Has anyone done or considered PA school?

Pediatric4077 · Feb 14, 2010

You have to look at the difference in practice. From what I see, I'm in pediatrics the PA's don't get to do very much.. They see kids in the clinic and write up histories. Big yawn. I'm sure they do more in different settings, I just know what I see. The NP's however are on the floor, writing orders, taking out drains, adjusting vent settings, doing more complicated activities. I'm an RN, and have been for almost 3 years. I think if I get at least another 3-4 years I'll be ready for an NP program. It's a lot of responsibility being a nurse, even more when in advanced practice.

If you are trying to lessen the impact on your family the quicker program might help. However it really depends on what kind of student you are. Nursing school is demanding, no matter what way you slice it. Since you are familiar with college, look at the number of credits you are taking each semester for the different courses and how much clinical time you will also be doing. I'm a second degree RN so I got out of a lot of classes which lightened the load some.

Anyhow hope this helps

Meredith

tiny3 · Feb 14, 2010

I have an Associate RN and a Bachelor in Applied Science with a Minor in Psychology. I am waiting to take my RN boards this month. I hope to apply for the PA program all online in June. There are several all online programs. The PA and NP do the same thing, but it all depends on the city/state you work in and the setting. I have seen PA and NP in all setting and do well. The pay is great for both. Tiny3 :nurse:

roser13, ASN, RN · Feb 14, 2010

Personally, I don't consider RN as a stepping stone toward PA. Toward NP, yes and some would argue that you should practice as an RN before going toward NP.

But PA? An entity unto itself, as far as I can tell. If you want go for a PA, go for it from the start.

Quienes · Feb 14, 2010

If you are trying to lessen the impact on your family the quicker program might help. However it really depends on what kind of student you are. Nursing school is demanding, no matter what way you slice it. Since you are familiar with college, look at the number of credits you are taking each semester for the different courses and how much clinical time you will also be doing. I'm a second degree RN so I got out of a lot of classes which lightened the load some.

Anyhow hope this helps

Meredith

Thanks Meredith for the information and insight. When you went back to get your RN did you go for the BSN or the associates degree? I have choosen the associates degree because the cost of the program is soo affordable, it's near the house and I had the impression 'if I already have a four year degree, why not got he cheapest, easiest route'. I didn't fully understand the public health certification that I will be missing when I graduate. If I want to become a NP down the line, will I need to then get my BSN first or are there direct entry programs? Will I be eligible for promotions or management positions with a BA and an RN? What are your thoughts?

newohiorn, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Feb 14, 2010

I went the route you are considering now. I have a bachelor's in business and went to a community college to obtain my RN. You can go directly into MSN programs with this background, as I was accepted to and began such a program (which I ended up quitting).

I considered PA school prior to getting my RN. From what I read at the time (it has been a while) it seemed that most programs indicated you would be so busy you really wouldn't have time to work more than 12 hours a week or so and that didn't work for me financially. On the other hand I was able to work full-time while obtaining my RN, although it was still very difficult.

In my experience most management positions require a BSN or that you be working toward a BSN--not sure if they consider other bachelor's degrees acceptable. I'm actually starting to work on a bridge to BSN right now because I have the sneaking suspicion I will need it one day if I want to get away from the bedside in the future. The RN to MSN program that I was in might have been a better way to go but I realized after I started that I just wasn't up for that kind of commitment to school again. I'm a little bit surprised to find that the BSN bridge is more than I thought it would be since I already have most of the required general education credits and 2 years of nursing but it will be a year's worth of nursing classes for something like 32 credit hours.

Hope this helps.

Quienes · Feb 14, 2010

Personally, I don't consider RN as a stepping stone toward PA. Toward NP, yes and some would argue that you should practice as an RN before going toward NP.
But PA? An entity unto itself, as far as I can tell. If you want go for a PA, go for it from the start.

I know of a nurse who had a BSN as her first degree then got her masters as a Physicians Assistant. They want you to have clinical experience before you apply so most PAs were EMTs, RNs, etc. from what I understand.

I agree that for me RN to PA is not a natural stepping stone and would persue becoming a NP if I completed my RN first. I am just getting cold feet about the length and difficulty of the RN program. Not that I am afraid to work hard, I am a great student but if it's so tough should I just do the accelerated 12mo BSN for 50K? I'd like to maximize my time but not devestate my family with the work load. I am about to start a 2 year ADN program. After if I want to finish my BSN I'll need to spend 1 more year in school doing a RN-2nd BSN program. Then if I want to become a NP (which I may or may not) that's 2-3 more years. In total I'm looking at 5-6 years at least of school. Plus I think it's prudent to work as an RN before jumping into a masters. The PA program is just under 3 years which sounds tempting....

core0 · Feb 14, 2010

Hello,
I'm starting school next week, and still having reservation about going "back" to get my RN at a community college. Because I have a family I decided not to persue the accelerated BSN route and get a 2nd bachelors or attempt a direct entry MSN program. I assumed the RN at the local community college would be the least intrusive program on my family. After I went to the RN orientation, I am not so sure. The students were really tried to impress how difficult, challenging and all encompassing the next two years will be. If that is the case then maybe I should persue a masters degree, or pony up the money for the 12 month BSN. I have the pre-reqs for PA school and the USC program is only 33 months. Has anyone gone on to become a physicians assiant? Will I regret not getting a BSN?

Nationally around 7% of PA students are nurses (mostly RNs). So RN > PA is a valid choice. On the other hand if you have no medical experience it will be difficult to get into many PA schools. From Keck:

"Hands-on, patient care clinical experience is preferred. Successful applicants often have worked as one of the following: emergency medical technician, licensed vocational nurse, medical technologist, military medical corpsman, paramedic, psychiatric technician, radiologic technician, respiratory therapist, registered nurse, or medical assistant (back office). Other health care experience is equally acceptable as long as the clinical experience is hands-on in nature. It is important that PA applicants are familiar with medical care environments, have experience working with patients, and have shadowed a PA."

Also PA school is very competitive, so there is no guarantee of getting in even with good grades and HCE. Finally if you read the boards here there is no guarantee that graduating from nursing school will result in a job.

There is a thread about this on the PA board:

http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/forums/showthread.php/24687-Using-RN-degree-as-a-stepping-stone

From a practice perspective there are local differences between how PAs and NPs are used, however, PAs practice with significant autonomy in every area of medicine.

David Carpenter, PA-C

aura_of_laura · Feb 14, 2010

A community college RN program is going to be every bit as labor intensive (and usually a whole lot less flexible) than an accelerated program or Masters program. The main reasons for doing an RN program instead of the other options are a lack of money, and a true desire to do floor nursing.

Quienes · Feb 14, 2010

I went the route you are considering now. I have a bachelor's in business and went to a community college to obtain my RN. You can go directly into MSN programs with this background, as I was accepted to and began such a program (which I ended up quitting).
This helps tremendously, thank you.
Can you tell me more about your direct entry MSN program? Specifically how did the work load compare with the ADN program? Do you remember, were there more papers, reading, study time needed? Was it indeed a dramatic difference? I think what would help me settle in this decision is knowing that the MSN or accelerated BSN is signifigantly more challenging requiring much more time and effort. At my ADN orientation the students gave the impression nothing could be more challenging that what they are doing. It's great that you have experienced both, your input is really appreciated, thanks again.

mammac5 · Feb 15, 2010

I looked into both types of programs and originally was leaning towards the PA direction. I worked for many years in outpatient settings as a medical assistant and knew I wanted that same type of situation...I just wanted to be able to do a lot more and have my "own" patients. I didn't want to do hospital nursing, so PA seemed attractive at the time.

After visiting a few programs and speaking with my mentor/reference physicians, I started to seriously look at bridge programs where I could complete the requirements for the RN, prepare for NCLEX and then immediately follow up with an NP program. Now I am in a bridge program and doing well.

The differences for me (and these may be specific to the state where I live, so check your state's regulations) included: The PA must work directly under the supervision of a physician, charts must be cosigned by the supervisor, and the PA can do only those tasks delegated by the supervising doc.

The NP is much more independent and, although he/she must have a "cooperative agreement" with a licensed physician who is available for consultation (does not have to be face-to-face in my state) no direct supervision is required. NPs may own and run their own practices -- as long as a cooperative agreement is in place.

Obviously, the NP role really behooves one to know one's limitations and recognize when a particular patient should be seen by another provider and/or when to pick up a phone and ask someone a question. The working relationship between the doc and the NP should be one of great trust.

The doc I worked with previously basically told me I'm WAY too independent to be somebody's PA!

diane227, LPN, RN · Feb 15, 2010

Everyone has to decide what level of care they want to provide. But don't become a PA, NP or CRNA just because you want to make money. The money is going to depend on where you work and what your doing. I have friends who are NP's or PA's and they make less than I do. But I have two friends who are PA's for an ortho group and they make a lot of money. If you feel that you would enjoy your practice more at the mid level provider level, then go for it.