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What does a Physician's assistant do?

What is the difference between a registered nurse and a physicians assistant?

  • Aren't nurses jobs to be "physicians assistants?" What are the responsibility differences, and which is higher up in the medical field. Also, what does a nurse's ...show more

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    Lol. First, Physician Assistant. No plural. Physician Assistants aren't there as secretaries to physicians. They are fairly autonomous mid level providers. PAs diagnose, can order studies, and can prescribe meds. Nurses cannot. Medicine doesn't work in ranks. Nurses are nurses. PAs are PAs. If you are comparing education and responsibility, with CNA on the low end and MD/DO/ DPM on the other, PAs fall just below the high and RNs fall just below them. It does NOT make one more or less important. Certified Nursing Assistants are the basic level of patient care. They are vital, but the position is fairly unskilled. It's 4-6 weeks of training with a done of dirty work that most people don't want to do. I would never ever disrespect a CNA for the job they do. I just want to emphasize that medicine and health care isn't a rank based system. People decide what they want to do based on variables that are important to them. A nurse isn't any less important than a neurosurgeon. Obviously, there is a difference in application, but all are necessary and important components and no one succeeds independently. Edit: awww, Rob was doing so well for the last few questions I saw. PA is usually 24-27 months of schooling after your BA/BS, not 7 years. PAs can prescribe narcotics in many states. Vicodin and Tylenol with codeine are two examples. Not sure where the tuition estimates come from. Tuition for any program varies WIDELY depending on residency and institution. Rob has a well known history of being extremely off with his baseless estimates. I can get a BSN from CSULB for under $40k. UCLA, for residents, is about $16k for a three semester year for a grad program.

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Just clarifying, PAs can write Rxs for controlled substances in all states, all the way up to fentanyl. And morphine. We only assist the doc when in surgery or doing a procedure. Otherwise we are on our own ( sometimes the doc assists me, BTW, LOL). We practice medicine, nurses practice nursing. Nurses would do the same tasks under a PA that they would do under a doc. Education costs depend on the program. I went to USC, at 50k plus a year.

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here one is a four yr degree , the other is a 7 yr degree. one can be started for less than 60,000 th other costs 125,000 plus costs. one assist a Doc But can Not do what a PhysicanAssistant can do. they can write a prescription (non narcotic) in place of a doc.. learn the differences where u live as some times vary.

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