Neither a Nurse Practitioner nor a Physician’s Assistant is higher than the other. Both professionals have worked hard to deepen their knowledge and increase their area of expertise in order to be able to serve patients in a more comprehensive way. Depending on state regulations governing their practice, an NP or a PA may work with a physician or be on their own. The main difference between them is in the way they approach patient care. A nurse practitioner uses the nursing model of care, and the PA uses the medical model. The nursing model takes a holistic approach to care, concentrating on the patient’s mental, emotional, and spiritual needs, as well as their physical needs. NPs focus on health promotion. The medical model focuses on disease pathology and curing the problem. The PA examines patients' anatomy and physiological systems in the diseased state versus a state of health.