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
Jessica Fagan OTD, OTR/L, graduated from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences with her Master of Occupational Therapy in 2013 and Doctor of Occupational Therapy in 2017. She is a licensed occupational therapist with experience in adult and geriatric rehabilitation. Dr. Fagan has worked with neurological injuries, geriatrics, adult rehabilitation and polytrauma. She has special interest in stroke rehabilitation and reducing falls in the community.
After graduation, Dr. Fagan moved home to Belleview, FL and worked primarily in subacute rehab where her interest in stroke rehab was enhanced. She later worked in acute care at a level 2 trauma hospital. This allowed for experience with a variety of diagnosis and experience in ICU/CVIVU. She also began practicing in home health, which began her interest in research with falls in the community and living in place.
Dr. Fagan remains active primarily in the home health setting. She recently completed the Certified Stroke Rehabilitation Specialist (CSRS) courses and anticipates starting a community fall prevention program in Belleview. She loves to learn and believes the most personal growth happens when doing things out of your comfort zone.
