Thoughts on NP vs PA degrees?

[AnnieW625]

I am not a science person and took no science classes in college (geography and lab counted for my BA) and have never been to Florida so take this with a HUGE grain of salt but I would look very hard at the UCF (Central Florida, right?) and their program. If it is a BSN program then have her get her BSN done there and then in four years select if she wants an NP or a PA. She will have undergrad paid for and if need be can get loans or assistance for those programs. For me it would be a huge deal to be out of undergrad without any debt especially if she considering additional medical training. She can also later decide once she has been working as an RN if she wants to do the NP or PA programs later. The only PAs I know started in med school and decided to be PAs instead.

Good luck to your DD.


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[dogmom]

First, the comment about diploma mill NP programs have been around for as long as NPs, and it hadn’t hurt their growth. If she goes to a good school and has good clinical placements she will be fine.

Some of the NP vs PA is regional, or institutional or practice preferences. I think it made more of a difference years ago when NP weren’t in acute care as much. Much they are somewhat interchangeable in our institution. I think the advantage of NP, especially if you are a woman, is flexibility for work and shifts. There are several NP I know that went back to staff nursing at points on their career because it made sense for them. Or decided to teach in a nursing program. Or go into administration. My old Nurse Manager was a trauma NP first, then NM, and now is assistant nursing director at a mid sized hospital. Yes, she went back for a second degree, but she did it part time and was making good money when she did it. She managed to support 6 kids and a stay at home spouse in Boston! So I think there are more options for NP. Also, nursing seldom looks at a spot in someone’s resume and sees they were only doing part time work and wonders about it. They just assume it was due to family stuff and you don’t get penalized as much as other professions.

[cheme]

Thanks everyone! Your advice is helpful and I'm feeling good about her plan to complete her BSN and decide later about PA vs. NP. I'll encourage her to take PA pre-reqs if she can fit them in, but if not, she can take them while working as a few of you pointed out. She will have her EMT certification in a few months (she is doing dual enrollment with our local U to get that), so she should be able to use that to get some experience, though I'm not sure how many places will want to hire her for summer only - and I'm not sure how much time she will have during school. I'm confident she will find something though.

Now, she has to wait to hear about a few more scholarships and interviews and then make a decision. I do agree with you Annie, UCF (in Orlando) is a contender because of the full-ride. They seem to treat their NMF (national merit finalists) really well, and she could use the money we have saved for a PA or NP program. It's not the most prestigious of her choices, but I have heard good things about their honors college and nursing school. It's the only non-direct admit program (she would apply sophomore year), but if she doesn't get in, that could help her decide to go for PA instead, or one of the RN/NP programs post-BS degree. I do wish she would have applied to a few other NMF full ride schools, but she eliminated most of them when they weren't direct admit nursing. Now that she's okay with non direct admit, it's too late to apply to most. Oh well. She has good choices, and I think she can get a good education from any of them.

[JBaxter]

If she is thinking post BSN have her look into certified registered nurse anesthetist programs also. My neighbor is a CRNA and makes bank LOL A friend of DS4 mom is also a CRNA and works 1 24 hr shift / week since her kids are young. It can be a very flexible career.

[AngB]

If she is thinking post BSN have her look into certified registered nurse anesthetist programs also. My neighbor is a CRNA and makes bank LOL A friend of DS4 mom is also a CRNA and works 1 24 hr shift / week since her kids are young. It can be a very flexible career.

Heck yes, this is really smart.

In my area and my part of healthcare, I have a much higher opinion of NP's vs. PA's but I'm sure it's regional and dependent on many things.

[cckwmh]

PA school prerequisites vary so much. I am a PA in Massachusetts. Schools in this area do not accept EMT hours as clinical hours as it tends to be more transport and not patient care. The exception is if you work for a public EMS ( ex. City of Boston has their own EMS). CNA and MA hours are more widely accepted.

I think the job opportunity vary widely by region and specialty. Some areas and specialties hire more NPs, others more PAs. Both are great fields.

On a totally side note, PA will likely not be called PA by the time your daughter is done with school. The profession is in the latter stages of rebranding. It looks like physician and assistant will not longer be in title (still waiting final approval).

[JBaxter]

PA school prerequisites vary so much. I am a PA in Massachusetts. Schools in this area do not accept EMT hours as clinical hours as it tends to be more transport and not patient care. The exception is if you work for a public EMS ( ex. City of Boston has their own EMS). CNA and MA hours are more widely accepted.

I think the job opportunity vary widely by region and specialty. Some areas and specialties hire more NPs, others more PAs. Both are great fields.

On a totally side note, PA will likely not be called PA by the time your daughter is done with school. The profession is in the latter stages of rebranding. It looks like physician and assistant will not longer be in title (still waiting final approval).

One of my sons was a student on the panel discussing the name change. Some of the schools he applied to even allowed clinical hours from being a medical scribe. His opinion was you could really tell the difference in students that had actual patient care experience especially the first year.

[NCGrandma]

On a totally side note, PA will likely not be called PA by the time your daughter is done with school. The profession is in the latter stages of rebranding. It looks like physician and assistant will not longer be in title (still waiting final approval).

This is really interesting to me since I’ve seen a variety of name changes over the years for various advanced nursing roles, some of which are clearer to patients than others. Of course "physician assistant" has always been confusing to folks who envision something like a medical assistant and are shocked to learn that PAs have prescribing privileges. And of course there are the terms (that encompass both NPs, PAs and others) like "physician extender" and "mid level provider" — please tell me that these have fallen out of widespread use!

What are some of the rebranding options under consideration for PA?


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[cckwmh]

This is really interesting to me since I’ve seen a variety of name changes over the years for various advanced nursing roles, some of which are clearer to patients than others. Of course "physician assistant" has always been confusing to folks who envision something like a medical assistant and are shocked to learn that PAs have prescribing privileges. And of course there are the terms (that encompass both NPs, PAs and others) like "physician extender" and "mid level provider" — please tell me that these have fallen out of widespread use!

What are some of the rebranding options under consideration for PA?


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Three names were presented, PA= Physician Associate, MCP = Medical Care Practitioner, and Praxicion (totally made up new word).

MCP is what is being recommended. I think the next update is expected in the late spring.


I am referred to as a midlevel but pharma reps all the time, not by the MDs I work with or any other medical staff. Just pharma.

[NCGrandma]

Three names were presented, PA= Physician Associate, MCP = Medical Care Practitioner, and Praxicion (totally made up new word).

MCP is what is being recommended. I think the next update is expected in the late spring.


I am referred to as a midlevel but pharma reps all the time, not by the MDs I work with or any other medical staff. Just pharma.

Hopefully the advocates of praxicion will lose! So whenever the change takes place, I guess that means that each state’s scope of practice laws, licensing etc, all need to be changed or at least amended. Fun times!


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