I was all set to head towards NP now a dr told me PA. Hmmm

[creativetype2007]

I was all set to head towards NP when I met a pediatric physician at starbucks yesterday who tried to tell me PA is the way to go and that NP's aren't ask knowledgeable and that just threw me for a loop. I just need to hear from people in the field if I should once again consider PA. I love working in hospitals, I would love to treat and see patients (I know I am not going to be the DR), and right now I can go either directions. Thoughts? Thank you in advance.

[jenthehen828]

I believe some people get into PA school because they don't have to deal with patient care and bathing/cleaning up patients. Nurse practitioners actually have a degree in nursing, and they went through all of the patient care. A PA can have a degree in biology and the like. They don't really get the holistic training a nurse does. Just a thought.

[kerryretta]

I wanted to clear some of the statements I have read thus far ( I'm only on page 2) PAs recertify every 5 to 6 years, but please know that MDs also do. They have boards. I don't see anything wrong with requiring a profession to retest every few years to make sure they are up to snuff with the most current medical information. Another thing, PAs can practice in conjunction with a provider. Some hospitals, clinics, and doctors offices don't even have a physician in office when the PA is working. They are only required to be available and to review cases. PA programs do range as far as their degrees that are. Offered but more and more are leaning towards masters and higher. Yes there is a move to change the name of physician assistant to physician associate and this is to help with the misconception that people have about PAs. My husband is a PA and he has his own group of patients that he sees seperate from the doctor that is in his practice. They work as a team. I know this is a nursing website, and that many people may lean towards the NP role heavily because of this. But we should also get the facts straight. We have very close friends that are PAs and NPs and I personaly think both fields work equaly well in the medical field. Your always going to get the bad eggs. And by the way, I know of many PAs and NPs that work a hospital.

[GilaRRT]

GilaRN you seem to be very bias. I don't understand why you are still harping on the hard science background. In my NP program, and most that I have seen, students are required to have 2 semesters of chemistry, at least one in organic, 2 semesters of biology, 2 semesters of anatomy and physiology. The list goes on. Why are you so concerned with the hard science background? Not only do we have to have those classes as prereq's but we also have to take all of our nursing classes, an assessment class, and pharmacology just to get our RN/BSN. Continuing into the NP portion advanced pathophys, advanced pharm, advanced health assessment are all required. NP's are very much qualified to diagnose and treat patients, and do in fact have a strong grasp of the sciences.

I think you are being a bit blind about how PA's and NP's approaches differ. It is well known that PA's are educated in the medical model, which is focused on the disease and treating the disease process. NP's are educated in the nursing model which is a more holistic approach that focuses on the patient as a whole, the disease being one component or aspect of the patient.

It is true that NP's and PA's practice pretty equally in many circumstances. The goal for both the NP and the PA is to treat the patient. However, training and approach is different. There is a reason there are both PA's and NP's and that is because different people prefer different approaches. I have always found NP's to be more empathetic and have found that they focus on the patient, where many PA's dont seem to see the patient as a person, only a disease to be treated.

I seem to be bias? Why not simply call it how it is, in fact I did just that in my prior post. I am bias. Unfortunately, the standards for NP education are all over the place. NP's in my area of the world can graduate with one chemistry course. In addition, it's not even a real chemistry course. I also find many nurses say they take chemistry, only to find out these courses are survey or intro type classes. As I have stated earlier, the PA will typically have the upper hand in hard science courses.

You also say PA education is based on a medical model, yet the NP is not. Perhaps you fail to make the same connection that I make. If a NP is doing the same job and making a medical diagnosis, should that said NP not work under the framework of the medical model? After all, it is practicing medicine.

[foreverLaur]

I believe some people get into PA school because they don't have to deal with patient care

Seriously? So what do PAs do if it isn't patient care?

[Gator FNP]

I am a family nurse practitioner. I work in a large teaching, trauma hospital. There are NPs working throughout the hospital. There is a trauma service, NPs manage patients on the trauma floor, ER, units. The orthopedic group has NPs and PAs, they work in clinic and manage pt on ortho floor as well. Neuro depart, NPs, same duties.

I have experience in family, internal, pediatrics, pain mgt. I now run a PAT clinic in the hospital. I work independently, have a supervising MD to call with questions.

In some states a NP does not require a supervising MD. Many have their own practices.

Hope this is helpful. Good Luck!

[ernurse1993]

The surgeons at a local clinic have an NP within their group, she see's pt in the ED prior to surgery, and also follows them throughout their hospital stay. If the pt is admitted with a surgical consult she also follows them through discharge, and at the clinic. I think it all depends on what specialty you go into as to whether or not you see pt's in the hospital or the clinic setting. You might check into shadowing both an NP and PA to see exactly what they do in their jobs.

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

the Yale accelarated 2nd degree nursing program doesn't even require chemistry, A&P or microbiology

http://nursing.yale.edu/Academics/GEPN/admission.html

"The minimum requirement for admission to the Graduate Entry Prespecialty in Nursing (GEPN) is a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. Applicants from all academic majors and backgrounds are encouraged to apply. There are no prerequisite courses for the GEPN program, but applicants are highly encouraged to have undergraduate courses in human anatomy and physiology, statistics, and the biological sciences prior to applying. "

Columbia's accelarated 2nd degree nursing program only requires A&P and microbiology, both of which can be met by taking Excelsior exams

they only require chemistry if you're going into Nurse Anesthesia

Columbia University School of Nursing

I looked at their PA program, not their NP or second degree programs in nursing.

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

May I ask which NP program you are applying to? I just think that if we had some more med-schoolish components such as cadaver lab, that might take some of the edge of the criticism that we constantly hear from PAs and MDs.

My alma mater, Duke; Vanderbilt; and Yale. My guess is I'll end up at Duke because I don't know if I can convince the Air Force to send me to either of the other two, though my most recent pastime has become working on ways to convince them. Also, I've already got 16 hours of master's level work at Duke because my ABSN degree is from there, and 16 hours of our BSN were at the grad level. (The hours would probably transfer to the other schools but I'd have to petition to get them accepted.)

Yale's a personal dream, Vandy's relatively close to home (and I'd love to PCS to Nashville for two years!), and Duke's the evil I know well.

Personally, let the MDs and PAs criticize all they want - let them show their own ignorance.

I would've liked to have taken gross anatomy just because it would be cool!

[Claritee]

Of course a P would try to recruit more PAs. My mom has been a women's health PA for about 23 years. When I was thinking about going into the field I asked her advice. She told to me become an NP instead! Her reasons were more opportunities, more jobs, and more independence. According to her there is no difference in knowledge level, but she did say that she could do a procedure or two that an NP she knew didn't do. Anyway, she's a PA who is advising to her own child (whom she loves dearly:)) to go the NP route. That's all the convincing I needed!

[foreverLaur]

Of course a P would try to recruit more PAs. My mom has been a women's health PA for about 23 years. When I was thinking about going into the field I asked her advice. She told to me become an NP instead! Her reasons were more opportunities, more jobs, and more independence. According to her there is no difference in knowledge level, but she did say that she could do a procedure or two that an NP she knew didn't do. Anyway, she's a PA who is advising to her own child (whom she loves dearly:)) to go the NP route. That's all the convincing I needed!

Her area is dominated by NPs so not really a big surprise there. I'm going the PA route myself and I don't encourage people to pursue it - the competition is already crazy insane :).