Shadowing a PA or NP

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I know it's possible to shadow a doctor, pharmacist or surgeon but I'd it possible shadow a Physician Assistant or a Nurse Practitioner? I am also wondering which one is better to be an NP or PA? What are the salaries of a PA and an NP? Also are NPs and PAs in demand? I am looking into the PA and NP field because I need another career option to fall on then just pharmacy because pharmacy is becoming more saturated with pharmacist every year. Your answers are greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!


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Yes, it is possible to shadow both professions. There are many lengthy discussions about PA vs NP that you can find by searching on SDN or doing google searches. You can also find alot of great information regarding the PA profession on http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/ and can find information on NP's at http://allnurses.com/advanced-practice-nursing/. You can find salary profiles from various sites. Here is one from Advance for 2011 http://nurse-practitioners-and-physi...port-2011.aspx

I'll check it out! Thanks for the reply!


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NPs and PAs make equivalent money once you correct for gender and specialty.

Honestly, if you want inpatient (emergency medicine or surgery) I'd go with PA. If you want out patient (primary care, psych, ob) then I'd go NP. If you're unsure, go with PA as you can easily change specialties. If you have a strong interest in teaching, research/policy, or managment, I'd consider nursing since there are a lot of opportunities within nursing for that type of work. This is a rough rule of thumb, and other factors may come into play for you. Good luck, you can't go wrong with either career path.

Originally Posted by AnnoyedByFreud

NPs and PAs make equivalent money once you correct for gender and specialty.

Honestly, if you want inpatient (emergency medicine or surgery) I'd go with PA. If you want out patient (primary care, psych, ob) then I'd go NP. If you're unsure, go with PA as you can easily change specialties. If you have a strong interest in teaching, research/policy, or managment, I'd consider nursing since there are a lot of opportunities within nursing for that type of work. This is a rough rule of thumb, and other factors may come into play for you. Good luck, you can't go wrong with either career path.

Thanks for the info! I'll probably shadow each profession and see which one is right for me.

Edit: are PAs and NPs truly in demand?

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Originally Posted by spills

Thanks for the info! I'll probably shadow each profession and see which one is right for me.

Edit: are PAs and NPs truly in demand?

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Demand is regional, but I can speak for the Midwest as well as the East Coast and say that we're very, very highly in demand. At my current job we've lost two out of five providers simply because they've had amazing job offers thrown at them. NPs and PAs remain cash cows for the practices that hire them and that shouldn't change for some time.

Freud's assessment of the difference is very accurate. You can provide in-hospital care as a nurse practitioner, but it (usually) requires getting a very specific type of nurse practitioner degree that limits what else you can do. I can do in hospital work, for instance, but I cannot do primary care. A PA would not operate under those restrictions.

A key thing to look at for someone considering both professions is the education required. If you already have a bachelor's degree, PA is probably the shorter and more sensible route. If you don't, getting your RN degree followed by a graduate nurse practitioner degree may be more appealing. Be warned that PA school requires exceptional testing scores and GPA. Nurse practitioner programs are easier to get into in comparison, but the problem is that nursing bachelor programs are also getting incredibly competitive and have become the true choke point for anyone trying to go that route. Either path may land you on a waiting list or require some GPA boosting classes depending on your starting point.