advice about PA or NP?

Nurses General Nursing

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First let me say I am in my early 40's and male, not that that matters. Right now I can either head towards the RN and then the NP path or go towards PA right now, I do already have a bachelors but not in nursing. I do like the idea of having more of a medical background, as I always hear NP's aren't trained the same medical background yet do the same jobs, at least as far as I have seen on job postings. It also concerns me that when I started this journey there were tons of RN jobs and now there seems to be a lack of them and people are really struggling to find work. At least for now. I am sure that will change as the economy gets better. So, I ask my fellow medical people out there in the world for your feedback, advice, anything you wish to offer. Oh, on a side note, I thought about joining the military after I got either degree as that would be amazing experience and training but I am over the age limit I believe. Thank you in advance for writing back to me.

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Specializes in ICU, ED, PACU.

I would suggest shadowing both, as this question is intrinsically too broad to be answered with the background information and the preferences you have provided. While PA and NP may be synonymous to the lay person they are not synonymous in practice.

I would further suggest looking at curriculum for some PA programs vs some NP programs. They are very different. PA schools focus entirely on medical and procedural knowledge while NP programs look into nursing theory and management in addition. PA schools also require far more clinical hours before graduation. However, procedural knowledge gaps tend to vanish after both have practiced for around a year (2000+ hours of work).

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what is your degree in? it may be quicker for you to just go to a PA program since a lot of schools accept a bachelors degree in just about anything.

however, i believe you'll have a better understanding and knowledge base by going the rn to np route. like someone mentioned above, the two roles may seem synonymous but they aren't. i think there are more limitations on practice for a pa than there are for a np but it depends on a lot of variables.

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:bow: PA schools are very hard to get into. PA school also is very hard on your family and friends. It was like boot camp for me. Neither one I liked much. NP programs, after you get your RN, can be done, in some cases, part time. PA school is more than full time. You can also work while you are taking NP classes. I will be applying to NP programs as soon as I can because the US will need more autonomous middle level providers if it is to make health reform work.
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are you a PA now? It sounded like it but I wasn't sure. Thank you for your advice.

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I am not a PA but I did get into PA school and only lasted a short time. Many of the people I went to school with told me that they were depressed, stressed, unhappy, getting a divorce or on the verge of getting a divorce because of the program we were in. I left because I just could not keep up with the pace of the program. There are a lot of different PA programs out there and many (I would hope most) are kinder than the one I went to. There is a big difference between PAs and NPs - PA's are all about the procedure (surgery is big!) NP's that I have met were into primary care. If you want to cut, go to PA school. If you want to care for patients, NP is the way to go.:loveya: Good luck.

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Greetings!

Based on your background and career goals I would suggest that you look into direct entry NP programs or PA programs. No need to go to school to get your RN, and then go back to get your NP, you can do it in one shot... most programs are three years for the direct entry NP option.

As for PA or NP...

I also faced this choice and decided to go for the NP (currently in a direct entry program psychiatric nurse practitioner program).

Here's why...

And right up front, I just want to say that I have a bias in favor of nursing. o.O

In the state that I want to work (Maine), NPs can have their own independent practice once they receive an independent license from the state (2 years post grad work). In Maine, PAs cannot have a their own autonomous practice, meaning they always need to have a physician supervising them.

Sure they can pay for one to fulfill that role and open a clinic and its not a big deal if you are thinking of working in a hospital or military. But in my case, my husband who is a social worker, and I would like to open our own mental health clinic somewhere down the road.

I also like the nursing approach to education better than the medical approach. It's a personal preference, not sure if yours will be the same. So I second the other posts that say to shadow both and see what you like. If might also be useful to look at the classes you will have to take for the degree.

I also chose the NP program because it gives me a speciality certification (psychiatric nurse practitioner). I haven't heard of any PA programs where you can specialize while in school. That's not to say that there aren't PAs working in the psychiatric field.... but its nice to have the professional license in your field and the specialized academic training to back it up. So think about what you would like to do ultimately. Do you want to be a general midlevel health provider? Interested in psych, or midwifery?

As for joining the military. If you succeed in your academic pursuits (PA/NP) you can apply for an age waiver. There is such a shortage of health professionals (particularly mental health) that I know a few people who have joined up after being over the 35 cutoff.

I hope this is helpful.

M

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Wait, so PA school is far more intense, but the training is less?

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