The Difference Between PAs and NPs

The Difference Between PAs and NPs

Get Started Today  Call: 888-839-9997 e-mail: [email protected] 20 Minutes Free Consultation So what is the difference between a physician assistant and nurse practitioner? By Alyson Rockhold PA-C, MPH There are 5 nurse practitioners (NPs) and 2 physician assistants (PAs) that work at my office. Recently, a drug rep asked us, “So, what’s the difference between NPs and PAs anyways?” My co-workers and I looked at each other in uncertainty. One NP muttered, “Well, um, NPs are trained in the nursing model, and PAs are trained in the medical model?” Crickets. Everyone shrugged at each other, and the conversation flowed in a new direction. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it. What do these different training models mean in the real world? In my particular office, PAs and NPs do the same work and get the same pay. Are we any different after all? With a little digging, I discovered a few key distinctions between PAs and NPs, especially in their training, certification, and autonomy: Training As my co-worker pointed out, the classic explanation is that PAs are trained in the medical model, and NPs are trained in the nursing model. In my experience, this doesn’t change very much about how PAs and NPs act in a clinical setting. Most patients won’t even realize they’re being treated by different medical professionals. Even though I was trained as a PA to focus on the disease state, I also care enough about my patients to make sure they’re comfortable and to explain everything thoroughly to them. There are a few other differences in our training. The average PA program is 27 months...