Comments on: The difference between nurse practitioner and physician assistant jobs

By: Jay Lawson, Jr.

Jay Lawson, Jr. — Wed, 23 May 2018 10:00:26 +0000

Correction: PA’s need 2000 hours of clinical hours (to a NP’s 500-700 hours). See link in the comment above.

By: Jay Lawson, Jr.

Jay Lawson, Jr. — Wed, 23 May 2018 09:58:08 +0000

I do not remember when I have read an article with so much misinformation. It is breathtaking. The primary difference between NP’s and PA’s is the high level of education that NP’s must have? “As Nurse Practitioner Schools explained, NPs must complete 500 didactic hours and 500-700 clinical hours in their specialty areas before officially entering their careers”. How can one make this statement without immediately following it with the educational requirements for a PA? Well, let me tell you the requirements. A PA needs 1000 didactic hours (not 500, like a NP), and 1000 clinical hours (not 500-700, like a NP). Kindly study the issue before wantonly publishing nonsense. https://www.thepalife.com/physician-assistant-vs-nurse-practitioner-vs-medical-doctor/

By: Gail Provencher, APRN, MSN

Gail Provencher, APRN, MSN — Mon, 28 Aug 2017 01:35:11 +0000

All nurse practitioners have studied pathophysiology in their undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Please do not smear my profession with your ignorance. It does no good to confuse those we serve. Over my 42plus years in nursing, of which I worked 22 as a NP, I had great colleagues. No one bashed another’s profession. It would perhaps surprise Matthew T that many times in my career I diagnosed a condition missed by the physician. Matthew T maybe you’re not a team player. We are not threatening your job. There are plenty of Americans with acute and chronic health care problems for all of us.

By: N

Mon, 10 Jul 2017 02:15:43 +0000

I agree with Matthew T. Where I am, I am finding it difficult to get a first job. They say they prefer NP because they are independent. Many of them have little to no knowledge regarding pathophysiology. They simply practice based on protocol. Not to mention they do 500 didactic we do way more than that and have a minimum of 1,000 patient contact hours.

By: Robin Donohue

Robin Donohue — Sat, 20 May 2017 16:39:37 +0000

Union backing?
I have been an Rn for 26 years…hopital settings…never have I worked in a facility
where there has been a Nurses union.

By: Matthew T.

Matthew T. — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 20:15:32 +0000

Physician Assistants are taught under the medical model. Meaning their learning is inline with that of a physician. Nurse Practicioners are taught nursing which is very different and many of these advance degrees APRN, DNP etc are obtained online with little clinical and real life experience. As an MD who has precepted both, I can honestly say there is a vast difference in the breadth of knowledge and capablity between PAs and NPs. Quite frankly, I feel it’s insulting to compare the 2 professions. Nurses, with their numbers and union backing have created this inflated role with very substandard metrics. It’s scary and actually unsafe, that NP’s are allowed to prescribe and run practices without much medical knowledge or clinical training. There needs to be more regulation in this industry for the patients sake