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smdl
I love Gary too..on a plate!
Member since 5/06 32461 total posts
Name:
me
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Nursing degree or PA?
If you had to pick, which career would you choose and why?
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Posted 5/30/09 9:35 PM  |
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KarenG2003
My BIG man and my little man!
Member since 4/08 1684 total posts
Name:
Karen
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
I chose PA. I think they are more respected in the medical field. The salary is higher, too if that's important to you.
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| Posted 5/30/09 9:52 PM |
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kabr13
LIF Toddler
Member since 2/09 470 total posts
Name:
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
What about a Nurse Practioner. They can do pretty much whatever a PA does and have a nice salary.
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| Posted 5/30/09 10:18 PM |
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emilain
UNREAL!!!!!!!!
Member since 5/05 4457 total posts
Name:
Mama
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
PA, they will be taking over the healthcare system eventually, MD's are over paid and NP unfortunately don;t get the respect that I think thy should (people feel they are "just nurses", ridiculous) so PA is the middle ground.
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| Posted 5/30/09 10:19 PM |
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
Message edited 6/24/2011 11:32:21 AM.
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| Posted 5/31/09 6:29 AM |
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LuckySV
LIF Adult
Member since 10/05 4675 total posts
Name:
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
My vote goes to nurse practitioner.
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| Posted 5/31/09 8:47 AM |
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jmf423
:)
Member since 5/05 6372 total posts
Name:
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
PA or NP without a doubt. I am in healthcare and kick myself all the time not for doing one of those.
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| Posted 5/31/09 9:47 AM |
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smdl
I love Gary too..on a plate!
Member since 5/06 32461 total posts
Name:
me
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
Posted by kabr13
What about a Nurse Practioner. They can do pretty much whatever a PA does and have a nice salary.
PA is a bachelor degree. NP is a Master's degree.
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| Posted 5/31/09 8:25 PM |
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imagin916
LIF Adult
Member since 6/05 1826 total posts
Name:
Valerie
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
I am an RN and I was torn about going for the PA or NP as a next step, and the advice that I got from many PA's was to go for NP. Remember too that many PA's have no medical background whatsoever. NP's have many years of nursing experience behind them working with real patients. IMO anyone with prescriptive authority better have real patient experience before doing procedures on me or prescribing me meds.
They say that the job market is better for NP's than PA's, and because PA's are not independant practitioners, they will always have limited practice because of the control the doctors have. They are not allowed to order certain things in hospitals like NP's and doctors can, and they need signoff on everything they do all of the time.
One big advantage of PA over NP is that PA's have the ability to drastically change specialties, whereas the NP is specialized into one area.
Staff nurses make more money than the PA's do. If the PA has many many years of experience or is a partner in a practice than it may be different, but the nurses with 10+ years experience make much more than a recent PA grad does.
Message edited 5/31/2009 8:52:28 PM.
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| Posted 5/31/09 8:50 PM |
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Mushesgirl
Too blessed to be stressed
Member since 4/09 6691 total posts
Name:
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
I voted for nurse; i work in healthcare and personally I could never be a PA, its wayyyyy too much responsibillity IMO. You are expected to be a mini doctor with not nearly the training.
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| Posted 6/5/09 7:30 PM |
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neenie
Member since 5/05 22351 total posts
Name:
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
Posted by imagin916
I am an RN and I was torn about going for the PA or NP as a next step, and the advice that I got from many PA's was to go for NP. Remember too that many PA's have no medical background whatsoever. NP's have many years of nursing experience behind them working with real patients. IMO anyone with prescriptive authority better have real patient experience before doing procedures on me or prescribing me meds.
They say that the job market is better for NP's than PA's, and because PA's are not independant practitioners, they will always have limited practice because of the control the doctors have. They are not allowed to order certain things in hospitals like NP's and doctors can, and they need signoff on everything they do all of the time.
One big advantage of PA over NP is that PA's have the ability to drastically change specialties, whereas the NP is specialized into one area.
Staff nurses make more money than the PA's do. If the PA has many many years of experience or is a partner in a practice than it may be different, but the nurses with 10+ years experience make much more than a recent PA grad does.
ITA.
Also, being an RN allows you many more paths to pursue if you so choose. When i was making the decision between the 2, the pro's for RN blew away those for PA. Both are reputable, but i chose the route that had more options down the line for me.
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| Posted 6/5/09 8:58 PM |
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Blu-ize
Plan B is Now Plan A
Member since 7/05 32475 total posts
Name:
Susan
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
I'm not in the medical field at all but have had lots of personal experience being a patient, family of patients and unfortunately been around hospitals quite a bit.
Personally, I've found that I have had more faith in nurses, primarily ones with experience. I really don't view a PA the same way. I've only had experience with NPs in doctors offices and had the same feeling.
Just a layman's thoughts on the subject for what it's worth.
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| Posted 6/7/09 9:08 AM |
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TheDivineMrsM
2 girls 4 me!
Member since 8/08 7878 total posts
Name:
Mama mama mama....
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
My sister is a PA. I admit, I don't know a lot about the finite differences between an NP and a PA. FM me if you want her email address; I know she'd be willing to help.
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| Posted 6/8/09 9:03 AM |
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SweetTooth
I'm a tired mommy!
Member since 12/05 20105 total posts
Name:
Lauren
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
I would choose NP. The PA program is intense, when I went to inquire about it they basically said expect to have no life - no time for family, no time for friends, your whole life is the PA program.
I still might go this route one day.
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| Posted 6/8/09 8:02 PM |
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Disneygirl
Disney cruise bound!
Member since 5/05 8126 total posts
Name:
D
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
Posted by imagin916
I am an RN and I was torn about going for the PA or NP as a next step, and the advice that I got from many PA's was to go for NP. Remember too that many PA's have no medical background whatsoever. NP's have many years of nursing experience behind them working with real patients. IMO anyone with prescriptive authority better have real patient experience before doing procedures on me or prescribing me meds.
They say that the job market is better for NP's than PA's, and because PA's are not independant practitioners, they will always have limited practice because of the control the doctors have. They are not allowed to order certain things in hospitals like NP's and doctors can, and they need signoff on everything they do all of the time.
One big advantage of PA over NP is that PA's have the ability to drastically change specialties, whereas the NP is specialized into one area.
Staff nurses make more money than the PA's do. If the PA has many many years of experience or is a partner in a practice than it may be different, but the nurses with 10+ years experience make much more than a recent PA grad does.
I wouldn't necessarily say the job market is good for NP's. I know many of them who are still working as RN's because they can't find work as an NP.
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| Posted 6/8/09 11:14 PM |
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imagin916
LIF Adult
Member since 6/05 1826 total posts
Name:
Valerie
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
Posted by Disneygirl
Posted by imagin916
I am an RN and I was torn about going for the PA or NP as a next step, and the advice that I got from many PA's was to go for NP. Remember too that many PA's have no medical background whatsoever. NP's have many years of nursing experience behind them working with real patients. IMO anyone with prescriptive authority better have real patient experience before doing procedures on me or prescribing me meds.
They say that the job market is better for NP's than PA's, and because PA's are not independant practitioners, they will always have limited practice because of the control the doctors have. They are not allowed to order certain things in hospitals like NP's and doctors can, and they need signoff on everything they do all of the time.
One big advantage of PA over NP is that PA's have the ability to drastically change specialties, whereas the NP is specialized into one area.
Staff nurses make more money than the PA's do. If the PA has many many years of experience or is a partner in a practice than it may be different, but the nurses with 10+ years experience make much more than a recent PA grad does.
I wouldn't necessarily say the job market is good for NP's. I know many of them who are still working as RN's because they can't find work as an NP.
The job market is better for RN's than NP's, that is for sure. However, the people who have NP degrees and are unable to find a job, its usually because they went straight from RN to NP with very little RN experience or no RN experience. No hospital is going to hire an NP with no nursing experience. Another scenerio that NP's can't find work in is if they seek jobs that don't match thier experience or they are too picky.
These above examples are not to describe anyone, but I see that they happen often.
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| Posted 6/9/09 7:30 AM |
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
Message edited 6/24/2011 11:32:45 AM.
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| Posted 6/11/09 10:36 PM |
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neenie
Member since 5/05 22351 total posts
Name:
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
Posted by TuttsyLow
Staff nurses make more money than the PA's do. If the PA has many many years of experience or is a partner in a practice than it may be different, but the nurses with 10+ years experience make much more than a recent PA grad does.
I don't know if this is true or not, but i can say a new PA grad makes ~70K+
That's less than a staff RN (new hire) at my hospital makes. (Just putting it out there to give some salary perspective, not to debate PA vs. RN or NP).
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| Posted 6/12/09 8:57 AM |
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smdl
I love Gary too..on a plate!
Member since 5/06 32461 total posts
Name:
me
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
Posted by neenie
Posted by TuttsyLow
Staff nurses make more money than the PA's do. If the PA has many many years of experience or is a partner in a practice than it may be different, but the nurses with 10+ years experience make much more than a recent PA grad does.
I don't know if this is true or not, but i can say a new PA grad makes ~70K+
That's less than a staff RN (new hire) at my hospital makes. (Just putting it out there to give some salary perspective, not to debate PA vs. RN or NP).
Regarding incomes this is what I was told.
New hire nurse out of school: Average is about $60K for 36 hours or so schedule (3 days)
New hire PA out of school: $70K. $100K after about 2-3 years experience
NP with a few years experience: $100K
Of course, it depends on hospitals, location, private vs public, Dr's office, specialty, etc..
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| Posted 6/15/09 1:19 PM |
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imagin916
LIF Adult
Member since 6/05 1826 total posts
Name:
Valerie
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Re: Nursing degree or PA?
Posted by smdl
Posted by neenie
Posted by TuttsyLow
Staff nurses make more money than the PA's do. If the PA has many many years of experience or is a partner in a practice than it may be different, but the nurses with 10+ years experience make much more than a recent PA grad does.
I don't know if this is true or not, but i can say a new PA grad makes ~70K+
That's less than a staff RN (new hire) at my hospital makes. (Just putting it out there to give some salary perspective, not to debate PA vs. RN or NP).
Regarding incomes this is what I was told.
New hire nurse out of school: Average is about $60K for 36 hours or so schedule (3 days)
New hire PA out of school: $70K. $100K after about 2-3 years experience
NP with a few years experience: $100K
Of course, it depends on hospitals, location, private vs public, Dr's office, specialty, etc..
$60k for a nurse? Maybe 10 years ago. Most places are starting at least 65k base salary. Each place starts different, but this is about the average. This is just my hospital, but they are all pretty much the same.
Staff Nurse
$68k base salary
$6k night differential
$1500 or so for having BSN
= $75,000 without any other incentives or overtime
In my place they give you $3500 for certification in your area 1k for every year of experience you have, and you get that raise on the anniversary of yoru date of hire. We also get 2-3% raises every year.
There are nurses in my place that make well over $100k. Some of it is nurses who work overtime, and some of it is just from years of experience and higher pay. Without working too much overtime, I have come close to this. If I worked more I could break 100k definitly.
I think the highest paying hospital in this area is Sloan Kettering. Their base pay is $70k+ before night diff and all of that.
From what I understand, PA's start at about 70k which is not bad money, but I don't think they will have the opportunity to work OT like nurses do.
The truth is, they are both great jobs, just different, but you have to do what will make you happy because there is good and bad to either profession.
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| Posted 6/16/09 12:55 PM |
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