The medical field is among the largest and ever growing career fields, especially when dealing with Physician Assistants (PAs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs). In the 1960’s when the physician shortage began, the medical field created the PA and NP positions to fill in the gaps (Curren, 2007, p. 404). This matter has opened up numerous questions as more and more PAs and NPs begin practicing, especially concerning their education level. Many patients are concerned that they will not get the proper care. PAs/NPs are beneficial to everyday life by providing patients with the necessary skills needed to successfully treat them.
Current Research
How the Program got its start
When the first physician assistant (PA) and nurse practitioner (NP) career fields got their starts, the education was a lot different from what it is today. In the 1960’s, when the first wave of the physician shortage hit the United States, this left physicians scrambling to fill in the gaps. The medical field looked towards ways to help fill in the gaps with the best possible options. Jill Curren (2007), a nurse practitioner, points out that this meant that they needed highly certified healthcare professionals that could do the job of a physician, but these healthcare professionals had to be educated in half the time that it took to become a physician (p. 404). Physicians working at Duke University began to notice a pattern among combat medics. A lot of the medics and doctors that had served in Vietnam had little or no medical training, and most of their medical training occurred while on the job. Therefore, the PA program was born with its roots stemming from the military. “They started the first PA education program, training these medics similarly to the way phy...
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...rained for specialty practices. Two-thirds of today’s PAs work in specialty care. This, therefore, leaves NPs to work in general practice (p. 828). Woolsey and Cutter (n.d) seem to have a different opinion by stating “PAs are generalists while NPs can be either [specialist or generalist] depending on the area of medicine they practice” (para. 5). They go on to explain that PAs are trained to generalize, so that they can hop from one area to another (Woolsey & Cutter, n.d., para.5). PAs have the ability to specialize if they complete a residency program, but one important thing to note is that a PA is still documented as a generalist whether or not they have specialized (Woolsey & Cutter, n.d., para.5). Woolsey and Cutter (n.d.) then note that NPs often have to have a national certification in a nursing specialty before they can practice within a specialty (para.5).
With many medical careers students often get confused on what they really want to study, I have faced this problem myself and I know is not that easy due too many choices. There are many options ranging from healthcare to medical jobs. I have thoughtfully chosen to enter the program for Medical Assistant (MA). Ever since I was a child, I’ve spent most of childhood years at the Hospital, I was diagnosed with a rare condition that had to be treated continuously, this meant that I had to be going to checkups every three months so I was close to doctors, surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologist, medical assistants, etc. I remember at first I was frightened just of the thought of going to the doctor but after a few visits I got used to. The doctors and nurses were nice and caring and made me feel comfortable that I end up enjoying my doctor’s visits every time. Since then I decided I wanted to work in the medical field, this is my goal since I can remember. I have always enjoyed helping people in any way I possibly can. I chose to be a Medical Assistant because I think is great way to start my medical career going and programs are practical and not long.
Physician assistants (PA's) practice medicine under the supervision of physicians and surgeons. PA's are trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive health care services, as delegated by a physician. They work with members of a healthcare team, they take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and x rays, and make diagnoses. PAs may be the principal care providers in rural or inner city clinics where a physician is present for only one or two days each week. In such cases, the PA confers with the supervising physician and other medical professionals as
The physician assistant is a team player in the medical world, working daily with surgeons, physicians, therapists, and many other health care professionals. Similar to the job description of physicians, PAs see patients, take medical histories, preform physical exams, make diagnoses, order and interpret tests, and develop treatment plans (Ludwig). A physician assistant, nowadays, may even perform procedures that were once performed exclusively by physicians. Because every PA must have a supervising physician who oversees their work, it is assumed by many that PAs are “assistants to doctors”, however, that is not the case because a vast majority of PAs work independently. The extent of supervision by a physician varies depending on location and branch of medicine. Although, a physician assistant may carry out much of the same roles as a physician would, the amount of schooling required to become a PA is nearly half as many as that of a physician. Physician assistant programs nationwide require an undergraduate degree in one of many sciences, such as biology, and certain
Physician Assistant is a career choice that entails various specialties and flexibilities that attracts many. Those who desires a path to practice medicine as soon as possible, PA 's lateral mobility allows that to happen. Compared to medical school, PA school requires less time and amount less debt. As the population grows and chronic diseases spreads, The future projection of PA is growing faster than the average careers.
“Behind every great nurse there is a running CNA.” This statement is true, however only in the long-term care setting of nursing homes. Certified Nursing Assistants/Aides can be found in different settings, as well. Such as, hospice environments, and the homes of those seeking home healthcare. In each environment, CNA’s are important to the patients receiving their care.
health care team who, with doctors, provide quality care to patients. In order to do that,
During this same time, Medicaid and Medicare programs were growing rapidly and increasing the number of individuals covered, such as to low income individuals, the disabled, and the elderly. The abrupt expansion of coverage caused the demand of primary care services to skyrocket. With physicians no longer able to meet the growing demand, nurses stepped to provide medical care, and soon believed that were qualified to broaden their role and scope of abilities. In 1965, a nurse and physician, Loretta Ford and Henry Silver, recognized the need for a training program, and developed the first curriculum for nurse practitioners. Since then, the role of nurse practitioner has rapidly increased in response to the expanding and growing need for accessible and affordable care and is currently ranked as one of the fastest growing professions in healthcare.
O’Brian, J. M., (2003). How Nurse Practitioners obtained provider status: History of nurse practitioners. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 60(22). Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/464663_2
In the United States, depending upon the state in which they work, nurse practitioners may or may not be required to practice under the supervision of a physician, frequently referred to as a “collaborative practice agreement”. However, in consideration of the shortage of primary care/internal medicine physicians, many states are eliminating or lessening the restrictive authority which allows and nurse practitioners the ability to function more autonomously (AANP 2015).
At Seton Hill, I will be a student of the 5-year physician assistant program. From visiting campus and interviewing with the PA program staff, I am confident that Seton Hill will shape me into a competent and compassionate medical professional. Furthermore, I am confident that my fellow students and I will have an opportunity to make a difference in the community. A main pillar of the physician assistant career is catering the underserved populations. With a simple internet search, anyone can deduce
Defining the role of an advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) is complex and commonly open to interpretation. Internationally there are many variances in what the role of the advanced practitioner entails, and the characteristics of individual roles are often shaped by the country and particular speciality in which they are practising (Mantzoukas & Watkinson 2006), (Sheer & Wong 2008), (Stasa et al 2014), (ICN 2008), (Dalton 2013), (NHS Wales 2010), (Haidar 2014), (Lowe et al 2011), (Pearson 2011).
The history of how Surgical Technologists began on the battlefields in World War II, when the Army used medics to work under the direct supervision of the surgeon, nurses were not allowed aboard combat ships at time, this led to a new profession within the military called Operating Room Technicians (ORTs). An accelerated nursing program was form only on operating room technology was set up as an on the job training of nursing assistants who worked in the surgery department, th...
According to the article Who Np’s Are and What They Do, more than ninety percent of nurse practitioner education programs at colleges and universities confer the ...
There has been a drastic cut in both the Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates. According to Robert (2012), “cuts of more than $360 billion to Medicare and Medicaid will be made over the next 10 years. The focus of nursing needs to emphasize more on wellness care and prevention rather than acute care” (McNeal, G., 2012). Nursing practice will need to shift more towards community and population focused nursing. Baccalaureate prepared nurses are provided with a curriculum that includes both community health and leadership skills that are not included in the associate program. By encouraging associate’s degree nurses to obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing, an increase in the awareness of the needs of the community and population may be seen. The IOM report has outlined the anticipated obstacles that healthcare will face if changes are not made. By allowing nurses to provide care within their full scope of practice, quality care may be provided at an affordable cost to the population. The use of advanced practice nurses in primary care may provide quality, access, and cost efficient healthcare to high-risk populations and possibly decrease hospital admission rates, thus lowering the overall cost of healthcare. If nurses partner with doctors and other healthcare providers, it may improve healthcare by providing seamless transitions (Institute of Medicine,
My educational experiences sparked my first consideration of a career in physician assistant and encouraged me to further explore this interest. At the same time, I started giving community services to healthcare. My first opportunity to personally interact with the patient was in the emergency department as a volunteer at Dekalb Medical Center. The first day I stepped onto the floor, my