If you already have some experience working in a hospital or similar setting you probably know the answer but our goal is to provide a comprehensive PA resource so we would be remiss not to discuss the differences – Physician Assistant vs Nurse Practitioner.
We have plenty of information on this site about Physician Assistants so let’s begin by talking a bit about what a Nurse Practitioner is.
What is a Nurse Practitioner?
The first point to make is that a Nurse Practitioner must be a Registered Nurse. Not only that but they must have a Masters degree or Doctorate and considerable clinical experience. The advanced degree can be in nursing, or in some other field that is obviously related to health care. As far as typical responsibilities, NPs diagnose disease and also develop treatment plans for them. They are authorized to write prescriptions and order tests, and most NPs have hospital privileges as well.
This all probably sounds fairly similar to Physician Assistants but there are two major differences.
PAs vs NPs – Two Major Differences
As mentioned throughout this site a PA must always have a supervising Physician. Nurse Practitioners on the other hand can have their own practice.
The second difference between a Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant is the general approach their training takes. PAs are taught what is referred to as the medical model while as you might guess NPs are taught the nursing model.
What exactly does this mean? Well, basically the nursing model attempts to take a more holistic approach to health care. In other words treating the “whole person”. So while NPs certainly treat and diagnose disease and illness they also focus on disease prevention and health maintenance as well as patient education. This could include paying particular attention to a patients’ environment, family, diet, etc.
This is not to say that Physician Assistants (and Physicians) do not appreciate the importance or value in taking a holistic approach but this is not the model under which they are trained.
Which is the right career path for you?
A Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner? If you are an RN the choice is really yours. You will have already been trained under the nursing model so the NP route is perhaps the more logical choice but remember this will require an advanced degree which a PA does not.
If you are not already an RN, Physician Assistant Programs take less time but you have to remember that you will never be fully independent which may be an important consideration. It all depends on your temperament and what will make you feel fulfilled.
Hopefully you now have a better understanding of how a Physician Assistant differs vs a Nurse Practitioner.