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. Susan MacDermott has more than 15 years of experience as a practicing therapist and educator. In addition to her role as a core faculty member and Doctoral Coordinator in the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program, she currently serves as an occupational therapist at Lasting Recovery, a substance abuse and recovery program in San Diego.
Prior to joining the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, she was an adjunct professor of clinical occupational therapy for the University of Southern California. Dr. MacDermott also has a range of professional experience, including as the occupational therapy director for Mariposa Women and Family Center in Orange, California, a senior occupational therapist for Community Mental Health Centre and St. Loman’s Hospital Mullingar in Ireland.
Dr. MacDermott has presented on occupational approaches in addiction and chronic pain and headache management at conferences and organizations. Dr. MacDermott serves on the board of Occupational Therapy Association of California as the Region 1 Director.
