Is a nurse practitioner a doctor’s assistant?

No, that is a Physician Assistant (PA). Sometimes the two roles are confused, but they are not the same. A PA is by definition trained to be an assistant to a physician. PAs are formally trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive health care services, as delegated by a physician. They take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and x-rays, and make diagnoses. PAs practice under the license of their supervising physician and have no nursing background or training.

NPs practice under their own license and are nurse experts who also practice medicine. NPs practice either independently or in collaboration with a physician, depending on the laws of the state in which they work and the experience of the individual NP. In 23 states, NPs may practice independently without physician involvement. In 28 states, NPs practice under a collaborative agreement with a physician who is available to take referrals or offer consultations at the NP’s request (See the Glossary in the book for more on NP, PA, and MD/DOs scopes of practice and training).

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