Nurse Practitioner (NP) and Physician Assistant (PA) Schools in North Carolina
By Julie Spero, Evan Galloway
May 23, 2019
- North Carolina has nine NP schools and eleven PA schools, with a twelfth PA program at Pfieffer University scheduled to open in January 2020.
- Including Pfieffer University, seven of the PA programs opened in 2011 or later.
- As part of their education, NP and PA students complete rotations at clinical sites with preceptors: experienced NPs, PAs, and physicians who supervise and mentor learners.
- The number of qualified preceptors has not kept pace with the rapid enrollment increases at NP and PA schools, creating a difficult situation for NP and PA programs across NC.
- For more information, see this NCMJ article and this brief.
This work was supported by the North Carolina Area Health
Education Centers.
