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. Early earned a B.S. degree in Biology from Clark Atlanta University. Then she went on to earn a Masters degree in Physical Therapy from Florida International University. She later earned her PhD in Physical Therapy from Nova Southeastern University with focus on educational program attributes and faculty teaching behaviors as predictors of National Physical Therapy Examination success. While completing her terminal degree, she served as a clinic director in private practice and several outpatient clinics in Georgia and Connecticut. Dr. Early has also had the opportunity to work in multiple settings as a travel therapist in Florida, Georgia, and Texas including home health, outpatient, inpatient, skilled nursing facilities and hospice. She has certifications in skilled dry needling, vestibular rehabilitation as well as functional capacity/human performance evaluations.
