RN school or PA school

soragamii · Feb 29, 2008

I would choose PA. I am in the same situation as you but the closest PA program here in central ca is 50,000 and they told me that I should not work while in the program due to its intensity (2 yrs) thus I decided to go RN -BSN-Np route so that I can work in between and make money!

But if I did not have to worry about money/debt (my lvn program was almost 20,000) or worry about leaving a really wonderful boyfriend and family,,, then I would do the PA program. It seems more straightforward and you could get straight in and be done in two years !!

good luck!

PageRespiratory! · Feb 29, 2008

i know this topic should be in the student nurse forum but i would like to ask fellow nurses what they would rather perfer.
my current situation is rather simple but some what complex at the same time. right now i am in the last semester of completing my prereqs for the lvn-rn bridge program which is the same prereqs needed to get into an associates degree PA program. now the question i have out there for you fellow nurses is would you rather complete the lvn-rn program or would you rather go to the PA program? some factors to take into consideration is length of program time, RN vs PA wage, and the practice and autonomy associated with each profession. the lvn-rn is about a year long(one summer and 2 regular semesters) and the PA program is 2 years long. New grad RNs in my area make about $30 per hour and my new grad PA cousin was started at $41 an hour and ill assume that people know the difference in scope practice between an RN and a PA.
now taking those factors into consideration, which route would you choose and why?
jon lvn

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An associates PA program??? I'm confident saying it doesn't exist. It may be a 2 year program, however I suspect its a masters degree, and would require a bachelors degree for admission.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 29, 2008

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An associates PA program??? I'm confident saying it doesn't exist. It may be a 2 year program, however I suspect its a masters degree, and would require a bachelors degree for admission.

Most PA programs in the United States require applicants to already be educated at the baccalaureate level (BA or BS degree) prior to applying.

PAs, like nurse practitioners, are midlevel healthcare providers. Midlevel healthcare providers are typically educated at the master's degree level; hence, one of the prereqs to get admitted into NP and PA programs is a bachelor's degree of some sort.

HisTreasure, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2008

There are some Bachelor PA programs. I know because I applied to one for next year. That said, it depends on what your preference is. As you know the medical model and the nursing model are slightly different. I chose PA because I hope to go to medical school one day in the future, but if I don't that's fine too I have four children and I want to be able to provide for them indefinitely....I think both are awesome~good luck!

jelorde37 · Mar 1, 2008

thanks for the replies everyone. your input really helped me make a decision.

a couple schools in california offer an associates or a certificate in PA such as riverside community college, SJVC, stanford-foothill, and i believe C. Drew university. i know that the credits accrued from rcc and standford could go towards a BS or MS(is you have an AS, then its for your BS, if you have a BS then its for your MS).

as for my decision, I decided to finish up my RN(ASN) and then transfer to stanford to get my bachelors in PA. many people chose the PA route and i understand why but nursing is in my blood and i believe becoming an RN will make my application more competitive. i also saw some programs that offer an ASN-np route, anyone have any info on that?

Redfoot · May 2, 2008

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An associates PA program??? I'm confident saying it doesn't exist. It may be a 2 year program, however I suspect its a masters degree, and would require a bachelors degree for admission.

You are incorrect in this case. However, most programs are BS or MS.

http://www.sjvc.edu/programs/programs.php?programID=26

I have a 2 buddies who are going here right now, and the program is very intensive. And expensive for an Associates Degree IMHO.

I also know 3 other or my buddies who went through the Military PA program through the University of Maryland, and they all received a masters. I cannot verify this, but there have been rumblings that programs such as the 2 year PA are on the way out, but who knows. I can definitely see a BSN getting their underwear in a twist taking med orders from an AS PA.

The provider track is a tough one. PA's and nurses work together, but there are different angles of attack. Having worked as a feild medic in the USAF for 6 years, my ultimate goal is to be a mid level provider, but I think PA offers me more flexibility for what I personally would want to do over an NP.

If you are not planning to move out of CA, and the RN and PA school are of equal cost to you, I would go for the PA. If you may move, the RN may be more universally accepted across the country. But remember, PA's order the meds, you just get to inject them ;-).

Sorry for the run on, but good luck in your decision.

-Redfoot

tothepointeLVN, LVN · May 3, 2008

I considered going to Charles Drew before I decided to head for the nursing track. One thing to remember that a PA works under a physican's license and is limited by that while a NP midlevel provider works under their own license.

Also if considering Charles Drew you are required to work for one year after graduation in a low income clinic so that it something to think about.

amjowens · May 4, 2008

RN school or PA school? Two very different paths! Yes, both in medical field, but role of PA is almost the same as that of a nurse practitioner. If go to RN school, could have option of NP grad work. A friend of mine is a PA, and he isn't really associated with nursing. He's working under a completely different umbrella. And, all of his classmates had undergrad degrees (with high grades) and intensive science pre-reqs (talking biochem, etc.). Also, need health care experience. Come out writing prescriptions, basically working alongside docs (not in theory, but in practice).

I'm going to have to look into two-year associate programs for PA schools. I'm hoping not to see any, cause I'll have a greatly diminished opinion of the educational/knowledge attainment and level of respect for PAs if I do.

And then, sorry for those (like my friend) who have earned years of knowledge and skill who fall under the same label of two year requirement!

Perpetual Student · May 4, 2008

There are some associate's degree level PA programs, but they generally require the same pre-requisite coursework that other PA programs do. There are bachelor's level programs, as well. So it's kind of like an ADN in that it will take a bare minimum of three years to earn one of those associate's degrees. I don't see any reason to look down upon graduates of one of those programs. They're quite rigorous and are required to have fundamentally the same medical content as the master's programs to enable their graduates to take the PANCE (PA equivalent of NCLEX).

I'd apply for both if I were you, Jon. Keep in mind that meeting the bare minimum requirements will not necessarily get you into PA (nor RN) school. If you get in, go to PA school. More knowledge, more skills, and more money.

I'm currently an LPN and am hoping to get into an LPN-RN program this fall. After that, I intend to complete a BSN online, which will take me only 30 semester hours of courses (I've got a liberal arts AA that completes the general education requirements). At some point after that, I intend to earn a master's degree to become an NP or PA. I desire the mental challenge of examining a patient and taking a history, diagnosing what's wrong, and then choosing the proper course of action.