Difference Between Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant

A nurse care practitioner and a physician assistant share one major similarity; both are healthcare providers and work in similar environments. However, these two professionals differ from each other in so many ways. For this reason, we've compiled everything you need to know about the difference between a nurse practitioner and a physician assistant, including their roles, qualifications, work environment, career outlook, salaries, and so much more. 

What Is the Difference Between Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant?

The difference between a nurse practitioner and physician assistant is broad. To put this into perspective, let's first define these two health care providers.

Who Is a Nurse Practitioner?

A nurse practitioner, also known as an NP, is a licensed clinician responsible for providing comprehensive healthcare to patients of all ages. NPs work in almost every healthcare setting. 

Who Is a Physician Assistant?

A physician assistant, or PA, is a licensed medical professional who possesses an advanced degree in a specific healthcare field and works with patients of all ages. 

By definition, a nurse practitioner and a physician assistant may seem to play almost a similar role. However, when you take a closer look at what they do, you'll realize that they are worlds apart.

Here's a deeper look at their qualifications. 

Nurse Practitioner vs. Physician Assistant Qualifications and Education Requirements 

Although nurse practitioners and physician assistants are both qualified healthcare providers, they don't share the same certifications or educational paths. 

A physician assistant usually has a graduate-level medical education, similar to the one taken by aspiring physicians. In addition, this individual is usually accredited and certified by an accredited physician assistant program. To operate legally, they require a national and state license. 

On the other hand, a nurse practitioner is usually a registered nurse, commonly known as an RN, but with additional graduate education and clinical training. This individual may be certified in one specialty, such as women's health, primary care, oncology, family medicine, neonatology, acute care, pediatrics, etc. 

It is also worth noting that, in most cases, PAs attend a master's program based on medical training while NPs pursue a graduate nursing program. 

Here's an overview of the credentialing processes and career path these two healthcare professionals travel to earn their certifications. 

To become a nurse practitioner, you'll need to:

• Earn a  Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, which takes around four years to complete. 

• You'll then need to pass the NCLEX-RN exam. 

• You'll receive your RN license after passing the exam. 

• Then, you'll need either of the following NP programs: a Master's Degree of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

• Complete at least 500 hours of clinical practice under a preceptor's supervision. 

• The last step of the journey involves taking a national certification examination through either of the five national certification boards. You'll be awarded a Certified Nurse Practitioner license if you pass the exam. 

To become a physician assistant, you'll need to: 

• Graduate from an accredited PA program, usually a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. 

• You'll also need to complete at least 2,000 hours of clinical practice under supervision. 

• Take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE exam). 

• You'll receive your state licensure when you pass this exam. 

• You must also maintain at least 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and take a recertification exam every 6 to 10 years. 

Nurse Practitioner vs. Physician Assistant Scope of Work 

When it comes to the scope of work, a physician assistant is responsible for diagnosing and treating a wide range of medical problems. They can also prescribe medication and even perform surgery.

Nurse practitioners can diagnose and treat patients. They also work alongside physicians and may prescribe medication if needed. 

NPs have full practice authority in at least 24 states. On the other hand, PAs usually work with physicians. 

Nurse Practitioner vs Physician Assistant Responsibilities 

Given that physician assistants are licensed at the state level, the kind of services they can provide usually depend on state health laws. In most states, PAs are required to have a collaboration agreement with a physician or healthcare team within a particular work environment. But this doesn't necessarily mean that PAs can't work alone. 

Some common duties and responsibilities of physician assistants include:

• diagnosing, assessing, and treating a wide array of diseases;

• ordering, conducting, and interpreting diagnostic tests;

• prescribing medication to treat various medical conditions;

• developing and monitoring treatment plans;

• educating and counseling patients and their families;

• conducting pre-employment physicals;

• performing worker compensation assessments;

• assessing and recording patient's progress;

• researching the latest medical model;

• assisting in surgical procedures, and so on. 

Common duties and responsibilities of nurse practitioners include: 

• prescribing medication;

• examining patients;

• ordering diagnostic tests;

• diagnosing illnesses;

• keeping patient's records;

• conducting patient education;

• counseling patients, and so on. 

Nurse Practitioner vs. Physician Assistant Treatment Models

When you examine the duties and responsibilities of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, you'll realize that they're quite similar. However, a keener look at their treatment model reveals one major difference that separates the two healthcare providers. These treatment models derive from their type of training and the different educational programs they take to earn their certifications. 

As their name suggests, nurse practitioners usually take a nursing approach when caring for their patients. A nurse practitioner targets a specific patient population, such as women, geriatrics, children, etc.,  and provides specialized care.

On the other hand, physician assistants have a medical approach when taking care of their patients. As a result, they usually focus more on managing and preventing diseases. They specialize in specific area of medicine, such as general surgery, intensive care medicine, psychiatry, primary care, dermatology, neurosurgery, radiology, mental health, etc. 

Nurse Practitioner vs. Physician Assistant Work Environments

These two professionals usually work in the same environment. However, their scope of practice might change in some cases, as explained below.

You'll find NPs at:

• hospitals and accurate care settings;

• ambulatory and emergency services;

• outpatient settings;

• private practice and homes;

• hospice and palliative care settings;

• retirement homes;

• rural health care facilities;

• universities and research agencies;

• government and community health agencies, etc. 

Physician assistants are mostly found at:

• surgery facilities;

• government and community health agencies;

• outpatient care settings;

• urgent care settings;

• surgery centers;

• hospitals;

• healthcare industry businesses;

• rural health care facilities;

• dermatology centers;

• emergency medicine;

• physician office, etc. 

Nurse Practitioner vs. Physician Assistant Career Outlook

If you're considering a career as a nurse practitioner, you'll be glad to find out that the future looks bright. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a 45 percent increase in nurse practitioner jobs between 2020 and 2030. In addition, the study shows that at least 271,900 more nurse practitioner jobs will be added in the next decade. 

The same also applies to physician assistants - the BLS estimates a 31 percent job growth between 2020 and 2030. The study also predicts at least 129,400 more job opportunities for physician assistants within the next ten years. 

Nurse Practitioner vs. Physician Assistant Salary

According to the BLS, a nurse practitioner earns around $56.57 an hour, which translates to approximately $117,670 per year. On the other hand, physician assistants earn at least $55.48 an hour or $115,390 a year. However, it's important to note that these figures vary depending on the employer, location, clinical experience, among other factors. 

Useful Resources

Here are some useful resources for nurse practitioners and physician assistants worth checking out. 

Nurse Practitioners Professional Organizations 

• The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP): Founded in 2013, this organization provides nurse practitioners with a unified way to network and advocate their issues. 

• American Nurses Association (ANA): Founded over a century ago, this organization describes itself as the 'strongest voice for the profession.' 

If you're looking for nurse practitioners organizations based on specialization, here are some popular ones:

• Pediatric: National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners

• Oncology: Oncology Nursing Society

• Psychiatric: American Psychiatric Nurses Association

• Women's Health: Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health

• Neonatal: National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners

• Nurse Midwives: American College of Nurse-Midwives

• Informatics: American Nursing Informatics Association

• Gerontology: Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association

Physician Assistant Professional Organizations 

• The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA): Established in 1968, this organization ensures professional excellence, personal growth, and recognition of physician assistants all over the United States. 

• Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA): This is the independent accrediting body for all physician assistant programs in the US. 

• National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA): An independent certifying organization for the initial certification exam (PANCE) and the re-certification exam (PANRE).

• Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA): This organization represents accredited physician assistant educational programs in the US. 

The Bottom Line

There are so many similarities between a nurse practitioner and a physician assistant that make it difficult to tell them apart. This is also because the differences between them are not so conspicuous. For example, as of 2022, the difference between their yearly salaries is around $2000.

These two healthcare providers also seem to share the same work environments. However, to fully understand and appreciate the difference between them, you'll need to take a keener look at their treatment models.

As discussed before, a nurse practitioner's treatment model focuses on providing patient care, hence the name 'nurse' in their job title. But on the other hand, physician assistants concentrate more on the medical aspect of treatment, which involves disease prevention and management. 

So whether you wish to become a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant, the future seems bright for these two careers.