Hello friends, I am wondering what helped you make the decision to go the nursing route if you were considering PA or NP careers. Right now I am weighing tuition costs(ABSN + NP vs PA), admission requirements i.e. GPA, clinical experience. I have worked in a hospital for a few months as a PCA to log clinical hours for applications. The frustrating part is seeing that the pre-reqs for Accelerated BSN programs are the same , and often more, credit hours than P.A. school requirements which is going to be my first step. I know the individual programs are totally different but in the end NPs and PAs can offer such similar careers that the decision to go Accelerated BSN-NP or PA seems to be the biggest factor.
If you have had to make this decision before or if anyone has any perspective to offer on this please drop a post! I would appreciate it very much!
My biggest question has been trying to figure out WHICH area of the medical field I'm most drawn to. At any given time I could get excited about almost anything. I finally decided that I need clinicals to help me decide. Score 1 point for nursing school. Secondly, because my degree is non-science I'm going to have to do RN-MSN bridgework. If I go PA I'll have to do pre-reqs. Another point for nursing school is that I can work as an RN while doing my bridgework which expands my clinical experience prior to grad school. Finally, I'm not sure I want to be under an MD's thumb.
I haven't read all the responses, but I agree with some points coast2coast said. I've wanted to be a PA when I was in high school, but ended up choosing a different path. I'm now going back for my ABSN. Then I plan to get the NP. I chose ABSN over direct-entry MSN, because I wanted to get experience first before specializing. In addition, when I researched NP roles, the profession was more appealing to me than PA.
If tuition is your only concern, then you probably don't know enough about the programs you're considering. Talk to MSN's and PA's, mainly those who considered or were the other first. Consider that your state, and even facility, has different expectations than others could, should you relocate.
Despite deeply appreciating the holistic approach of nursing, the medical model will always handle medicine better (IMHO). However, 30 seconds on the PA forum instantly turned me away from that option...sadly. In addition to the thought process, I was considering PA because of level of responsibility, length of program, and salary as compared to NP's in the same environment.
RevolutioN2013
185 Posts
I am in the same shoes...
I am 40 and have a non-science BS degree.
My biggest question has been trying to figure out WHICH area of the medical field I'm most drawn to. At any given time I could get excited about almost anything. I finally decided that I need clinicals to help me decide. Score 1 point for nursing school. Secondly, because my degree is non-science I'm going to have to do RN-MSN bridgework. If I go PA I'll have to do pre-reqs. Another point for nursing school is that I can work as an RN while doing my bridgework which expands my clinical experience prior to grad school. Finally, I'm not sure I want to be under an MD's thumb.