FNP and PA?

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I saw on the UC Davis website that their medical school has a FNP program that is done with a PA program, and if you're in the FNP program and take a few extra classes, they'll give you the PA certificate of completion as well. This doesn't make much sense to me. Are there any benefits from being both a NP and a PA? It seems like they have so much in common it's not worth while.

http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/fnppa/aboutprogram.html

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I saw on the UC Davis website that their medical school has a FNP program that is done with a PA program, and if you're in the FNP program and take a few extra classes, they'll give you the PA certificate of completion as well. This doesn't make much sense to me. Are there any benefits from being both a NP and a PA? It seems like they have so much in common it's not worth while.

http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/fnppa/aboutprogram.html

Actually its the other way around. You have to get into their PA program then take the MSN classes at Cal State Sacramento. Ie everyone gets their PA then RNs can get their FNP if they take the MSN classes. There are regulatory benefits in a few states. There used to be a lot of prescriptive and supervisory benefits in California which is why the Stanford and Davis programs were developed. These have largely disappeared.

David Carpenter, PA-C

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Actually its the other way around. You have to get into their PA program then take the MSN classes at Cal State Sacramento. Ie everyone gets their PA then RNs can get their FNP if they take the MSN classes. There are regulatory benefits in a few states. There used to be a lot of prescriptive and supervisory benefits in California which is why the Stanford and Davis programs were developed. These have largely disappeared.

I thought the programs were different. They have different admission requirements for each program, and they say RNs have the option of getting certified as PAs. Do you know anyone whos gotten both? I'm just really curious how that works out, if they end up practicing as one all the time despite having the other certification.

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I saw on the UC Davis website that their medical school has a FNP program that is done with a PA program, and if you're in the FNP program and take a few extra classes, they'll give you the PA certificate of completion as well. This doesn't make much sense to me. Are there any benefits from being both a NP and a PA? It seems like they have so much in common it's not worth while.

http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/fnppa/aboutprogram.html

My friend just graduated from the PA program. I work with two FNPs that graduated from UCDavis some time ago (they only have their ASN degrees with their FNP) and they both have PA-C and FNP on their diploma but only use the FNP for the office and their # for prescriptions. If you are getting your FNP you will also have your PA, its like a added bonus. If you are not a nurse already however you can not get the FNP title, just the PA (have to have your BSN to apply for FNP, only need # of hours of experience for PA but I hear it is an outrageous amount). I do not know a whole lot about it though, mostly second hand knowledge, given the CNM route more research myself.

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I thought the programs were different. They have different admission requirements for each program, and they say RNs have the option of getting certified as PAs. Do you know anyone whos gotten both? I'm just really curious how that works out, if they end up practicing as one all the time despite having the other certification.

UC Davis doesn't have a nursing program (they are starting one in 2009). Previously you could get an NP license in California by completing coursework and having a master's degree. Essentially the NP program at Davis and Stanford were designed as PA programs that fulfilled all the requirements for an FNP. In the 70's and 80's there were supervisory requirements that made this advantageous in their stated mission of providing rural health. With the changes in regulation this was no longer possible. The Stanford announcement about the discontinuation of their FNP program lays it out pretty well:

http://pcap.stanford.edu/program/FNP%20Option%20Change.pdf

From the Davis site:

"The opportunity to enroll in the FNP MSN Track curriculum is available to licensed registered nurses who possess a bachelor's degree. Eligible applicants must apply specifically to the FNP Master's Track of the UC Davis FNP/PA Program. Students completing the Master's Track of this program may elect to receive one or two certificates of completion from the UC Davis School of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine (one for the FNP Program and one for the PA Program) and a Master of Science degree in Nursing from CSUS."

Basically if you are an RN with a Bachelors degree you have two choices. You can apply to the PA program or you can apply to the FNP Masters track of the FNP/PA program. If you are in the FNP program you take additional classes at CSUS for the MSN. You are given a certificate that will allow you to sit for the PANCE and once you get your MSN you can sit for the FNP exam. Prior to this my understanding is that most sat for both and used whichever certification was more advantageous. If you read the Stanford letter many students who moved out of state used the PA-C instead of the FNP. The only Davis or Stanford grad that I have encountered were working as PAs.

With the new set up people will probably be PANCE eligible before they complete the MSN. This is all relatively new so I'm not sure if anyone knows how it will play out. It will all probably go away in the next few years with the DNP. It may go away sooner if nursing school starts their own FNP program.

David Carpenter, PA-C

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