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
BACKGROUND
Lisa Nichols joined the faculty at the University of St. Augustine in 2004 and is the primary instructor for the Skills and Procedures course for both occupational therapy and physical therapy students. Ms. Nichols also teaches the online Skills and Procedures course for physical therapy students in the FLEX program. She co-teaches with Dr. Bonnie Decker the Child Development course to both occupational therapy and physical therapy students. In addition, Ms. Nichols teaches the Pediatric component of Neuromuscular III to physical therapy students.
Ms. Nichols received her B.S. in Physical Therapy and her M.H.S. from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1994. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of St. Augustine Ms. Nichols taught for ten years in the Physical Therapy program and the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina. Her teaching assignments included Surface Anatomy, Clinical Sciences, Motor Development, Pediatrics, Pediatrics for PT, Assistive Technology, Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, Functional Anatomy, Musculoskeletal I Lab and Team Concepts.
Her clinical practice has primarily been in acute care and out-patient pediatrics. Her areas of interest include online education and CIMT.
