Np I would be making about the same as pa. Possibly 6 figures after a while working. Median salaries are 80-90k I believe. Pa is a year or two less in education but np would be more cost effective for me (online courses etc through nursing) so I can work while in school. Some nps can also work on their own which I like along the lines of what lee said.

Currently leaning towards np, so are the votes. Nurse anesthetist would be great money but it's not all about the money in life. To be a doctor I don't really want to go to school that long. Could be worth it but I'd rather settle down earlier.

Sorry for the jumbledness (on a phone).

This post was edited by tommyd323 on Aug 12 2016 07:27pm

Seriously do nursing until you make some bank, and the. Np for work life balance


My gf is a nurse she works full time and part time currently, makes a ton, not even 25.

If she wants to do masters in nursing for np she can do part time wstudies while working part time with nearly full time hours. She gets a gross up on pay per hour as a prt timer and she's furthering her career. Only thing is NP is literally for work life balance as the salary is capped and it's a mon-fri job.


This post was edited by KCCO on Aug 12 2016 08:18pm

Do you know how possible it is to get rn and become hired without your bsn and work part time while taking online bsn classes?

Entirely possible. Some hospitals will hire RN and pay for them to acquire BSN (usually contract based).

Before you decide, you need to shadow each profession in different settings.

I was debating between PT/PA/NP, here's my thoughts and the subject after talking to professionals in each.

One thing to note is the different roles of medicine:

Nursing follows the nursing model of medicine (patient CARE)

PA and physicians follow the medical model (patient CURE)

NP requires nursing experience
PA requires PA shadow hours
PT requires PT shadow hours

NP salary is ~97k
PA salary is ~97k
PT salary is ~86k

NP = Masters
PA = Masters
PT = Doctorate

Optimal bachelor's for each:
NP = BSN
PA = B. S. Biology / Chemistry
PT = Kinesiology / Exercise Science

All require:
A&P
Chemistry
Biology

Might require:
Physics
Microbiology
Organic Chemistry
Medical Terminology

NP and PA will, for the most part, work shifts (12hr or 24hr usually) and have on call days.
PT will, for the most part, work M-F and sometimes weekends
These of course vary on specialty you decide.

All these schools are extremely competitive.

I chose PT for these reasons:
I work shifts now and I hate it.
Getting a Bachelor's in Kinesiology interests me more
After shadowing each PT seemed less stressful and more fulfilling to me.

This is completely subjective of course, but the best thing you can do is shadow each.

Additional note:
Army has PA and PT programs where they pay for the graduate degree AND pay you while your in school, in exchange for service (usually 4 years). During this service you can gain your first work experience in the profession, obtain veteran benefits, and have a great opportunity to travel.

Mon-fri is pretty rare for nursing, only in office and outpatient settings which are the minority of positions.

Good summed up info. Pa and np have super similar jobs from what I've read. Advantages to becoming an np is just that I can get my rn close to free via full ride community college, then work while acquiring my bsn and continue working and become an np.

Pa can be harder to get in, I do like that it's medical based but knowing me, I feel as I'll know close to as much as a pa as an np simply from my own studies esp. In the pharmacology section.

I've never liked pt, never thought it worked well and it seems like everybody wants to be one, so it seems like it'd be hard to get a job for one.

If I went the pa route, sometimes they don't accept shadowed work and it has to be actual paid 2000 hours something like that. What would be a good job with good pay that I could get with a bachelors in biochemistry? Unless a pa could take in a bsn, it doesn't seem as good of an option for me.

Best route is:

Bachelor's in Nursing

Most NP programs require working nursing experience, also you don't want to be a NP without that. So work for ~ 1 year as BSN-RN. If you don't like nursing apply to PA school as you will have the hours and prerequisites finished. If you like nursing, continue to NP. Life sciences is recommended for PA because it builds a strong foundation for medicine. It may be difficult to go BSN - PA because it requires different approaches to medicine. Bachelor's in Biology / Chemistry / Kinesiology / Health Sciences are all pretty much worthless by themselves, but used as stepping stones for graduate programs.

So essentially I'd have possibly nearly a year of classes to make up with my bsn? of course that's if I don't like nursing. I'd still have a well paying job that I could suck it up and do to make up the classes and go through pa school.

Most PA schools won't allow you to work while attending as they are extremely demanding. BSN satisfies most PA prerequisites.

A&P
Chemistry
Microbiology
Biology

"Most students have a bachelor's degree and about three years of healthcare experience before entering a program"

(www.aapa.org/become-a-pa/)

This post was edited by Lancet_Jade on Aug 12 2016 10:51pm

Yes sorry I didn't mean during the actual pa course. I meant during any makeup courses I might need. So I should be good to go with the bsn route though? Plus schooling while getting my bsn will help cover my necessary 2k hours for pa. All dependent on me not liking a nursing job.

This post was edited by tommyd323 on Aug 12 2016 10:52pm