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
BACKGROUND
Dr. Karen G. Noblitt has served as a contributing faculty member since 2015. She is also a physical therapist who specializes in the locomotor program at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida, where she evaluates and treats veterans in inpatient and outpatient settings for neurological gait dysfunctions by using mechanical and specialized manual techniques/assistance to develop improved motor planning and proper gait kinematics. There, she also developed the hospital’s locomotor program.
Earlier in her career, she worked for the Polk County School District in Winter Haven, Florida, and as staff physical therapist at Tandem Rehabilitation Hospital in Lakeland. Dr. Noblitt began her career in the U.S. Air Force, where she served as a mechanic for diesel generators and air conditioning units for intercontinental ballistic missiles and support systems, and commanded a special operations unit.
