Nurse Practitioner Vs Physician Assistant

Choose Between Becoming A Nurse Practitioner Vs Physician Assistant

In the medical field, many jobs tend to overlap, and so there is a confusion between a nurse practioner vs physician assistant. Do your research to ensure you have opted for the career that suits you best.

Job Descriptions

A nurse practitioner is a certified nurse that works under a doctor's supervision, performing tasks like treating patients, keeping medical records up to date, performing and analysing diagnostic tests and helping doctors create plans for their patients' health care.

A physician assistant on the other hand, help doctors in medical consultations, establishing a patient's medical history, seeing patients, treating injuries that are relatively minor and prescribing drugs for them. Essentially a physician assistant has a lot of the same tasks as a physician and often works independently with patients for minor treatments, while a nurse practitioner is basically a registered nurse with advanced nursing training.

Education

To become either a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant, you need to dedicate a good amount of time to your education, since you will need to obtain bachelor's degrees at the minimum, then pursue your specialized training and prepare to pass certification exams. For a nurse practitioner, you need to get a bachelor's degree in nursing or even a master's degree if your state requires it.

You then need to pass the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) exam for registered nurses, and furthermore apply for certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners to be a fully licensed nurse practitioner.

A physician assistant's educational path is not too different; requiring you to get a bachelor's or master's degree in physician assistance. The only difference is that to get into the program, you will need some previous medical experience or clinical practice in the field by means of another medical degree or years of volunteer work.

To become certified, you will then need to pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE). Both positions require dedication and focus to achieve the necessary level of education.

Career Outlook

All medical careers are on the rise, given the demand for health care professionals in the states, so either of these fields will have an abundance of openings and opportunities. They are also both quite lucrative, earning you from $75,000 to $83,000 as a nurse practitioner and about $70,000-$82,000 as a physician assistant.

For a caring, dedicated individual who wants a challenge, choosing to be a nurse practitioner vs physician assistant will depend on the type of duties you want to perform and the type of schools you want to study at, because they are otherwise very similar. Research the intricacies of each position to make the best career choice for you.

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