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Discussion

PA!? what else is out there?

Around here, we don't have PA's practicing. Just NP's. I'm sure they're around, but I've never encountered one. I had NO IDEA what a PA was. A friend of mine was discussing her daughter being seen by a PA (in another state) at a well check instead of an MD and I didn't even know what it was, I felt stupid.

I've not had any introduction to these other types of medical professionals while in school - not even a basic run down of who they are and what they can do.

Does anybody have a good resource? Or want to just list a few for me so I can look them up? I'm not even sure about all of the nurse specializations available.

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    • Featured Replies

    actually, PA's have way less education than nurse practitioners. Maybe the reason you are not seeing many in your area is because there is not a school for them locally. I greatly prefer NP

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    PP is correct - PAs have less education and their scope of practice is limited to working under the direct supervision of a physician. NP education includes clinical specialization - they can practice independently & have prescriptive authority in many states.

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    • Author

    Ah - you'd think from some of the things I read that a PA and NP were equal. Actually, some things made it sound like the PA was better because the NP was "still a nurse." lol

    I had no idea there were so many nursing specializations. Camp nurse!? Yes please. :)

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    OP - It really depends on what state you are in. I have a friend that is a PA and the doc she works for uses PA and NP equally. PA's do not have to choose a specialty whereas NPs do. In some states NPs can work independently and PAs can't. I have been told that PA school has more didactic concentration than NP school. I don't really have a preference between the two, but use a PA for a provider.

    I hope to one day go back to school to for NP :)

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    • Expert

    When they started giving PA's Prescriptive Authority they bumped the entry point to a Masters degree. At least in Ohio. Much more than it takes to be an RN and equivilant to what it takes to be a NP.

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