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. Karen Menard joined the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in January 2012 as a contributing faculty member and accepted the Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program Director position in March 2015. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Florida International University in 1985, her Master of Science in Health Sciences from the University of Central Florida in 1992 and a PhD in Education from Walden University in 2014. She brings more than 35 years of managerial and clinical experience in a variety of settings specializing in orthopedic, neurological, cognitive, emotional and pediatric disorders.
Dr. Menard authored materials presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) National Conferences, Florida Occupational Therapy Association Conferences, Online Learning Consortiums, Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions, NEXUS Summits, Athens Institute for Education and Research Annual International Conference on Public Health, International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare, National Academies of Practice, World Confederation of Physical Therapy, WASC Academic Resource Conferences, International Autism Conference and Autism One Conference.
She is published in several journals including: Health, Interprofessional Practice and Education; Journal of Research in Health Sciences; Journal of Allied Health; Journal of Occupational Therapy Education; and Open Journal of Occupational Therapy.
Dr. Menard is a member of the World Federation of Occupational Therapy, American Occupational Therapy Association and Florida Occupational Therapy Association. Her special interest activities focus on interprofessional education in higher education, and her research expertise is in qualitative studies. Her passion is to encourage all students to advance the profession of occupational therapy through research and education.
