PA practice authority

Specialties NP

Published

Specializes in Family Nursing & Psychiatry.

The AAPA has recently released a position regarding "Full Practice Authority and Responsibility" or "FPAR" to create a level playing field with nurse practitioners.

It basically calls for ending their mandatory collaborative agreements with physicians and establishing indepedent PA state boards.

http://news-center.aapa.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/12/FAQ-Final_12_15.pdf

It seems like PAs are trying to mimic NPs full practice authority journey (especially after the VA ruling on APRNs.)

I wonder how this will affect NPs and our practice environment? Thoughts?

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Specializes in Internal Medicine.

Interesting. The data supports them in terms of their competence and outcomes.

Some roadblocks I see are PA's don't go into primary care anywhere near the rate NP's do, and that's one of the bigger arguments NP's make when it comes to autonomy. Essentially the demand for primary care is there, we do it competently, and the majority of us are working in primary care. If I remember right, less the 15% of new PA's go into primary care. Where I am, PA's are typically seen in surgery. I know one that works in primary care pediatrics, and another that works for an endocrinologist. The rest work in surgery.

Another hurdle is they are directly titled "Physician's Assistant", are trained in a reduced time medical model, and aren't independently licensed. We as Nurse Practitioner's, even in collaborative states, work and operate on our own independent licenses and use a different educational model. The PA really just a PhysicianLite, where at least NP's can make the argument the training and model are completely different (even though I know it's ridiculous and we all end up doing the same thing).

I honestly wish them luck, but the very nature of their title, licensing, and educational model will make it difficult.

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Specializes in Internal Medicine.

Here is a link to an article written on Forbes, discussing how South Dakota just became independent practice and it written from the perspective of NPs providing much needed primary care in underserved and rural areas.

Forbes Welcome

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Specializes in Family Nursing & Psychiatry.

I agree that NPs have more leverage than PAs with full practice Authority. It will be interesting to see where this goes. I really wish California increase its efforts with FPA. We're the only western state requiring collaborative agreements.

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Interesting. The data supports them in terms of their competence and outcomes.

Correct. PAs have more education which is superior in depth and quality to that of NP education.

Another hurdle is they are directly titled "Physician's Assistant",

Incorrect. The title is Physician Assistant. There is no possessive after physician.

and aren't independently licensed.

Incorrect. PAs obtain their own licenses from their state board of medicine.

The PA really just a PhysicianLite,

More like 85% physician.

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PAs have more education which is superior in depth and quality to that of NP education.

More like 85% physician.

Wow! Dude, you really are fond of PAs huh?! Can you cite your source? And did you know 73.6% of statistics are made up on the spot?! My math may not be correct but some science classes and 2 years of school are way less than 85% of MD education....o wait, I need to add the 4 years for the BA in Education prior to PA school.

Your past posts seem to be pretty harsh against NPs as well

"I personally know a recent horror story of an NP who went to an all online NP program who killed a patient by failing to recognize this patient was having an MI."

"Online NP schools="I can't wait to get an inferior education and put my patients at risk!"

"How many NP programs require two semesters of orgo chem?"

You mad bro? Or just like to troll?

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Wow! Dude, you really are fond of PAs huh?! Can you cite your source? And did you know 73.6% of statistics are made up on the spot?! My math may not be correct but some science classes and 2 years of school are way less than 85% of MD education....o wait, I need to add the 4 years for the BA in Education prior to PA school.

Your past posts seem to be pretty harsh against NPs as well

"I personally know a recent horror story of an NP who went to an all online NP program who killed a patient by failing to recognize this patient was having an MI."

"Online NP schools="I can't wait to get an inferior education and put my patients at risk!"

"How many NP programs require two semesters of orgo chem?"

You mad bro? Or just like to troll?

You have an interesting albeit incorrect way of presenting information.

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You have an interesting albeit incorrect way of presenting information.

Prove me wrong

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Specializes in Family Nursing & Psychiatry.

I don't think PAs can have full practice authority because their practice is medicine. NP practice is sesperate from medicine which justifies the autonomy. If PAs want full practice authority and responsibility of medicine, go to medical school.

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Specializes in Family Nursing & Psychiatry.
Correct. PAs have more education which is superior in depth and quality to that of NPs.

More education? Besides having an undergraduate education related to healthcare (RN), NP programs are specialized. Although PAs may have the breadth, NP education has more depth due to specialization. PAs are trained as generalists, very different from NPs who were RNs first.

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when your very creation is to assist a physician how can you argue to be independent?

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Specializes in Family Nursing & Psychiatry.
when your very creation is to assist a physician how can you argue to be independent?

I know there is also a movement in their community to rename their profession to "physician associate," "healthcare practitioner" or just "PA."

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