NAP/PA Comparison

Assignment Details

• What do you consider one of the most critical areas of distinction between NPs (nurse practitioners) and PAs (physician assistant) and why?
• refer to the comparison below when answering this question NP/PA. don't need to complete the worksheet below. Just answer the questions above. 

Initial answers to the discussion question must be substantive and in the range of 100-200 words.

Both the NP and PA professions began in 1965 as a response to a shortage of primary care providers and addressing healthcare access issues in underserved areas, respectively. There are about 248,000 NPs and 44 000 PAs. Notably, 15 of NPs are nonwhite graduates while one-fourth of PAs are nonwhite graduates. APRN use the Consensus Model while PAs use the Physician Assistant educational model. 

Degrees for NPs and PAs include master’s-level and post-master's programs and master's level and doctoral-level programs respectively. NPs are licensed as APRNs, while PAs must pass the PANCE exams by NCCPA to practice. NPs are certified by AANP, while PAs by NCCPA. NPs are restricted to engage in at least one element of NP practice while, all PAs must practice with a collaborating physician. 

The scope of practice for NPs include evaluating and diagnosing patients, order and interpreting diagnostic tests, initiating and managing treatments, and prescribe medications; while for PAs include taking medical histories, performing physical examinations, ordering and interpreting laboratory tests, diagnosing illnesses, develop and manage treatment plans for their patients, prescribe medications, and assist in surgery (NurseJournal.org, 2020). The salaries for NPs and PAs range from $92,410 to $123,470 and $50,200 to $125,610 respectively.

References

NurseJournal.org. (2020). Nurse Practitioner vs. Physician Assistant. Retrieved 31 March 2020, from https://nursejournal.org/nurse-practitioner/np-vs-physician-assistants/