PA vs Nurse: Understanding the Difference

• A PA and a nurse play two very different roles in a healthcare setting, however, there can be moments of confusion when differentiating the two. 
• Are you contemplating a career change? Curious about the differences between a PA vs nurse?
• We’ve got all the information you need so that you never get the two confused again! Keep reading! 

PA vs Nurse: What Do These Professionals Do?

PA (physician assistant/associate)

According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants/Associates (AAPA), PAs are rigorously trained and educated professionals who are licensed to practice medicine in any specialty or setting.  

For example, a PA can take histories, conduct exams, order and interpret tests, diagnose and treat various illnesses, prescribe medications, and so much more!  

Interested? Here are a few more things a PA is authorized to do: 

• Develop treatment plans 
• Counsel on preventive care 
• Perform procedures
• Assist in surgery
• Make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes
• Do clinical research

Nurse

For the purpose of this article, let’s stick to registered nurses (RNs). 

According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), nurses serve as the backbone of health care provision. There are so many roles, responsibilities, and specializations that it is impossible to encompass all that an RN does in one statement. 

However, to keep it brief, an RN is a licensed healthcare provider who can work in various settings and among many specialties.  

Not only do they serve as a patient’s advocate, but according to the ANA they can: 

• Perform physical exams
• Take patient histories 
• Offer health education to patients and families 
• Administer medications and other personalized interventions 
• Coordinate care, in collaboration with a wide array of health care professionals 

Of course, this is a brief overview of all the responsibilities that fall within a nurse’s scope of practice, however, they are essential in a patient’s care journey. 

Although it may appear that the responsibilities of a PA and nurse are similar, they are far from it. However, both are incredibly important to a healthcare facility or other clinical setting. 

PA vs Nurse: Where Can I Find Them?

Wondering where you can find a PA or nurse? Well, to keep it simple, almost anywhere where healthcare is provided!  

Let’s check out the details. 

PA

The Mayo Clinic College of Medicine lists several areas of healthcare where you can find an on-staff PA, these include:  

• Hospitals 
• Private practices 
• Outpatient centers 
• Nursing homes 

Now, since you know where you can find them, what units can a PA work in? What specialization options are there?  

There are various routes that this professional can take, and who better to ask than a PA in the field?  

The Physician Assistant Life contributors, Fiona D’Agostino, PA-C, and Stephen Pasquini, PA-C, have the answers you are looking for!  

Here are a few examples of overarching areas and their subspecialties:  

Primary care  

• Pediatrics 
• Family care

Internal medicine  

• Cardiology 
• Critical care 
• Hematology 
• Oncology 
• Neurology 
• Nephrology  
• Endocrinology 
• Pulmonology
  

Surgery 

• Cardiovascular/cardiothoracic  
• General  
• Neuro 
• Oncology  
• Orthopedic  
• Plastic 
• Thoracic  
• Transplant  
• Trauma  
• Urology 
• Vascular
  

More specialties 

• Emergency medicine  
• Immunology 
• Anesthesiology 
• Dermatology 
• Genetics 
• Geriatrics 
• Hospice and palliative care 
• Obstetrics and gynecology 
• Ophthalmology 
• Pain management 
• Pathology 
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation 
• Psychiatry 
• Public health 
• Radiology

Nurse

Again, for the sake of this article, let’s focus on RNs.  

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies that over 61% of RNs work in a hospital setting, however, ambulatory, nursing homes, government, and educational facilities are all common workplaces to find RNs in, too! 

As far as what departments and specialties a nurse can work in, the opportunities seem endless!  

All healthcare facility units must have nursing staff! Remember, they are the backbone of healthcare systems, so their presence is needed anywhere that care is given! 

To save you the trouble of combing through a dense list, check out our nursing specialty-specific blogs where we, along with our course authors, discuss various career paths that an RN can take!

PA vs Nurse: What is the Pay Like?

This is a commonly asked question, and we can absolutely understand why! 

According to ZipRecruiter, the average national salary for a PA is $107,038, while the average for an RN is $64,083.  

Although this might seem like a substantial difference between the two, there are several factors that you must consider. 

Education

In order to become a PA, a candidate must first obtain a bachelor’s degree. From there, they must then attend a PA studies master’s program which is an additional two years. 

Lastly, they must then pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) 

For an RN, they must earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from a four-year program. Following, they must complete and pass the NCLEX-RN examination.  

Simply put, PAs must endure a rigorous six years of education whereas an RN must only endure four, which for someone looking to enter the workforce as soon as possible, this can be a significant difference. 

Experience

Although we established that the years of schooling varied among PAs and RNs, having experience prior to entering the field is a little different, too! 

For example, the application and interviewing process for PA programs can be extremely competitive, so applicants are encouraged to complete at least of year of volunteering or working in a healthcare related field.  

It is important to note that this experience is required prior to becoming a PA student.  

Nursing school on the other hand, typically does not require students to have any experience prior to applying – as they will gain plenty of experience during clinical rotations in the program.  

However, it is important to note that if a nurse chooses to specialize or change fields, they might be required to have a certain number of clinical hours or a specific certification. 

Demand/Volume

As we previously mentioned, all healthcare facilities will have nurses. This is not always the case for PAs. 

According to the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), as of 2021, there were roughly 139,000 certified PAs in the US.  

With that being said, we are certain that you can guess that this is far lower than the number of RNs.  

If you agree, then you are correct! The US BLS reports that there were almost 3 million RNs in May of 2020; wow!

Despite the two professions having many differences, there is one aspect that is the same; the demand for them. 

Within the next 10 years, the demand for PAs is expected to rise more than any other healthcare profession, as over 12,200 jobs are anticipated to open. Additionally, the nursing profession is expected to see a 9% increase in growth, equating to roughly 194,500 job openings!

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