Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are advanced healthcare practitioners with similar responsibilities, such as diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medications. However, their training and paths toward certification differ in significant ways. This blog post unpacks the key differences between NPs and PAs to help you determine which career path best aligns with your goals. What Is a Nurse Practitioner? A nurse practitioner (NP) is a licensed clinician who provides comprehensive healthcare to patients of all ages. An NP can work in virtually any healthcare setting, diagnosing patient conditions and prescribing medications. As of October 2022, nurse practitioners have full practice authority in 27 states, meaning that they can practice Read more
Ashley Bourque Meaux, PhD, CCC-SLP
Assistant Program Director, SLP Program and Dallas, TX Campus Director
Dr. Ashley Bourque Meaux joined the MS-SLP leadership team as the Assistant Program Director and an Associate Professor for the MS-SLP program on the Dallas, TX campus.
Dr. Meaux earned four degrees from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. In 2004, Dr. Meaux completed two bachelor’s degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders and English (Linguistics). She completed her master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2008. In 2013, she earned her PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders, with an emphasis in Child Language Acquisition and Literacy Development.
Dr. Meaux has practiced as a speech-language pathologist since 2008 as an early intervention provider and school-based clinician. Her research interests are in language and literacy development as they are supported by caregiver (e.g., parent, teacher) interaction. Additionally, she believes interprofessional collaborative practice is an essential component to positive outcomes when working with children and their caregivers. Dr. Meaux has numerous presentations at the local, state and national level, and serves on the editorial board for Language, Speech, Hearing Services in Schools.
