There’s a medical crisis happening in North America, and it has nothing to do with getting sick. Rather, it has everything to do with a shortage of general physicians. Once the backbone of the medical industry, many doctoral students are forgoing the lesser-paid, less romantic version of the physician field for that of the specialist. Be it a heart surgeon or a brain surgeon, that’s where the real money is.  

But there’s also another reason for the shortage of general physicians: the workload. Not only are they expected to see many patients over the course of a single day, but preparing the follow-up paperwork required to document an office visit can be like climbing Mount Everest without oxygen. Even with the advent of such digital time savers as Voice Products virtual scribes, general physicians seem as though they are becoming a healthcare relic of the past. So then, what’s filling the void?

The nurse practitioner. Naturally, you might find yourself asking the obvious question: what’s the difference between a general physician and a nurse practitioner? 

According to a recent report by Regis College, many patients find that the difference between a general physician and a nurse practitioner is not entirely clear. Both healthcare professionals are expected to utilize all their skills to improve a patient’s sick condition.

However, there are times when the skills of physicians vs. nurse practitioners overlap. That said, there’s a distinct difference between general physicians and nurse practitioners, from career opportunities to education and more.  

Nurse Practitioner vs. General Physician: Education Requirements

When it comes to educational requirements, there is a big difference between a nurse practitioner and a physician. To become a nurse practitioner, you must first become a registered nurse or RN. Once that’s accomplished, you can enroll in an accredited graduate school program where you can earn a master’s degree for your nurse practitioner or NP license.   

The academic curriculum for an NP master’s program usually includes a mix of both clinical and classroom education. In some cases, nurse practitioners elect to become a Doctor of Nursing Practice or DNP. Such an advanced nursing degree can take two to four years.

For those looking to become nurse practitioners, many accredited institutions now offer nursing online programs, making it more accessible for aspiring nurses to further their education. These programs provide flexibility and convenience, allowing students to balance their studies with personal and professional responsibilities.

In contrast, physicians must hold a doctorate degree from a certified medical school. Medical students are required to hold a bachelor’s degree to enroll in a doctoral program, which can take four years to complete. The highly competitive programs typically consist of a mixture of hands-on practical skills and classroom education. 

On top of medical school, physicians are required to perform internship and residence programs to accumulate real-world experience. Residencies can take three to seven years, depending on the type of specialty a physician chooses. 

Similarities and Differences Between a Physician and a Nurse Practitioner 

With both general physicians and nurse practitioners concerned primarily with patient care, there exist many similarities between the two medical fields. For example, both healthcare professionals can examine patients and order necessary tests. They can also counsel patients regarding health-related concerns outside the examination room, such as at-home injury management or a healthy diet.   

Both nurse practitioners and general physicians require the necessary certifications and licensing to perform their jobs. However, specific requirements are said to vary from state to state. 

The surface similarities between both professions make it seem as though the jobs are interchangeable. However, there are some major differences between a nurse practitioner and a physician that are worth taking note of. While a physician can perform all the health care duties of a nurse practitioner, an NP cannot perform all the duties of a GP. Also, while physicians delegate the analysis of medical testing to their assistants, nurse practitioners are required to analyze the test data on their own. 

While physicians can work in one or more specialties like surgery and pediatrics, nurse practitioners generally work in one area, be it family medicine, psychiatric mental health, women’s health, pediatrics, and others. 

Traveling nurses, on the other hand, offer a unique career path with opportunities to work in various healthcare settings nationwide, adapting to different clinical environments and patient needs.

This flexibility broadens their professional experience and can significantly affect their earnings, making information on the average traveling nurse’s salary crucial for those considering this dynamic field.

Responsibilities and Duties of a Nurse Practitioner and a Physician

Nurse practitioners and general physicians share considerable overlapping responsibilities when it comes to everyday patient care. At times, the similarities can cause friction between both fields, yet both do their best to provide the best possible patient care.  

In certain cases, nurse practitioners can be assigned administrative duties such as educating new and existing staff on new policies or procedures. Along a similar vein, physicians might enter fields beyond basic patient care, such as health care administration or medical research.  

In the end, general physicians and nurse practitioners perform many of the same duties. However, physicians are often too overloaded with patient care and the paperwork that goes with it. Many can’t keep up, leaving the patient without health care.

That’s when a physician will come to rely heavily on the talents of a nurse practitioner who can reliably take on many of the same healthcare duties of a physician and, therefore, fill what seems like an ever-expanding medical void.