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
Kayla Smith received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biopsychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1990, Master of Science in Physical Therapy degree from Boston University in 1993, and her Doctorate of Science in Physical Therapy degree from Andrews University in 2008.
Kayla completed her manual therapy certification through the North American Institute on Manual Therapy in 2004. She completed her certification in manipulative therapy in 2005, and later that year obtained board certification from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties in orthopaedics. Kayla is a member of the APTA, AAOMPT, and COMPTSIG.
Dr. Smith has worked as an orthopaedic physical therapist in the San Diego area for the past 25 years. She is a full-time Associate Professor at the University of St. Augustine, San Marcos campus instructing orthopaedic musculoskeletal courses.
