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
Dr. Claribell Bayona received her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Stony Brook University in 1995 and her Clinical Doctorate of Occupational Therapy degree from Quinnipiac University in 2017. Dr. Bayona has practiced as an occupational therapist for 20 years in a variety of settings including school-based practice, acute care, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation and hand therapy. She has spent the majority of her clinical experience specializing in neurological rehabilitation and limb loss rehabilitation at the RUSK Institute of Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Health.
Dr. Bayona is a Certified Stroke Rehabilitation Specialist by the National Stroke Association and a Certified Peer Visitor Trainer by the Amputee Coalition. During her time at NYU Langone Health she led multiple initiatives in neuro rehabilitation education, clinical mentorship and provided leadership to the Amputee Support Group (L.E.A.P). She has also worked in academia as an adjunct faculty member at Touro College (Manhattan Campus) and a visiting lecturer to several OT programs in New York.
She is a contributing author to several publications on limb deficiency and co-author of a chapter on amputations and prosthetics for F. A. Davis publication Adult Physical Conditions: Intervention Strategies for Occupational Therapy Assistants. Her research interests include upper extremity motor recovery and quality of life in stroke survivors. Dr. Bayona has presented on her research interests and topics of expertise at national conferences and meetings. She joined the faculty of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in May 2019.
