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
Katie O’Hara is an Affiliated Faculty member at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. Prior to working in academia, O’Hara worked as a pediatric occupational therapist in an outpatient setting. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from North Georgia College and State University in 2012 and completed her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at Brenau University in 2015.
O’Hara has experience in treating children with a variety of diagnoses, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down syndrome, Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD, cerebral palsy, feeding disorders, brachial plexus injuries, Angelman syndrome and Rett syndrome.
