Allied Technicial Institute

.

Rising health care costs, time constraints, and an unmanageably high patient to doctor ratio have all lead to a drastic increase in the number of practicing physician assistants and nurse practitioners. The
aging population has simply complicated matters, and many medical practices have found themselves in desperate need of assistance. Government health programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, have begun to give favorable treatment and compensation to healthcare providers who are willing to incorporate the use of physician assistance and nurse practitioners into their business. Hospitals have found that they are unable to afford to increase the number of physicians on staff, but that they can retain other healthcare providers for nearly half the cost. As a result, these advanced care professionals are finding themselves very high in demand and the future looks very bright. Simply put, an opportunistic individual could enter this career field and experience success almost immediately. However, it is important to understand what responsibilities come with the position, the education and testing required to become certified, and the working environment.

Physician assistant work is as a health care provider that is licensed to practice medicine with a physicians supervision, whereas a nurse practitioners work is a registered nurse that has received advanced training and is therefore allowed to perform certain medical actions under the watchful eye of a physician. Although the training and educational background of each position is very different, the responsibilities and the working environment are typically very similar. Nurse practitioner work (NPs) involves providing nursing care independently, but following medical orders for many procedures including writing prescriptions. Physician assistant work (PAs) usually has slightly more authority to carry out most medical tasks, and written guidelines must be followed in order to issue prescriptions. Both positions, although they require a doctor’s supervision, do not actually have to be done in the physical presence of the physician. In fact, there are many times that a NP or PA may not actually be in the same building or location as their supervisor. As a result, they are often the highest certified individual present and must be able to handle stressful situations and lead as appropriate. Other nursing staff and medical assistants will often turn to the NP or PA for guidance, so it is important that they have strong leadership skills. Both a nurse practitioners work and a Physician assistants work focus on assessing patients and their needs, so listening skills are imperative. It is also important to have critical thinking abilities, as treating a patient may require some complex methods. Health care providers must also have very good coordination, as it will be required to stitch wounds and perform other medical procedures. If an individual is certain that they possess or can develop these skills, then they should learn more about the education and testing that will be required of them.

A nurse practitioner may only be required to go to school for a year, but it’s important to note that they must already have a bachelor’s degree of science in nursing. The required curriculum is actually a master’s program, and the degree (MSN) must be obtained before sitting for the licensure exams. Each NP must choose a specialty in adult care, acute care, pediatrics, women’s health, or gerontology. There are typically 500+ hours in the classroom, and then 500-700 hours in a clinical setting. Most nursing schools have some type of NP program. The licensure exam varies by state, but there is an

optional national exam that will fulfill the requirements for each state. The recertification process for NPs typically consists of 75 continuing education units every 4-6 years and at least 1500 hours of patient contact in the same period of time. There is no recertification exam required, because the NP practices under their RN license. The average cost of a NP program is estimated to be about $19,000, but can depend greatly based upon how much previous education has already been obtained.

A physician assistant must also have a bachelor’s degree of science before entering the program, but it can be in any science related field. Many PA programs are two years in length and consist of 1000+ classroom hours and 2000+ clinical hours. There are no specialty programs, as all are trained as generalists who can diagnose, treat, and perform basic surgical skills. A mater’s degree is awarded upon successful completion of the program. PA programs are typically found at medical schools. There is a national certification exam required, and no state exams. Recertification consists of 100 hours of continuing medical education units every 2 years. In addition, an exam is required every 6 years to stay licensed by the state medical board. The average cost of a PA program is estimated to be about $54,000 for the two years.

.

.

The average nurse practitioner salary is $72,000 a year, whereas the average physician assistant salary is $78,000 a year. There are many factors that can influence the salaries, such as geographical location and previous experience. For example, many nurse practitioners that have been employed by a hospital as a registered nurse for an extended period of time often receive much higher salaries than new NPs with less nursing background.

Although there are a number of different locations in which PAs and NPs work, the majority of the working environments are relatively the same. Both are commonly found in doctor’s offices, hospitals, and clinics. Nurse practitioners, however, typically have more home health care and nursing home positions than PAs. Physician assistants may also be employed in a variety of different surgical settings, as they have received more training and education in this area.

The career field looks very bright for aspiring physician assistants and nurse practitioners, but it is not an easy job. There is a lot of stress and potentially long hours that plague the health care industry, and it is not abnormal to be on call for extended periods of time. The work itself can be physically and mentally exhausting, but rewarding at the same time. It takes a special individual, but there will always be a shortage of advanced care professionals and the financial rewards can be great.