Physician assistants and nurse practitioners both provide medical care but have some key differences in their education, scope of practice, and philosophy of care. Physician assistants receive advanced medical training focused on diagnosis and treatment, with an emphasis on the biological model of health. In contrast, nurse practitioners receive advanced nursing education with a biopsychosocial model and focus on health promotion. Physician assistants require physician supervision, while nurse practitioners have more independent practice authority but need supervision for delegated medical acts. Both roles require national certification and ongoing continuing education for licensure renewal.

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COMPARISON OF PHYSICIAN ASSIST ANTS AND NURSE PRACTITIONERS
CATEGORY PHYSICIAN ASSIST ANT NURSE PRACTITIONER
Definition Health care professionals licensed to practice Registered nurses with advanced education
medical care with physician supervision. and training in a clinical specialty who can
perform delegated medical acts with
physician supervision.
Medical/physician model, disease centered, MedicallNursing model, Biopsychosocial
Philosophy/Model with emphasis on the biological/pathologic centered, with emphasis on disease
aspects of health, assessment, diagnosis, adaptation, health promotion, wellness, and
treatment. Practice model is a team prevention. Practice model is a
approach relationship with physicians. collaborative relationship with
physicians.
Education Affiliated with Medical schools Affiliated with Nursing schools
Previous health care experience required; BSN is prerequisite; curriculum is bio-
Many have entry-level bachelors degree. psychosocial based, based upon behavioral,
Program curriculum is advanced science natural, and humanistic sciences. NPs
based. Approx. 1000 didactic and over 2000 choose a specialty-training track in adult,
clinical hours. All PAs are trained as acute care, pediatric, women's health or
generalists- a primary care model and some gerontology. Approx. 500 didactic hours
receive post-graduate specialty training. and 500-700 clinicalhours,
Procedure and skill oriented with emphasis Emphasis on patient education, diagnosis,
on diagnosis, treatment, surgical skills, and treatment and prevention. Generally not
patient education. trained for surgical settings.
-50% of programs award Masters degrees Master's prepared
and all are currently transitioning to the
master's level.
CertificationlLicensure Separate accreditation and certification Nursing accreditation and multiple nursing
bodies require successful completion of an certification agencies.
accredited program and NCCP A national Master's Degree required to sit for exam;
certification exam. NCCP A certification is national certification is voluntary and
the gold standard. utilized for advanced nurse prescribers
within their specialty training.
Recertification Recertification requires 100 hours of Recertification requires 1500 direct
CME every 2 years and exam every 6 patient contact hours and 75 CEUs every
years. Recertification is comparableto 5-6 years. No exam is required. NP's
family physicians. All PAs are licensed by practice under their basic RN license under
their State Medical Board and the Medical the Nurse Practice Act.
Practice Act provisions.
Scope of Practice The supervising physician has relatively Nursing care is provided as an independent
broad discretion in delegating medical tasks function; however, protocols and written or
within his/her scope of practice to the PAin verbal orders are required for delegated
accordance with state regulations. Written medical acts including prescriptions - such
guidelines are required for prescriptions. acts require general MD supervision. *sec~
Does not require on-site supervision * N6.03(2), WI Administrative Code
Chapter Med 8 in WI Administrative
Code
Third Party Coverage PAs are eligible for certification as Medicaid NP's are eligible for certification as
and Reimbursement and Medicare providers, and generally Medicaid and Medicare providers, and
receive favorable reimbursement from generally receive favorable reimbursement
commercial payers. from commercial pavers.
References http://academic.son. wise. edu/wistrec www.ana.org, WI Regulatory Digest,
www.wapa.org. www.aapa.org www.nonp{.org
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