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What It Takes to be an Advanced Practice Practitioner
Here is a great summary table from The Physician Assistant Life of what it takes to be an advanced practice provider in today’s environment. While we have come a long way to narrow the gap in medical education, there is still a shortage of hands-on experience and clinical correlation to practice for those who have not attended a focused residency. That being said, clinical experience speaks for itself and with the right start to know where to focus during your career, it’s easy to learn how to put it all together and build on your own practice knowledge base.
Let Provider Practice Essentials give you the tools to know what you need to learn, help you apply how you learn it best, and broaden your knowledge base to accelerate your clinical learning pace throughout your career. They say practice makes perfect. Let’s get there by learning the essentials and building on them together.
| Category | Medical Assistant | Nurse (RN, BSN) | Nurse Practitioner | Physician Assistant | Physician (Family Practice) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prerequisite Education | None | None | Bachelor Degree in Nursing and Clinical Hours | Bachelor Degree and Clinical Hours | Bachelor Degree |
| Learning Model | – | Medical-Nursing | Medical-Nursing | Medical-Physician | Medical-Physician |
| Time in Classroom | 134 hours | Varies greatly by program | 500 hours | 1000 hours | 2 years |
| Time in Clinic | 160 hours | Varies by program | 500-700 hours | 2000 hours | 2 years |
| Total Post High School Education | 1-2 years | 2-4 years | 6-8 years | 6-7 years | 8 years |
| Residency | None | None | None | Optional 1-2 years | 3-8 years |
| Degree or Certificate Awarded | Certificate or associate Degree | Associate or Bachelor Degree | Master’s Degree; Planned Transition to Doctorate | Master’s Degree PA-C | Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Osteopathy (D.O.) |
| Recertification | 60 education points or exam every 5 years | 1000 hours practicing in area of certification or exam every 5 years | 1000 professional practice hours and 12 CE credits per year or exam every 5 years | 100 education hours every 2 years and exam every 10 years | MD: 50 education hours/year and ABMS recommended |
| Base Salary U.S. | $29,708 | $66,220 (varies greatly by state) | $97,990 | $97,820 | $185,151 |
| Independented Practitioner | – | – | 18 states allow NPs to practice independently | – | Yes |
| Complicated or High Risk Cases | – | – | Varies | Varies | Yes |
| Perform Surgery | – | – | Assist | Assist | Yes |
| Deliver Babies | – | – | Yes | Varies by State | Yes |
| Write Prescriptions | – | – | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Perscribe Controlled Substances | – | – | Varies by State | Varies by State | Yes |
| Conduct Physical Exams | – | Assist | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Diagnose | – | – | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Treat Illness | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Order and Interpret Tests | – | Assist | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Patient Counseling | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
