Physician Assistant vs Nurse Practitioner
An advanced practice provider is someone that performs tasks typically done by a physician, but is not a physician. The two careers that fill these fields are physician assistants and nurse practitioners. I’m here to tell you the big similarities and differences between the two fields.
Schooling
To become either a PA or a NP, you need to first obtain a bachelor’s degree. For a NP, this must be a bachelors of nursing. Then they must pass the NCLEX to become a registered nurse (RN). However to become a PA, the bachelors degree can be in any field you desire, even art! You just have to complete all of the required prerequisite courses to apply to PA programs.
It is much easier and time efficient to major in something that covers the required courses as you go along, but if you graduate with a degree in a totally unrelated field, that does not mean you have to obtain another bachelor’s degree to pursue becoming a PA. You can use MYPABOX to check which courses are required for each PA program!
Individual PA and NP programs vary, but both typically take 2-3 years resulting in a masters degree!
Mobility between specialties
When pursuing a career as a NP, you go to school to specialize in a particular field. If a NP decides to switch jobs later on, it has to be within their scope of training, such as family medicine, or they have to supplement their education to become qualified for a new field.
A perk of pursuing the PA career, is that PAs are trained in a generalized, broad sense. A broad training allows for PA students to build a strong foundation in medicine. Due to this foundation, changing specialities is as easy as finding a new job with someone willing to train you. There is no requirement to go back to school to qualify you for a new position.
Salary
Both PAs and NPs earn a competitive income. The specifics vary based on years in the field, specialty and location. However, according to the AAPA, the average salary of a PA is $115,000 per year. And according to Nurse Journal, the average salary of a NP is $104,440 per year. There are often sign on bonuses, annual raises, and other bonuses that supplement this income.
Independence
This category gets tricky and is very dependent on the state and facility in which the APP is practicing. Overall, both NPs and PAs will have a collaborating physician they work with. However, NPs have the ability to open a private practice without a physician in many states. This is not the case for PAs. If a PA wants to open a private practice, they must do so with a physician.
As you can see there are a lot of similarities between the two fields, but the biggest differences are the schooling it takes to fulfill the career, and your scope of practice once you graduate. You can use MYPABOX to find programs that you qualify for based on your schooling!
Use code “PATIPS20” to save 20% on your subscription to myPAbox
Follow my instagram account @MIK_MAKINGMOVES
Other Blog Post
Common Myths About Becoming a PA (and the Truth Behind Them)
The Physician Assistant (PA) profession is often misunderstood, leading to myths that may discourage potential…
Physician Assistant Salary: Do Male and Female PAs Earn the Same?
In a field where 71.2% of Physician Assistants are women, a significant pay gap still…
Securing PA Shadowing Opportunities: A Proven Strategy Guide
Unlocking Physician Assistant (PA) shadowing opportunities can feel like cracking a code for many aspiring…
This Post Has 0 Comments