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?
