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
Ellen Lowe brings 45 years of physical therapy experience to USAHS. She graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in Physical Therapy. She earned her M.H.S. from the University of lndianapolis with an emphasis on orthopedics. She earned her Ph.D. in International Health from Touro University International. She received her Fellowship in Educational Leadership from the American Physical Therapy Association Educational Leadership Institute. Dr. Lowe has practiced in a variety of settings including acute care, home health, hand therapy, outpatient sports and orthopedics, skilled nursing, and the public school setting. She has been in physical therapy education for 20 years in both faculty and administrative settings. She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and the Arizona Chapter of the APTA. She currently represents Arizona as a delegate to the APTA House of Delegates. She serves as a CEU reviewer for the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT).
