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
Kefah Alshebber, PT, MS, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the University of St. Augustine for Health Science’s Austin campus Flex Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Dr. Alshebber completed her entry-level professional Bachelor of Science in physical therapy at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia in 2006 and her post-professional Master of Science in physical therapy with a concentration in neuromuscular rehabilitation science from the University of Pittsburgh in 2012. She then completed a post-professional doctorate in philosophy of rehabilitation science from the University of Pittsburgh in 2018.
Dr. Alshebber has a robust scholarship agenda in vestibular disorders contributing to several disseminations through both peer-reviewed publications and scientific and professional presentations nationally and internationally. She regularly presented posters at the Combined Sections Meeting and attended early career workshops both nationally and within the University throughout her PhD training. Presently, Dr. Alshebber has four published papers and six that are in various stages of publication.
