At CompHealth, we group both
nurse practitioners and
physician assistants under our advanced practice category. In the healthcare industry, they are also referred to as mid-level providers.
Often, hospitals or facilities we work with are looking for a particular specialty focus -- like cardiac surgery -- but are open to hiring either a NP or a PA. However, clear distinctions exist between NPs and PAs in how they are trained, the services they provide and their general approach.
The table below explains the differences in several categories of each profession, with references listed at the bottom.
Sources: A Patient's Guide to the Physician Assistant, American Association of Nurse Practitioners and American Academy of Physician Assistants
