By Jennifer Lankford, Labor and Employment Attorney

“Is it usual for my contract to be this short?”, “Are employment agreements normally this long?” I receive these types of questions often from nurse practitioners who are presented with an employment agreement. My answer, “It is the quality, not the quantity, of the agreement that matters.” Sometimes a short and sweet agreement is all that is needed. 

A state-by-state snapshot

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants perform very similar, if not identical, roles in most states. In fact, in the emergency department where I work, NPs and PAs are hired interchangeably. While this is true in many geographic areas, in certain instances state law, Medicaid guidelines, and/or the job market lead to wage disparities between nurse practitioners and physician assistants. NPs might be paid more than PAs and vice versa. How do the salaries for these individuals compare in your area?