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Thread: PA to RN or LPN

  1. #1
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    PA to RN or LPN

    Is there a quick way for someone to go from P.A. to R.N. or P.A.to L.P.N.
    {P. A. stands for Physician assistant}

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    Re: PA to RN or LPN

    In most cases, a P.A. is a masters degree. Therefore, once someone has reached the P.A. level why would you change to RN, or even LPN?
    Cary James Barrett, RN, BSN


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    Re: PA to RN or LPN

    Because in the northeast corridor primary care PAs have limited opportunities.. compared to nurses.. Surgery and other specialties are different. Only some of the PAs have Masters. Its basically a question of being super marketable and always marketable.

  4. #4

    Re: PA to RN or LPN

    If you did want to swap, wouldn't you only have to take the "nursing" courses and then have your MSN?

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    Re: PA to RN or LPN

    Quote Originally Posted by hfergrn View Post
    If you did want to swap, wouldn't you only have to take the "nursing" courses and then have your MSN?
    for some reason I doubt that it would be that accomadating......

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    Re: PA to RN or LPN

    Have you ever thought about moving to a region where you would be more marketable as a P.A.? I admire PA's and I'd hate to see you waste all that time & effort with your education & job experience.

    Pssst, the Army Medical Dept. needs PA's.
    Cary James Barrett, RN, BSN


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    Re: PA to RN or LPN

    Quote Originally Posted by Lasix View Post
    for some reason I doubt that it would be that accomadating......
    You really should check into this before discounting it. I was doing a little bit of "degree shopping" tonight and I just happened to notice on the Univ of S.Florida website that they have a program specifically for Masters level degree holders who want to transition into nursing. I'm sure that USF doesn't have the only nursing college with that opportunity available.

    Become a Practitioner. It's got to be better than being an Assistant. Check it out.

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    Re: PA to RN or LPN

    Quote Originally Posted by Cammer View Post
    You really should check into this before discounting it. I was doing a little bit of "degree shopping" tonight and I just happened to notice on the Univ of S.Florida website that they have a program specifically for Masters level degree holders who want to transition into nursing. I'm sure that USF doesn't have the only nursing college with that opportunity available.

    Become a Practitioner. It's got to be better than being an Assistant. Check it out.
    Cammer; You may have a good idea. :39:

    The OP's problem is the marketable of PA's in the northeast corridor is such that opportunities are limited. Yet, nursing is very marketable. I wonder if the OP has researched how marketable NP's are in the NE?
    Cary James Barrett, RN, BSN


  9. #9

    Re: PA to RN or LPN

    Quote Originally Posted by Lasix View Post
    Is there a quick way for someone to go from P.A. to R.N. or P.A.to L.P.N.
    {P. A. stands for Physician assistant}
    Hello Lasix,

    I am also surprised that you would want to degree backtrack.

    RN entry can be Associate Degree, (highly competitive to get into junior colleges) Bachellors Degree, (still highly competitive but, not the year's and year's worth of waiting lists) and Masters entry generalists, (which is what my program is with a pre Nurse Practitioner core).

    There are also current nurses taking my program core who are working towards their NP and some have spoken freely how they tried to choose between NP and PA. Tough call for many due to some similarities yet all chose nursing for the empahsis of nursing based focus.

    As you are already a PA I would imagine that you might, might even qualify for a Direct Entry NP program. I know! Why not try a google for Direct Entry Nurse Practitioner or even Direct Entry Masters to Nursing. You would definately qualify for the latter.

    Good luck and welcome to Nursing and...MagRed is right...The Army Medical center takes PAs! Your degree is recognized and rewarded...

    Gen-newly commissioned Army myself, waiting until NCLEX-RN to ship!

  10. #10
    I am a PA also, 5 years out of school. Have worked in ER's for the past 5 and am very disappointed with the hospitals/corporations I have worked in/for. I feel like most patients would have been better off not going to an ER and are getting screwed and that my license and those of the doctors I work for are just being used to generate huge bills for un-necessary services.

    I have a clean license, no law-suits but have found myself black-listed in some ways because I refuse to over-order tests or pad charts and am very vocal about doing what I think is appropriate for each patient, not "CYA" medicine. That does not win friends in a corporate medical culture and since it is such a small network of doctors in any given 50 mile radius, even if you are good, if you are not liked, it is very easy to run out of jobs.

    I have often thought that the hassle of being a PA is not nearly worth the compensation and also wanted a clear conscience and do not like feeling pressured to sign off on things I don't believe are necessary. Many of my nursing friends in ER are making nearly what the PA's make, and even at 1/2 of what I was making it would still be more than I need.

    It also takes sometimes 2-4 months to get a new job and get credentialed with a hospital, because even though I am not a doctor, they use the same paperwork and process to hire PA's as they do a freaking cardiologist, which makes no sense.

    Also, many ER's are trying to us PA's/NP's as cheaper doctors, instead of respecting the strengths and limitations of our field. It sounds great on the surface, doing lots of admissions and functioning as a doctor, but it really means having to report over and over again on higher acuity cases to as many as 5 + different doctors who are your boss every shift and lots of hassle since you aren't the one actually signing off on the final chart. Not worth it at all. You are a money saving gimmick in a lot of hospitals and you will be the one caught in the middle between the patients, nurses, doctors and administration, all for pay very similar to a nurse with months of paperwork for each job.

    Sorry to be long-winded, but in my experience being a PA is being a tiny fish in a small pond with fish that will eat you alive, being an RN is being a fish in a bigger bowl with a lot more jobs and much less administrative hassle and less red-tape to get another job.

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