Discussion

NP vs PA

Oct 2, 200817 yr

what is the diffirence in school between and NP and a PA? do they both have to graduate with a BSN and go to different masters programs? i am curious... i have a PA that comes to the hospital where i work and she looks down on the nurses and is very rude and snippy to me and others ...

i wondered if she ever walked a day in my shoes? she was just rude to me on the phone last night , i turned her into the supervisor , but she and the supervisor are friends .. so nothing was done.... grrrrr

thank you all so much:bow:

Oct 2, 200817 yr

I think there's another thread somewhere that goes into much more detail, but the bottom line is that a PA does not require a BSN first.

Oct 2, 200817 yr

kizzy,

Actually NPs do not require a BSN prior - that is an incorrect statement above. There are plenty of 2nd degree direct entry to MSN or ADN to MSN in order to become an NP.

Search the pre-existing threads or title that same title in google and you will find lots of threads on this... the biggest difference is the nursing model vs the medical model.

take care,

Oct 2, 200817 yr

A PA is someone who has a base of at least 2000 hours in direct pt care. Usually this is from people who served in the Military as medics. Once you have the requirement you can apply to the masters program. The PA program was started in the early 70's as a response to the decline of primary care physicians and the influx of military trained medics with no jobs after Vietnam. I believe around that time the NP program started to hit it's stride and about that time the NP stated to get RX authority but the docs fought that in most states pretty hard. There answer was the PA system rather than independent NP. Anyway hope this helps. Most likely the PA is just an ass and has nothing to do with what they have done before.

Oct 2, 200817 yr

Yeah - NP doesn't require you to earn a BSN, but you do become a nurse. Even in the direct entry programs where you don't stop and earn your BSN, you will have to at some point become a registered nurse to practice as a NURSE practitioner. Some PAs were nurses first, but it's not a requirement. Lots of PAs are great people, some are not. Same with NPs. She's just a (insert curse word here).

Oct 2, 200817 yr

Author

thank you so much for your insight and good thougts.. i hate it when this PA makes me feel indequate and that i am a bad nurse or wasting her time .. as she puts it .... i wanted to know if maybe she was a nurse at one time... she seems to look down on us... you are all awesome i love you all

Oct 2, 200817 yr

I hate that happened, but ya know you have good and bad in every healthcare field. The bottom line is that if you felt you needed to notify her about a patient situation/ change in condition etc...you followed your instinct. This type of horizontal violence( ie: condescending communication) makes employees NOT want to notify pa's and md's when there is a change in condition of patients and that...that is not good. I hope your boss actually did say something...bc if not uggghhhh!