Differences Between a Physician Assistant and a Nurse Practitioner

There are many differences between a physician assistant and a nurse practitioner even though both of these professions are allowed to provide patient health care without a physician present. The difference is in their education, and PAs have a higher paying salary than nurse practitioners. A PA is licensed as a health care provider whether they work under a physician or work independently, and they are able to provide almost all of the same health care services that are usually done by a physician. Unlike a RN, a practitioner has achieved a master’s degree and furthered their education so that they can upgrade from RN to practitioner.

Each and every state has its own laws concerning what health care services NPs can perform, and there are states where NPs can have a private practice working independently of a physician. A PA has to take an accredited program before they can take their national board certification exam. They have to attend a program that has been accredited by the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and there are many accredited physician assistant programs in the U.S.

They need to have a bachelor’s degree, although there are some colleges that will accept applicants who have a associate’s degree into the PA program. These programs will usually last up to 2 years with the first year being coursework, and the second dealing with hands on clinical rotations. When they graduate from their accredited PA program, they will have to take the national certification exam. Only those who graduate from a PA program can take the exam.

RNs who are applying to further their education and become a practitioner need to have a bachelor or science in nursing degree to get into a NP program, and they have to pass the NCLEX-RN exam. A PA will normally be a generalist where they do basic health care services, whereas a NP will either be a generalist or a specialist. Each state has different exams for aspiring graduates in specialty programs and these exams have to be passed before they can become a NP and perform specific tasks. A PA can get into different specialties if they choose without having to go through a program because their education has provided them with what they need to perform as a specialist. There are residency programs that PAs can attend if they are entering a specialized field. Some specialties are oncology, orthopedics, obstetrics, or the emergency room. A specialty residency program generally lasts 2 years.

A physician is the person that a PA reports to. PAs can often be found in undeserved areas as the primary care providers because of the shortage of physician. If there aren’t many doctors around, then a PA will need to have a medical doctor sign their charts weekly. There are restrictions in some states for PAs where they can’t prescribe medications or have a private practice. The main difference between a NP and a physician assistant is the length of their education, and the tasks they can perform. Both of these careers are great.