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
Dr. Shannon Groff is a contributing faculty member for the University of St. Augustine Online programs. She currently teaches in the the Post-Professional programs. Prior to joining the USA, Dr. Groff continues to teach full-time for Florida State College at Jacksonville. Dr. Groff has worked in higher education for over thirteen years of which she has experience in educational theory, course development and design, e-learning, quality assurance, student engagement, curriculum design, faculty training and development, and commitment to success.
Dr. Groff adheres to a belief in education that the key to successful motivation of learners is in building relationships while embracing educational theories in order to create positive learning environments. She holds a MAE from the University of North Florida where she specialized in English and a PhD from Northcentral University where she focused on Educational Technology and e-Learning. The focus of Dr. Groff’s research was to examine how audio feedback and innovation in online education generates motivation in adult learners and how that motivation along with technological advances accessible in education relates to success and retention in higher education.
