neo said, Extremely rigorous. I'm at the end of my didactic year and since last July we have been in class M-F 33-36 hours per week, I study about 40-60 per week outside of class, I've not worked since July 4th last year and prob won't work til I'm done with school. Our clinical rotations start end of July and by graduation July 2012 I will have 1800-2000 clinical hours in PA school. We go for 16 week terms the 1st year with 1 week of between and got 1 week for Christmas. Clinical year we only get a week off at Christmas.

I don't doubt the experience of these two posters, but PA programs DO differ. My sister graduated as a PA approximately 6-8 years ago. Her program was full-time, but she did not attend school M-F 8-5. She worked part-time AND drove back and forth from Michigan (where she lived) to Ohio (where her program was) 3-4 hours each way to attend classes. So, if you have the luxury of attending a program some distance away from where you currently live, do check out lots of programs to find one that suits you.

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I also think it is important to reiterate that the required 2015 DNP IS NOT happening. It is merely a suggestion. Sure, a lot of schools are taking away their MSN programs, but there are plenty of schools were you can become a NP/CRNA/CNM/ect with an MSN.

Also, the nursing classes aren't going to be enough to get you into PA school. A lot of PA schools basically require a pre-med track. Here is an excerpt from a local university.

"

Applicants must have taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test or the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) within the 10 years before they apply. They must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution in the United States and have a cumulative g.p.a. and a science g.p.a. of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale or a g.p.a. of at least 3.00 on their last 40 s.h. of college-level science course work. They must have completed preparatory science courses in organic and inorganic chemistry, introductory animal biology or zoology, and general statistics or biostatistics. They also must have completed upper-level courses in human or animal physiology (lower-level combined anatomy/physiology courses do not satisfy this requirement); three upper-level courses in endocrinology, microbiology, histology, and/or related disciplines; and an introductory biochemistry course (combined organic/biochemistry courses do not satisfy this requirement). Courses in cell biology, cell physiology, genetics, immunology, molecular biology, neurobiology, and parasitology are recommended.

Applicants must have at least 1,200 hours of health care experience."

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