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. Lisa Jenkins is a licensed physical therapist in the state of Florida. She has held previous certifications as a Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS) and in Healthcare Compliance (CHC). She is a core faculty instructor at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Miami campus. There, she holds a dual role not only as an instructor, but also as the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education, ensuring a quality clinical experience for students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
With a long work history mostly in management, she established and ran her own business, Clinical Resource Services, LLC, for seven years. Her interests have focused on educating established and future therapists and other healthcare professionals. She has held several regional and national positions where she presented formal board-approved education programs and defended Medicare claims with an administrative law judge. Her collective experiences have enabled her to be recognized as an expert in her field through several industry-specific publications. She is enrolled in the Doctor of Education program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.
