Nurse Practitioner vs Physician Assistant: What’s the Difference?
When many people think of health and medicine, their minds automatically jump to doctors, and maybe even nurses. However, there are many different career opportunities available in health care. It is not necessary to go to medical school, either, to help diagnose and treat diseases. Some health care professions allow you to work closely with patients, and provide help and medical advice without becoming a doctor. Two of these professions are nurse practitioner and physician assistant.
At first glance, it may seem as though a nurse practitioner and a physician assistant are basically the same thing. However, this is not the case. While both careers can allow you to work closely with patients, and both can include diagnosis and some treatment of disease, there are some differences between the duties and qualifications required by each profession. You can find out more about being a nurse practitioner, and being a physician assistant, and then decide which career choice might work best for you.
Nurse Practitioner
As you might imagine, a nurse practitioner must be a registered nurse. Indeed, a nurse practitioner is a registered nurse — but one with advanced academic achievement and additional experience in medical settings. In most cases, in order to be a nurse practitioner, it is necessary to have a master’s degree. This degree can be in nursing, or in some other field that is obviously related to health care. In addition to having an advanced degree, a nurse practitioner should also have additional clinical experience. This clinical experience offers a basis of hands-on knowledge related to the treatment of disease, and also of diagnosis.
Because of the extra education and experience that a nurse practitioner has, they are able to diagnose and manage most illnesses that appear commonly. Nurse practitioners can provide general family health care in most cases. There are many specialty areas associated with nurse practitioners, including:
- Acute Care
- Adult Health
- Emergency Medicine
- Family Nursing
- Geriatric Medicine
- Home Health Nursing
- Neonatal Care
- Occupational Health
- Oncology
- Pediatrics
- Psychiatric & Mental Health
- Public Health
- Women’s Health
Primary Job Duties
Nurse practitioners can diagnose diseases, including some chronic diseases, and develop treatment plans for them. Nurse practitioners are authorized to write prescriptions and order tests, and most have hospital privileges as well. Most nurse practitioners focus on disease prevention and health maintenance, as well as patient education. Nurse practitioners can have their own practices, as well as work in cooperation with others in the health care profession.
- Taking the patient’s history, performing physical exams, and ordering laboratory tests and procedures
- Diagnosing, treating, and managing diseases
- Prescribing medication, in varying degrees
- Coordinating referrals
- Performing certain procedures and minor surgeries, such as bone marrow biopsy or lumbar puncture
- Providing patient education and counseling to support healthy lifestyle behaviors
- Difference: Exercises autonomy and initiative in clinical decision-making
According to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, those in this field work close to 36 hours a week, and earn a median salary of around $73,620 on an annual basis. You can see where having a specialty might help, and how you can make a good living — while helping people — as a nurse practitioner.
Physician Assistant
Unlike a nurse practitioner, who can work alone in a practice, a physician assistant performs their duties under the supervision of a doctor. Like a nurse practitioner, though, a physician assistant can also diagnose disease and write prescriptions. However, everything that a physician assistant does is technically at the direction of a licensed physician (M.D. or D.O.). The nurse practitioner has more authority on his or her own, but a physician assistant can also have a large degree of autonomy, depending on his or her competence, and the willingness of the doctor to delegate. Physician assistants also have specialties. Some of the specializations that can be chosen by a physician assistant include:
- General Internal Medicine
- Orthopedics
- Geriatrics
- Family Medicine
- Pediatrics
- Emergency Medicine
- General Surgery
- Thoracic Surgery
Of course, any specialties carried out must be under the supervision of a licensed physician, so physician assistants generally just assist during surgeries. Some physician assistants join themselves to doctors in their specialties of interest, and work in those practices. Physician assistants can also work at hospitals, under proper supervision.
Primary Job Duties
Physician assistants can engage in diagnosis of common illnesses, and also come up with treatment plans. They can prescribe medication as well. There are some limits to the types of drugs a physician assistant can prescribe, however. They are not allowed, in most cases, to prescribe narcotics, and there may be some other limitations, which can vary on a state by state basis (since a physician assistant is licensed by the state). Physician assistants are also able to order tests, and interpret the results of x-rays and laboratory tests.
- Tracking patients’ medical histories and symptoms
- Ordering laboratory tests and analyzing results with physicians
- Providing a limited number of prescriptions
- Advising patients on preventive health care
- Treating minor injuries or sicknesses
- Referring patients to specialists as required
- Difference: Unlike NPs, PAs must practice medicine under the direct supervision of physicians and surgeons.
According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly wage for a physician assistant is approximately $40-$86. It can be a good job, with opportunity to provide patients with quality health care, and educate them about better health practices. There is specific training that you have to go through to become a physician assistant, though. But no advanced degree is necessary. You have to be okay with working under someone’s supervision, though, in order to succeed as a physician assistant, since you do not have the ability to set up your own practice.
Which Should You Choose?
As with any career decision, whether you decide to be a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant depends on your goals, and what you want to accomplish. If you are a registered nurse, you can take either path and see an increase in responsibility and ability to care for patients. If you already have an advanced degree in nursing, though, and you like to have complete autonomy and are interested in having your own practice, then the nurse practitioner route might be best for you. If you are more interested in getting started in a rewarding career quickly, a physician assistant career track might be the way to go.
There are pros and cons to each career, and it is up to you to study out the options, and decide what would work best in your circumstance. Either way, you are able to work with patients on a personal level, and help them live healthier lives. Becoming a nurse practitioner or physician assistant opens many doors and provides numerous career opportunities. Visit our list of accredited schools and degrees to find a MSN program that meets your needs, and begin your career training today.
Earn an Online Nurse Practitioner Degree
Online nurse practitioner programs have grown in popularity in recent years as more accredited schools have begun offering online alternatives to these degrees. Combining flexibility with the lack of campus visitation required these programs are ideal for working professionals. By clicking on links below, you can request information from each school about its tuition, classes, and programs.
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Georgetown University — Stationed out of Washington DC, Georgetown University is a cultural and social hub and is one of the oldest schools in the nation. The school has two online nursing programs available, an MSN in Family Nursing and an MSN in Midwifery and Women's Health. Georgetown is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. |
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Kaplan University — Kaplan University's online presence is almost unmatched, offering over 170 online degrees and programs, including MSN in Nurse Administration, MSN in Nurse Education, and MSN in Nurse Informatics. However, there are also 70 campuses across the country for those interested in a more traditional education. Kaplan is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. |
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University of Phoenix — While it may not be surprising that the University of Phoenix is based in Phoenix, AZ, the school does have over 200 additional locations around the country. Phoenix has more than 200 online programs available, with nursing degrees in Health Education, Health Informatics, and a general track. Phoenix is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. |
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American Sentinel University — American Sentinel University is an online college focused on technology, business, and healthcare. The school offers several nursing programs like the RN to MSN bridge programs or the MSN in Nursing Informatics. All of these programs require no campus visitation and can be completed online entirely. ASU has an accreditation by the Distance Education and Training Council. |
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Capella University — Based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Capella University is an online school with over 37000 current students across the nation. Its online programs like MSN in Nurse Educator (Bridge option also available) have one-to-one tutoring, accelerated study, and low student to teacher ratios. Capella holds several accreditations, including The Higher Learning Commission and Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. |
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