Physician Assistant to Registered Nurse

Summary: 1 of the 5 core skills listed for Registered Nurse carry over directly from Physician Assistant, and 2 more build on related experience. The US median salary changes by -34% ($125K → $82K). Difficulty: Moderate, typically around 6 months of focused upskilling.

The two roles

Physician Assistant: Provide medical care under physician supervision, examining and treating patients.

Registered Nurse: Provide patient care and coordinate treatment in healthcare settings. Growth outlook +6%; AI-resistant. Typical education: associate. Typical experience: Entry with degree.

Skills that carry over

• Communication

Builds on related experience

• Patient Care — builds on Patient Examination
• Clinical Skills — builds on Patient Examination

Skills to learn for Registered Nurse

• Critical Thinking
• EMR Systems

Salary comparison (median, estimated)

Salary figures are estimates benchmarked against public compensation data — see methodology.

Next steps

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Related

Physician Assistant career guide | Registered Nurse career guide

Other transitions to consider

• Physician Assistant to Nurse Practitioner — 4 of the core skills carry over
• Physician Assistant to Physician/Doctor — 5 of the core skills carry over
• Physician Assistant to Optometrist — 4 of the core skills carry over
• Physician Assistant to Audiologist — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Physician/Doctor to Registered Nurse — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Occupational Therapist to Registered Nurse — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Home Health Aide to Registered Nurse — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) to Registered Nurse — 3 of the core skills carry over