DPN/Nurse Practitioner vs. PA/Physician's Assistant

[SopranoKris]

I've been getting conflicting information from advisors on the difference between being a DPN/Nurse Practitioner vs. being a PA. I've been told the only difference is PAs are trained in the medical school, while DPN/NPs are trained in the nursing school. That they essentially do the same job, but PAs can prescribe a greater variety & type of medications. I'm trying to decide which career path I'd like to take after completing my BSN.

I'd love to hear some feedback from those of you actually pursuing these fields. What made you decide to choose DPN/NP over being a PA (or vice-versa)? How do you think job prospects differ between the two? Did driving distance to your school affect your decision? How long did you work as a BSN before pursuing post-graduate studies?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

[cmatt004]

It depends on the state you practice in. In no states can a PA practice independently. In 22 states a NP can practice without supervision.A NP is mostly for primary care but can specialize ,like psych or Emergency.The PA is more diverse but has more supervision.Both make about the same.The NP can obtain a DNP doctorate in nursing practice and have the title of DR,especially in research.They are different professions with two different scopes and lines of thinking.Np's in most states have greater script authority.A DNP has more education and has greater authority and independence in most states than PA's.

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

Wow, never thought I'd see my old thread from 2012 resurrected!

I posted this before I even started nursing school. As I've gone through school and now work in the hospital, I have had the chance to see both NPs & PAs in action. I definitely want to be an acute care NP. I love what they do in our ICUs. In my state, NPs & PAs both have the same "authority" as far as writing prescriptions and being supervised by a physician.

I'm applying to a few programs for a Fall 2017 start. I'm looking to become dual FNP/ACNP certified as I would need both to work in the ER. If I wanted to solely do ICU, I would only need the ACNP. I like the idea of having dual certification so I have a wider variety of options when the time comes.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

As an ACNP, I tell nurses deciding on their path to do PA - if only because it is possible to switch specialties merely by changing jobs. Rather than nursing, where you have to keep going back to school to get more degrees and certificates if you want to switch, for example, from adult to pediatric acute care. In practice, at least in my state, the work and responsibilities are identical between PAs and CRNPs.

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

As an ACNP, I tell nurses deciding on their path to do PA - if only because it is possible to switch specialties merely by changing jobs. Rather than nursing, where you have to keep going back to school to get more degrees and certificates if you want to switch, for example, from adult to pediatric acute care. In practice, at least in my state, the work and responsibilities are identical between PAs and CRNPs.

Unfortunately, there aren't any PA programs that are local enough for me to drive. Closest one is over 2 hours away. And, I would have to quit my job to attend PA school. I can't quit working to go to school, so my only avenue is the NP route. I'm definitely going for the dual DNP FNP/ACNP certification. That way, I don't have to go back to school later and I am not as limited to one field.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

Another layer to ghillbert's comment is the tendency to prefer PA's in surgical specialties that involve OR assisting. There seems to be a higher acceptance of PA's over NP's in terms of OR skills and whether that's just perception or PA training actually provides it, I'm not sure. I am certain though that training in first assisting is either not offered or not strong in many NP programs. In California, NP's have to train as RNFA's to add that layer to their role whereas PA's seem to get hired in the role without the need for additional formal schooling. Having said that, as an ACNP whose role has been in adult critical care for the last 10 years, I haven't had to go back to school in order to remain competitive.