There are many similarities between a nurse practitioner and a physician assistant. A nurse practitioner must first become a registered nurse by getting an associate’s or bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or by getting a diploma from a vocational program. Once schooling is completed, there is a national exam to take and licensing that needs to be obtained. The next step is to obtain a bachelor’s of science in nursing degree. From there the aspiring NP can either go straight into a graduate program or gain some work experience first. Some people believe that gaining work experience first gives the RN a better chance for the clinical aspect of the graduate degree. Thus many graduate schools require students to have a few years
