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NP vs PA

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Posted about 2 years ago

 

Hi everyone!



This is my first post on NursingLink, so I apologize if I have violated any unwritten internet/forum etiquette.



I am currently a student at the Univeristy of Texas at Arlington. I just completed the pre-requisites required for nursing school, and I just got my letter of acceptance into their College of Nursing a couple of weeks ago! :)



So on to the main topic of this discussion thread: What is the difference between a Nurse Practitioner and a Physician's Assistant? I couldn't find any conclusive/comprehensive answers through google searching this query, and I'd like to hear about it from actual professionals who are in the field. I aspire to be an NP someday in the future and family members and friends are always asking me what is the difference between a PA and an NP, so I'd like to know what to tell them!



Thanks!
Ashley_and_dad_max50

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Rate This | Posted about 2 years ago

 

Originally, the NP was a post-BS program and the PA program was a military program for medics and Navy Hospital Corpsman to work at about the same level as the NP.


As PA's became better educated and degree'd the differences between the two started to blur. The real difference, as I understand it, between them now is that a PA has to work under the license of an MD or DO; whereas, the NP can work on their own license and the rules of each states Nurse Practice Act.


There may other differences, but someone else would have to address that.


 

Tom, PhD, MPH, BS(N), RN-C, CHN

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