PA vs. NP

tookewlandy · Jul 15, 2006

Now i will take a stab out of this cause i have asked these questions before. A PA and NP are mid level health care providers. They have alot of similarities, PA follow a medical model and NP's follow a nursing model of health care delivery. PA work under a MD/DO, they can prescribe meds in most states, i am not sure but the info that i have gotten is that PA's cannot really work independently, i mean they have tons of autonomy but the must have a physicians supervision cause of course they are the Physicians assistant. NP's work with doctors, they can prescribe meds in all states i think, and i think they can practice independently away from a MD in most states. Both are really exciting fields to be in in my opinion. If you do a web search or search on allnurses you can find alot of resources to your question. I just thought of some stuff off the top of my head.

Andy

Editorial Team / Admin · Jul 15, 2006

Hello, at2726,

Check out these threads in the NP forum regarding the NP/PA:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f34/clinical-differences-nps-pas-83016.html

https://allnurses.com/forums/f34/difference-between-np-pa-164046.html

Jesskanurse · Jul 15, 2006

actually, a pa is not a physician's assistant. that implies possession. they are mid level providers just like nps. they don't belong to the physician. they also work quite autonomously, but it's just that in technical legal terms, they must be 'supervised' by a physician whereas nurse practitioners work 'in collaboration with' physicians. this supervision does not necessarily mean the physician is right there on their backs everytime they do something. most pas have good repport with the physician they work with and just do chart reviews every couple days or consult each other when something out of the ordinary presents. i just wanted to clear this up because it can be quite offensive to a pa if they are just called the physician's assistant. their correct title is physician assistant. :)

Bala Shark · Jul 16, 2006

If you ask a forum for nurses you will get pro NP..If you ask a PA forum you will get pro PA..So the opinions are quite biased in getting correct information as how I see it..

HARRN2b · Jul 16, 2006

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe it is a shorter duration to become a PA. I called a private college here that has a PA program and it is 3 years. Now, it is 2-3 years ( after prereq's) to get a BSN. After that it is an additional 2-3 years to get a MSN or NP (again, correct me if I am wrong, I am going by our local college). So, it seems to be 5-6 years to be a NP vs. 3 years to be a PA.

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Jul 16, 2006

actually, a pa is not a physician's assistant. that implies possession. they are mid level providers just like nps. they don't belong to the physician. they also work quite autonomously, but it's just that in technical legal terms, they must be 'supervised' by a physician whereas nurse practitioners work 'in collaboration with' physicians. this supervision does not necessarily mean the physician is right there on their backs everytime they do something. most pas have good repport with the physician they work with and just do chart reviews every couple days or consult each other when something out of the ordinary presents. i just wanted to clear this up because it can be quite offensive to a pa if they are just called the physician's assistant. their correct title is physician assistant. :)

very well put.

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Jul 16, 2006

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe it is a shorter duration to become a PA. I called a private college here that has a PA program and it is 3 years. Now, it is 2-3 years ( after prereq's) to get a BSN. After that it is an additional 2-3 years to get a MSN or NP (again, correct me if I am wrong, I am going by our local college). So, it seems to be 5-6 years to be a NP vs. 3 years to be a PA.

Most of the PA's I know have a bachelors degree and then went to PA school. The NP program here is 2 years as well, 3 years if you go part time. The education is very different, neither is better, with the nursing model for the NP and the medical model for the PA. Most of the PA programs anymore are masters level which most PAs believe should be standard and I agree, but I do know there are still some around that are not that level so that might be what your local college is.

I am very fond of both PA's and NP's. Either way mid level practitioners are the wave of the future.

And it really does vary by state, so if the OP is thinking about getting his/her masters in either PA or NP he needs to research all that. Where I live you see PA's all the time in the hospital and in the MD/DO offices, you don't see NP's hardly at all or only in the clinic and they don't make nearly as much money as the PA's here do. The NP program is not very competitive to get into at all but the PA program is highly competitive to get into. Some places are the opposite.

ICRN2008, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2006

If you are already working as an RN, the NP route is faster (about 2 years max.)

If you have a BA or BS and are not already a nurse, the NP route would take longer.

Nurse practitoner:

1-1.5 years second-degree BSN

1 year nursing practice

2 years MSN

or 3-3.5 years Master's Entry program (MSN only)

Physician Assistant:

2-3 years MS

I recommend considering both routes if you wish to become a mid-level provider. (I know that this term offends some people, so I apologize in advance.) I found that the educational approach is quite different depending on which route you take, but in the end you do pretty much the same thing. Hence the ads in the jobs section titled "Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant".

I originally was going to go the PA route, but ended up going for my NP because of financial considerations. In my case, taking longer and being able to work in the meantime was necessary in order to pay the mortgage! Location of the schools and the price of tuition also played a role in my decision, as did experiences on interview day.

Based on my research, both make the same amount of money. However, a MSN offers more flexibility because you can go into teaching, go for a PhD, gain additional certifications, or go into administration.