My turn to ask one of these questions now!! I've read before "rn vs pa or md" but my question is a little different. If you had the time, means, and ability to go to pa school would you have still picked nursing knowing what it's like to be working as a nurse?
(By ability I mean you're driven enough to study hard and volunteer to get in the school and be successful)
I love nursing very very much so far including the enemas, bedpans, and all. This will sound bad but the reason I sometimes wonder about pa is for the money. They start out making 90k here and are in demand. While an RN starts out maybe 50k. I didn't choose nursing for the pay and sometimes I wonder if I should think more about money. I don't really think I would ever give up nursing though. But would anyone here have knowing now what nursing out of school is like?
And, for the record, I make $1K less than your desired PA salary as an RN.
Many of the PAs I know actually told me they think they would have preferred to go the NP route due to more autonomy and flexibility as an NP
Hey guys, sorry I was just wondering how that is possible? I thought average registered nurse salary was around 60k, how were you guys able to increase salary so much?
If it's about the money, there are definitely many fields in nursing that one can go into, whereby one can have alot of financial security. CRNA anybody? :) I never found the PA route very appealing. I would prefer to go directly MD if you're debating between MD/PA. I feel like PA lack way too much autonomy. I've also in read forums where many PAs complain about how they usually end up doing all MD work, while the MD just supervises. Now, I'm not sure how accurate this is.
Moreover, I always love PTs as well! Great jobs, great pay, pleasant people.
But for me, I'm in nursing (4th year BSN student) already, and I love my path (some days claim otherwise) but overall, CRNA is a path I see for myself in the future (hopefully. w lots of prayers to God).
Hey guys, sorry I was just wondering how that is possible? I thought average registered nurse salary was around 60k, how were you guys able to increase salary so much?
New grads in my area start out making more than $60K. Salary is highly variable based on location, years of experience and job. I have been a nurse for 8 1/2 years.
Hey guys, sorry I was just wondering how that is possible? I thought average registered nurse salary was around 60k, how were you guys able to increase salary so much?
Registered nurse is not equivalent to PA. NP is the same provider level as PA. Comparing RN to PA is apples to oranges.
RNs are not "under an MD." We are not their assistants the way PAs are, working under their direct supervision. A PA is a Physician's Assistant, the Assistant to the Physician. An RN is Registered Nurse. An RN may assist a Physician in certain things- during surgery or for various procedures on the floor but she is not his assistant. There are no physicians employed by my company, I neither assist nor am supervised by them the way PAs are.
That's completely incorrect. You don't even have the title of PA correct (Physician Assistant, not Physician's Assistant). The title does not accurately describe the scope of practice nor the education associated with it, but suffice to say a PA is educated in the medical model and often along side MD students in medical schools. The didactic and clinical training for PAs exceeds that of any FNP program. Lastly, PAs are not assistants to physicians but often physicians will ask experienced PAs about how best to treat a patient.
I originally wanted to go the PA route. Then I saw how competitive it was then ended up with the nursing route instead. Getting into nursing school was no cakewalk, but it was certainly more accessible than PA. I believe there is only three PA programs that were not in a major metropolitan area in my state. I like that I will have my RN next year, can start working, do my RN-BSN, and go on to my DNP while still working. I like that the nursing model builds on itself. I also like the emphasis of nursing model with viewing psychosocial and other aspects instead of a strict medical model. I think it will make for a more rounded practitioner in the end. I also like the autonomy. Working under a physician my entire life doesn't sound fun.
chrisz
9 Posts
Hey guys, sorry I was just wondering how that is possible? I thought average registered nurse salary was around 60k, how were you guys able to increase salary so much?