PA vs. NP

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Hello nurses/nursing students!

I have found a few threads on this already but some were outdated or didn't answer my specific questions for my situation...

I have a few friends that are going to school to be a PA and I have decided that instead of going for my associates in RN I'd like to go straight to be a PA (or now a NP). I talked to my friend and she said if she could start all over, she would get her BSN, then go for her NP so that she could take time between school and work as an RN and make money, then go back for her NP.

I have taken a few prerequisites for the associates RN already (chemistry and psychology, anatomy & physiology, and microbiology next semester). I live in Madison, WI and have been looking at UW-Madison's PA's prerequisites and all these classes that I will be finishing (through our community technical college) are accepted.

I was also told that you need to have a bachelor's degree to start either the PA or NP program. I need advice on which would save more time and money: getting my RN through the technical college, going to the university for my BSN, and becoming an NP, or get a bachelors in something else (I suppose) and then go for my PA. One big factor is that I'd like to be able to work while going to school as I live with my boyfriend and we split rent, plus have car payments.

I have read the different scopes of practices for each and I think I would be really happy doing either of the two. I just don't know which would be easier with the classes I have already taken and am enrolled in. I'm basically just looking for anyone who has graduated with either a PA or NP degree and what you think would be easier for my situation.

Thanks in advance guys!

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

Check your local PA school for prerequisites. You can always do BSN, add in the prereqs for PA and work a little before PA school. I have read many things saying many PA schools require some direct patient care hours. It'd definitely put you ahead of the PA game I think.

I just finished my FNP and while I'm happy it does seem PA's are a bit more flexible. You don't have family PA, acute care PA, pediatric PA, mental health PA....you have PA and you work wherever.

If I was to do it all over again I might consider PA a little more than I actually did. Especially if there was more than one PA program around me (at a private school of course that costs 3x as much as public).

Again not trying to discourage you. But if you picked up the extra classes during the summer semesters you might wind up on track.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

Oh and let me add I do LOVE nurse practitioners. Their background in nursing gives them unique perspective vs those trained with the medical model (MD and PA). I do think, though, more science based classes would be helpful in NP school vs more research, nursing theory, policy and procedure, etc.

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From a cost perspective ($$$) the most cost effective route would be to go associates in nursing > bsn > NP

If you can get a BSN just as fast as an associates (ie you already have some college under your belt) then that would be the wise route

Graduate school is moderately expensive and depending on if you go for a masters or doctoral prepared NP it could take a while.

So I think the smartest route would simply be to get your nursing degree (associates or bachelors) become licensed start working and making real $$$ PLUS your job will probably pay for your continuing education to become an NP (not all of it, but the amount varies depending on location etc)

NPs and PAs are rather similar (in many aspects they are essentially interchangeable) , but I think going forward NPs will have more opportunities.

Absolutely no question about it whatsoever though that the most time/money cost efficient pathway would be for you to become an RN (bachelors or associates) and then go back for the NP (while working as an RN making good $$$ and hopefully getting money from work to pay for grad school)

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Specializes in ICU.

Many PA programs require paid healthcare experience (EMT, CNA, phlebotomy, so on and so forth) to apply, and even if you find one that doesn't, you will be competing for admission against people with that experience. Something to think about.

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Yes I forgot to mention that I have been working as a full-time CNA at a long-term care facility for a little more than 10 months. Not exactly sure how many hours I've put in but it has to be a decent amount.

EDIT: Roughly estimated I have done 1700 paid hours of CNA work, and have just been promoted to a Lead CNA (I basically oversee the unit and am the CNA that is asked to help do small things for the nurse).

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Thank you! I have put in almost 2k paid hours of CNA work so that helps. :)

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

I looked at the PA programs in my state (apparently one opened at a public university a year or two ago) and they both required 500 hours of patient care experience.

As someone else mentioned in the future (and in some states now) NP's do have more opportunity as they can work independently of a physician. PA's will always be linked with a physician and will never have the opportunity for independent practice.

There's really no right or wrong either way you go. Just depends on which avenue you'd rather take. Like I said if I had the choice now and both programs were the same price wise I'd have to mull it over a bit more.......there are perks to both.

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At this point, you could take either route since you are effectively right at the start of your academics. Not every PA program requires a Bachelors degree for entry, some have a 5-6 year program that starts out as a freshman in college.

One thing to consider is that while nursing school is competitive to get into, PA school is ridiculously competitive to get into. Unless you have exemplary grades (and all other things being equal), you may find it quite a challenge to get accepted into PA school.

If I were in your shoes, I would make the effort to shadow a nurse, nurse practitioner, and a PA for a day. Get a feel for what each person does and see what you think you would like doing.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

In the end, think about what you want for yourself 10-15-20 years down the road. Do you want the chance to be independent in practice?

Sent from my iPhone.

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Specializes in Stepdown, PCCN.

Another consideration is the time commitment and whether you can afford to only go to school for 2 years.

I have recently been accepted to a PA program and nearly all that I looked at are full-time Monday through Friday 8 or 9 hours daily. It is not really possible to work with that school schedule.

I have also applied to a couple NP programs mainly because of the ability to work during the program. I haven't heard back from them.

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