Does the term “advanced practice provider” offend you?

APP Colleague, a website designed to be a resource for PAs and NPs to find nearby colleagues working in other medical specialties, was initially named “The Physician Extender Network.”

The term “physician extender” quickly fell out of vogue, so over time, the site rebranded as “APP Colleague.”

The “advanced practice provider” title – used to reference PAs and NPs within healthcare organizations – seemed innocuous enough. The journal, Clinical Advisor, has been published for decades and targets the collective provider group of PAs and NPs. MDs and DOs are collectively called “physicians” and provide similar roles in the healthcare system. In the state of Michigan, where this website launched, PAs and NPs perform the same jobs and practice under the same set of laws. A single term to refer to both types of providers seems necessary.

Yet, there is a backlash against the APP title. The AAPA wants PAs only to be known as “physician associates,” and the AANP wants NPs only to be known as “nurse practitioners.” A recent article [1] in Clinical Advisor stated, “Using the term APP when referring to an NP is inaccurate and misleading.”

I am a PA who has been in clinical practice for nearly two decades and practices in a very autonomous environment. I have also earned a doctoral degree. Over the years, I have been called a “mid-level provider,” “physician extender,” a “physician’s assistant,” and more recently, a “physician associate.” My patients call me “Nikki,” “Mrs. Casady, “Dr. Casady,” or (to my amusement) “Dr. Nikki.” Some patients mistakenly refer to me as being a nurse practitioner.

I’ll be honest – I am not too caught up in titles. I work collaboratively alongside other physicians, NPs, and PAs, and despite our different training styles, we all take amazing care of our patients. At the same time, I consider myself a politically correct and “woke” individual. I do not want to offend anybody.

Is APP Colleague due for another rebranding?

Nikki Rataj Casady, DMSc, PA-C
email@appcolleague.org