Why nurse practitioner vs physician assistant vs certified registered nurse anesthetist?
The
decision to become a nurse practitioner was one that did not happen
overnight. I won't bore you with the details but I'll give you the
abbreviated version.
I quickly
ruled out PA school because I was already a nurse and a master's in
nursing seemed like the more logical route. I have nothing against the
PA profession. I know that both NP's and PA's make a valuable
contribution to healthcare.
What
I did consider for several years was the decision between CRNA vs NP.
After talking with both CRNA's and NP's I was still torn because
everyone I spoke with was satisfied with their profession. I shadowed a
CRNA for a day at a busy hospital in Philadelphia and even though what
she did was interesting, I just wasn't excited at the thought of working
in an operating room all day. I realize that CRNA's also work in
outpatient settings but administering anesthesia all day still
was not appealing. I wanted to contribute to healthcare in a different
way. So, the decision to become a nurse practitioner was made partly
by the process of elimination.
I am excited about becoming a nurse practitioner for several reasons:
1.
I can work in a variety of settings: inpatient or outpatient and in a
variety of specialties such as neuro, trauma, cardiac, nephrology, and
the list goes on and on.....
2. I can become an educator in my profession and if I'm crazy enough, perhaps I'll pursue a PhD.
3.
I enjoy interacting with patients and their family members. Hard to
believe, I know-- but for the most part I do enjoy helping people,
especially during a stressful time such as a hospitalization. I hope
that I can take the time with my patients to help them better understand
their diagnosis and the treatments.
So, there you have it, that is how I decided NP school was the right choice for me-- the shortened version.
How about you? Are you still deciding? If you are a NP, how did you know that that the was the best fit for you?
I will be starting/continuing my education this summer for my DNP. I am completing my last class for my MSN, MBA, and MHA. Through the three years classes, I found my original thought of working in healthcare administration was not what I ultimately wanted. I want to remain with patients and continuing with direct patient care. I am proceeding with the FNP track which will allow me to have a variety of choices. I am excited to begin another long journey.
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