RN to PA

Specialties Advanced

Published

Has anyone ever thought about doing a PA program or is anyone doing a PA program? This is what I really want to do and I even moved two hours to the town where the school is to do this. Im still in the process of RN to BSN as a bachelors degree is necessary to do the program but I was wondering if anyone had any tips or advice or if they could share their experience? Thank you!

Any NP practicing independently in an indepent state. I know several. Is that enough?

Eye roll. When it comes to a clinical role they can both do the exact same thing. When it comes to state law allowing independence, that couldn't be more obvious.

Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency, Education, Informatics.
But I guess on the serious note I am not sure which one I would do. Of course if you dont mind the sacrifice med school is worth it but if that is out of the question I would ask yourself the following:

1. Do I want to take all the prereqs for PA school - gen chem, o chem, physics, biochem, etc

2. Cost- PA school usually costs more

3. respect- overall PAs do have more respect from their medical counterparts

4. what do you want to work in- if primary care or psych i would lean toward NP. specialists usually (not always) hire more PAs

5. please dont take the medical vs nursing philosophy into account, the holistic care tag nurses use to stand out is taught in MD schools also, and DO schools, and PA schools, prior to popular belief it is NOT nurse-specific. We just do not call it "holistic" we call it "patient centered" which is the SAME THING.

6. consider the credentialing agencies that keep your license worthwhile. who does a better job at this.

7. NP school is part time and PA school is full time

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
7. NP school is part time and PA school is full time

I'm far from the sharpest knife in the drawer and yet managed to work between 40-50 hours a week while in both my NP programs and had no problems passing so just how strenuous could it be? Although I do have to admit I'm a bit jealous of the young lovelys now who are able to just "focus on school", insert eyeroll, for 6 years with Mommy and Daddy paying the tab, lol.

The sole reason to be an NP:

You can bill 100% in certain states. PAs are submissive, and the novelty will wear off when your medical counter part is tripling your income while you will never have the opportunity to make more money or buy-in to a practice etc. This will be compounded as every failed bio or psych student flocks to PA schools and drags down the median wage.

The lobbying power of nurses is legendary. It is only a matter of time before nurses can equally bill for primary care services.

The gravy here is how soft the current DNP is. Like literally, the DNP is the lowest hanging doctorate fruit in academia. You can get a doctorate degree online from large, reputable schools that is filled with ethics and fluff. The icing on the cake, you don't even need to do a dissertation. Honestly, the time is now to get a DNP before schools wise up and legitimize the curriculum.

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

We have a few member here that have gone that route.

I have one colleague that went from RN to PA about 20 years ago. She is great, works in primary care and really knows her stuff. She recently had a scare with her boards because she is getting further and further away from some of the generalist PA knowledge. She also has been thinking about NP school because the MD she works with is retiring in the next 5 years and they have been unable to find a MD to replace him so she has a full patient panel and may be left without a clinic, she works in an independent practice state for NP.

Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.
I agree that PAs have an advantage over NPs for certain aspects. To play devil's advocate, one thing that doesn't get mentioned much is that it's harder for PAs to practice overseas- even doing volunteer medical work. Doctors without borders won't accept them at all, for example.

That being said, you'll probably find better information on a PA forum. This is an advance practice nursing forum, after all ;) Best of luck to you.

You bring up an interesting point. I have a PA friend that moved to Europe because of his wife's job. He moved back into long distance relationship land though, because he couldn't work there. So he came back a year or so before her.

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
The gravy here is how soft the current DNP is. Like literally, the DNP is the lowest hanging doctorate fruit in academia. You can get a doctorate degree online from large, reputable schools that is filled with ethics and fluff. The icing on the cake, you don't even need to do a dissertation. Honestly, the time is now to get a DNP before schools wise up and legitimize the curriculum.

Hilarious and tragic all at the same time. The schools won't change until something forces their hand because the tuition is also low hanging fruit. And for those who believe you must be in a DNP program to make a call on the quality or content I'd disagree and assure you that even with only my lowly masters I can read a course description and sort the kitty from the litter.

Hilarious and tragic all at the same time. The schools won't change until something forces their hand because the tuition is also low hanging fruit. And for those who believe you must be in a DNP program to make a call on the quality or content I'd disagree and assure you that even with only my lowly masters I can read a course description and sort the kitty from the litter.

lol yeah, I think most doctoral degrees are worthless outside of academic unless as we have said a million times it gives you the license to do something. at least most non nursing PHDs pay YOU to do their doctoral program, not this DNP thing where you pay them to do whatever it is you have to do to get it. Of course I would never get a phd since if i really liked something I would just read about it and learn using the googlmeister.

they offer a md/mba program where i go to school at and I mean why would you get that? its not like your doing to remember anything when you finish it between your first and second year when you can actually use that knowledge, like, 8 years down the road to start your own practice or whatever.

Letters, letters

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

No one should pay a cent for MSN to DNP.

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
No one should pay a cent for MSN to DNP.

Did you say no one gets paid a cent for MSN to DNP? Because that is the pay raise you won't get for adding DNP around here. :)

I think whichever way someone selects to advance their degree should be applauded be it NP or PA. Sure there are some differences that have been covered on the site repeatedly. I think the best thing is to do some research and best of all talk to people in the different roles.

Also, I do not understand all the swipes at the DNP degree. It may not be the most rigorous plan but several areas have recently expanded in the the doctorate levels where intense research is not required - I swear if I hear one more physical therapist who insist on being called doctor my head will literally explode (so I carry tape and killing wrap on me at all times). The snipes about the DNP degree sound a bit like jealous NPs who refuse to move beyond the MSN.

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
Did you say no one gets paid a cent for MSN to DNP? Because that is the pay raise you won't get for adding DNP around here. :)

Anyone who is actively practicing as an NP with a MSN shouldn't pay for a MSN-DNP program: there are a myraid of programs which will give preceptors course credits in exchange for precepting which will cover a whole MSN-DNP program in a matter of a few years.

+ Add a Comment