Nurse Practitioner vs. Physician Assistant

By TodaysNurse

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants have similar roles and responsibilities, thus it is easy to confuse the two medical professions. So, what’s the difference between a nurse practitioner and a physician assistant?

Nurse practitioner

A nurse practitioner is an APRN or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse. Nurse practitioners also referred to as NPs, have their Master’s Degrees in Nursing.  Typically, nurse practitioners enroll in an MSN program after they have already received their BSN, or Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. These advanced nurses have additional responsibilities compared to those of registered nurses, or RNs.

Nurse practitioners can perform many of the tasks that physicians do. In fact, it is estimated that nurse practitioners can offer 80% to 90% of the care that general physicians provide. Nurse practitioners can examine patients, diagnose diseases and illnesses, prescribe medication and provide treatment.

In more than 20 states, nurse practitioners do not even have to work under a doctor. This is called having “full practice authority”.

Some states that nurse practitioners have full practice authority in are Hawaii, Alaska, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Minnesota, Iowa, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

In 16 states, nurse practitioners have what is called, “reduced practice authority” and in 11 states, nurse practitioners have “restricted practice authority”.

Nurse practitioner careers and salaries

Having the title of “nurse practitioner” is fairly general, and nurse practitioners can specialize in different fields, similarly to how doctors can.

The top 5 specialties for nurse practitioners are:

General Nurse Practitioner: A general nurse practitioner can start an independent practice, much like a general physician, or work with a team of doctors. The estimated average salary for a general nurse practitioner is $97,990.

Family Nurse Practitioner: Family nurse practitioners are similar to general nurse practitioners. They earn an additional certification to practice in family medicine. FNPs often work in offices, hospitals or clinics. The estimated average salary for a family nurse practitioner is $97,990.

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner: Psychiatric nurse practitioners perform very similar tasks as psychiatrists do. They can examine and diagnose a patient, as well as provide medication. The estimated average salary for a psychiatric nurse practitioner is $97,990.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist: Certified registered nurse anesthetists administer anesthesia to patients, which takes high skill, care and knowledge. Since this is a very risky responsibility, these nurses can only practice after receiving a license. It is also one of the highest paid nursing professions. The estimated average salary for a certified registered nurse anesthetist is $153,780.

Gerontological Nurse Practitioner: Gerontological nurse practitioners work with elderly patients. This specialty involves learning how to care for people who are aging. The estimated average salary for a gerontological nurse practitioner is $95,000.

For RNs, the estimated average salary is about $67,000, and for LPNs, the estimated average salary is about $42,500. As you can see, the higher you go with your education, the more money you can make in nursing.

Physician assistant

Like NPs, physician assistants (PAs) are general experts in medicine and can ultimately specialize in one of more specific medical fields. Physician assistants are recognized as one of the three major primary care providers, along with physicians and nurse practitioners.

Also similar to nurse practitioners, physician assistants have their Master’s Degrees. Requirements differ for each PA program, but typically to be considered you must have a Bachelor’s Degree with a focus in science with additional experience in the medical field. Many PA school applicants were previously nurses, EMTs, paramedics and other types of medical professionals.

In addition to their degree, PAs need a state license in order to practice.

Physician assistants can examine patients, diagnose patients, order and review diagnostic tests, prescribe drugs, give and research treatment, educate and counsel patients and their families and more.

Physician assistant careers and salaries

These professionals usually work on teams with physicians, surgeons and other healthcare workers. Similar to nurse practitioners, the amount of supervision needed by a doctor differs per state. In some states, physician assistants can act as the primary care provider.

Physician assistants mostly work in physicians’ offices and hospitals, but they can also work in outpatient clinics, government settings and for educational services.

PAs can specialize in a number of medical fields such as primary care, psychiatry, surgery and emergency medicine. Aside from the responsibilities listed earlier, the tasks of a physician assistant will vary depending on the specialty he or she works in.

PAs who work in pediatrics may be responsible for administering the routine vaccinations for children. PAs who work in surgery may close incisions and have responsibilities of caring for the patient before, during and after a procedure.

In 2015, the median salary for physician assistants was $98,180. The highest 10% were paid more than $139,500, and the lowest 10% made less than $62,760 yearly.

Physician assistants who worked in outpatient care received the highest annual wages, and those who worked in government settings earned the lowest.

10 comments on Nurse Practitioner vs. Physician Assistant

  1. Joannie Hebert, PhD, RN, CNE. says:

    Thank you for the explanation. It is a shame PhDs with the highest earned academic degree, who teach these practioners , are the lowest paid RNs.

  2. Mamie Baker says:

    I agree. All that education appears to be so undervalued by our society.

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Nurse Practitioner vs. Physician Assistant

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants have similar roles and responsibilities, thus it is easy to confuse the two medical professions. So, what’s the difference between a nurse practitioner and a physician assistant?

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