Many times, our “doctor’s visits” are with a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant. What is the difference between an NP, a PA and an MD? When can I see a nurse practitioner instead of a physician? Learn the benefits of seeing an “advanced practice provider,” what their education and experience is like compared to a medical doctor, where they see patients and more.
Where Do Nurse Practitioners Work?
Nurse practitioners undergo extensive training, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, followed by a full-time, two-year program. NPs work in a variety of settings and specialties, such as gynecology, oncology, gastroenterology, cardiology, wound care, pain management, palliative care, and neurology.
“We’re pretty much all over the spectrum. The only areas where you might not find quite as many nurse practitioners, specifically, but more so physician assistants, which are also under the spectrum of advanced practice providers, would be in the orthopedics arena. Just because that’s more of a surgical based line of service,” explains Brittany Krautheim, Nurse Practitioner at Clark Comprehensive Breast Center in Easton, MD.
Individual state regulations determine whether or not an NP can work independently—not under a physician’s supervision. For example, in Maryland, NPs can own their own practice and practice completely without a physician. However, even if physician oversight is required, NPs are perfectly capable of providing care.
“I work in primary care, and for the most part there isn’t a ‘hierarchy.’ So, my patients would see me no matter what their complexity is,” notes Katelyn Chapman Mullaney, Nurse Practitioner at University of Maryland Shore Medical Group-Primary Care in Easton, MD. “The benefit is I do have physicians in my office that, if I needed to, I could go and speak with them along with the other nurse practitioners. But, there isn’t a protocol where if you have a certain severity of an illness that you would see the physician over myself.”
Overcoming Common Misconceptions
One misconception common among APPs, specifically NPs, is the notion that it’s a “stepping stone” to becoming a physician. This is not the case, says Mullaney. “It’s a completely different career choice. We can go on to get a doctorate, like a DNP, but it is completely different than becoming an MD.”
Another misconception is that APPs don’t have the experience or necessary credentials to provide top-level care. Fortunately, that attitude is shifting, and individuals are becoming more open to the idea of seeking out a PA or NP as their primary care provider.
“We’re working to educate the public that we are highly trained health care providers. I think patients would be intrigued or maybe surprised to know that patient care is a collaborative effort. It is not that any one of us will know everything, whether it be a nurse practitioner, a physician or a PA. None of us knows everything. To think that we do would be misguided. We all collaborate on every single patient. I think that’s where patients get the best care,” shares Krautheim.
What’s the Difference Between an MD, DO, NP and PA?
Listen to an In-Depth Conversation
To listen to an in-depth conversation on this topic with Katelyn Mullaney, Nurse Practitioner at University of Maryland Shore Medical Group-Primary Care and Brittany Krautheim, Nurse Practitioner at Clark Comprehensive Breast Center, follow this link: https://radiomd.com/umms/item/45765 or listen below.
Watch a Video: What is a Nurse Practitioner?
