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. Nicholas LaRosa is a physical therapist, educator and researcher focused on enhancing student learning and reasoning in physical therapy professional education. He earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Stony Brook University in 2004 and spent three years as a full-time clinician in acute care and in-patient rehabilitation settings treating individuals with joint arthroplasty, spinal surgery and acute fractures.
Dr. LaRosa joined the Brooks Rehabilitation outpatient clinic located in St. Augustine, FL in 2008, where he specialized in treating individuals with musculoskeletal dysfunction. His post-professional education includes completion of the Brooks/UNF Orthopaedic Residency Program in 2009 and the Brooks Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship Program in 2010.
He is a recognized Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists and has been granted Emeritus status as an Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education. In 2014, he began teaching in the University of North Florida Doctor of Physical Therapy program, where he facilitated courses in orthopaedic physical therapy, basic clinical skills, therapeutic modalities and leadership. He earned is EdD in Educational Leadership in 2019. His primary research focus is on clinical reasoning across professional and post-professional education.
Dr. LaRosa joined the core Flex Doctor of Physical Therapy program faculty at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences at the St. Augustine, FL Campus in 2021 and teaches within the musculoskeletal components of the program.
