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
Christopher Ivey received a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education and a Master of Science in Kinesiology from Humboldt State University. He completed his physical therapy education at Western University for Health Sciences. While he has a variety of clinical experiences, his clinical practice’s focus for more than 20 years is orthopaedic and sport physical therapy. This focus links with his designation from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties as an orthopaedic and sports clinical specialist. He is also a certified athletic trainer.
Ivey began working for the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in 2009 as a contributing faculty member. In 2012, he stepped down from his private practice clinic director position to accept a full-time faculty assignment at USAHS. As an advocate for life learning, he completed an Educational Doctorate from the University of Liverpool. He continues part-time clinical work outside of the University and serves as a resident mentor and clinical faculty in an orthopaedic residency program.
