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
Kristian Llaca has been a practicing Occupational Therapist for 5 years working in different healthcare setting ranging from acute care, home health, inpatient rehab, and private practice. He graduated from Florida International University with a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Since then, Professor Llaca has specialized in the adult neurological population while working at West Gables Rehab Hospital as an OT in the Inpatient rehab facility. Professor Llaca has also attained his ATP certification and is a Certified Stroke Rehab Specialist. Professor Llaca has taught at the University of St. Augustine for 2 years as a contributing faculty member and has recently transitioned to core faculty. His role at the University of St. Augustine includes lead instructor in several courses for both residential and flex programs as well as serving as a level 1 fieldwork preceptor. In addition to his duties at the University of St. Augustine, Professor Llaca has also developed several CEU courses focusing on the treatment of the neurological population and taught those courses at Select Medical divisional hospitals across the country.
