NP vs PA Future? What do you think?

[MexicanDr]

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I am somewhat confused on which path to take in my next goal. I will have a B.S. in Public Health in a Semester. I am currently an ICU RN and my goal is to become a mid level provider.

Its interesting how the education preparation to become an NP or PA are so different, yet at the end their practice is the same. I can apply to PA programs because I will have the B.S.; and I can also apply to NP program because I am an RN and have a health related B.S. The question is, which one would be the "Best" choice, if there is one.

At the current hospital I work at, I see PAs/NPs working in the ER, working in Surgery, Critical Care, clinics etc. I have done research on job sites such as monster, indeed and such positions ask for NP or PA.

What do you guys think in terms of the future? NPs seem to have a lot more support than PAs when it comes to practice. For example, the NPs have stronger lobbyists compared to PAs. The IOM supports the NPs compared to PAs.

Thanks for your advice and opinions.

 

[princekc]

Depends on your specialty of interest. RN w/ EMT background and interested in ED work as a MLP. Would recom PA route + doing a post grad EM residency training. Psych/Women health/FM/Peds interest, go NP.

 

[AnnoyedByFreud]

It depends entirely on what specialty you're interested in, where you want to practice, and if you have interests outside of clinical work (teaching, research, policy, etc.) I now consider them about equal when it comes to flexibility, since PAs are becoming much more specialized. It used to be that the huge pro for becoming a PA was being able to switch it up and go practice in another area of medicine, but that appears to be going by the wayside. Anyway, both are great career paths. However, it does seem like NPs definitely have the tide going for them, politically speaking, compared to PAs. NPs are very much in the limelight right now, with the ACA and several states recently granting independent practice. However, if you just want to work in a hospital system and do EM/surgery, then PA is a great choice and you wouldn't have to worry about your SP dying or moving resulting in you suddenly not being able to practice. If you have interests outside the EM/surgery setting, then I would strongly consider NP.

 

[NYCGuy86]

Just wanted to say that even if you're interested in inpatient practice, you definitely shouldn't rule out NP. The AG-ACNP and pediatric ACNP programs are specifically for didactic and clinical education and training in the inpatient setting, and that is where they are employed (as well as specialty clinics/practices). While I do think that PA would have the advantage as far as an intraoperative role (there are NPs that do as well, however this seems more straightforward by the PA route, and I've seen more PA jobs that include first assist than NP), as well as emergency medicine (again, you'll find NPs, and there are now a number of Emergency NP programs, however I think that you'll find more PAs in main ED than NPs), I think that acute care NP is a great option for the various specialties (whether hospitalist, critical care, cardiology, GI, neurology, trauma, and the various surgical subspecialties (without first assist)). I have no interest in psych/women's health/FM/peds, nor do I have interest in first assisting at surgery, and have decided to pursue the nursing route.

FWIW.