Why not have done PA???

Published

hello I was wondering if anyone here has seen the classes PA student take. I found it to be a lot like the MD classes. I also looked at NP and they don't have much other than the sciences of advance patho. I don't get it. WHere do you guys get the knowledge??? I know a few NP's and they know so much but where do they learn cause some of them just went straight through BSN to their MS and didn't even work.

Pa's do Anatomy, dissections, Pathology, Enbryology, all the rotations?? I guess I am confuse any one can some how explain how NP's know so much. I know stupid question but I had to ask

Specializes in ED, Cardiac-step down, tele, med surg.

What is the nursing theories like? Do they build on what is learned for the BSN?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
what is the nursing theories like? do they build on what is learned for the bsn?

most np programs will have one nursing theory course (2-3 credits). these nursing theories often provide a framework for a graduate thesis or project. most of these nursing theories are adaptations of other theories (social-communication-psychological).

Up Vote Up Vote ×

wow great post. I have always wanted to know this too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.
most np programs will have one nursing theory course (2-3 credits). these nursing theories often provide a framework for a graduate thesis or project. most of these nursing theories are adaptations of other theories (social-communication-psychological).

heh. i was actually disappointed (initially) when i saw that we had to "re-take" nursing theory with the same theory book from undergrad, to boot! however, all this was turned around when we got started in the program. it was surprisingly more in-depth than i expected, and offered a lot of perspective for the senior year project/thesis. i enjoyed writing papers for the course which gave me some good groundwork for future papers.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
When you compare the curriculum of an NP program vs a PA program, the PA programs seems organized and well structured. Also, the clinical placements seem to make more sense (I still don't understand how this works in an NP program).

Because NP programs are directed at a specialization, clinical courses do not usually cover a broad base of medical specialties as PA programs do.

Just as an example, in my ACNP program we have 3 credits of Systemic Pathophysiology and another 3 credits of Pharmacotherapeutics. I do agree that this seems miniscule and it may be worth having more than just 3 credits for each of these courses. However, we have an additional 5 credits of Advanced Health Assessment that builds up on concepts learned in Pathophys and Pharm by incorporating them in your clinical decision-making as you do actual patient history and physical exams.There is an actual clinical rotation where one does history and physicals on patients and you get to incorporate all the things you learned thus far in arriving at differential diagnoses and making medical decisions after having assessed your patient.

The second year is when the actual clinical course sequence starts and includes a total of 18 credits of lectures in Neurology, ENT, Respiratory, Cardiac, GI, GU, Musculoskeletal, Dermatologic, Oncology, and Endocrine disorders and their management in the adult population. This is the time when you actually start serious clinical rotations. There are 3 semesters of clinical rotations during this phase. We are encouraged to pick at least one semester where we take rotation in an Internal Medicine practice setting. This can be a hospitalist service or a combination of office and hospital rounds in Internal Medicine.

The other 2 semesters are left for us to decide on which rotations to choose. Some pick ER, Cardiology, Pulmonary and Critical Care, Neurology or Neurosurgery, Nephrology, etc. These are decided on by students based on what their goals are after graduation. Many pick fields that are in high demand as far as mid-level providers go (Cardiology, ER, Critical Care are popular). Some students split their semester clinicals into 2 different specialty fields in order to get exposure to as many fields of medicine or surgery they can. The program itself requires a higher minimum contact hour requirement for clinicals than ANCC does. We can also exceed the minimum clinical hours mandated by the program and many students prefer to do so.

Other programs are of course different than this but I hope this gives you an idea of how NP rotations work because they are pretty specific to the specialization the NP is being prepared for. ACNP seems less broad and more focused. However, many of my classmates reasoning for picking ACNP is that they do not want to waste time training in pediatrics or women's health when they know they would never want to work in those fields anyway. Many of the students are ICU nurses and they've realized what their niche in nursing is and want to build up on that niche. It also helped that there is quite a demand for ACNP's in my geographical area.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NPD; Administration; M/S; Critical Care.

Excellent posting, PinoyNP. This has answered a lot of my questions! Thanks, UnitRn01

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, CVICU.

Thanks PinoyNP! That was very helpful.

If anyone else's NP program is different, i'd love to hear about that too!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion