A physician assistant is a specially qualified healthcare professional who provides medical care under the supervision of a licensed physician in a variety of healthcare settings. PAs must complete an accredited PA Masters program and hold a certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

A PA's scope of practice can vary and may include conducting performing physical examinations, diagnosing and treating illnesses, ordering and interpreting lab tests, assisting in surgery and making rounds in nursing homes and hospitals. Physicians may also delegate prescriptive privileges to the PAs they supervise.

The certified nurse-midwife provides a full range of primary healthcare services to women throughout the lifespan, including gynecologic care, family planning services, preconception care, prenatal and postpartum care, childbirth and care of the newborn. This care is provided in diverse settings, which may include home, hospital, birth center and a variety of ambulatory care settings including private offices and community and public health clinics.

The clinical nurse specialist has a unique APP role to integrate care across the continuum and through three spheres of influence: patient, nurse and system. The primary goal of the CNS is continuous improvement of patient outcomes and nursing care. Key elements of CNS practice are to create environments through mentoring and system changes that empower nurses to develop caring, evidence-based practices to alleviate patient distress, facilitate ethical decision-making and respond to diversity. The CNS is responsible and accountable for diagnosis and treatment of health/illness states, disease management, health promotion and prevention of illness and risk behaviors among individuals, families, groups and communities.

For the certified nurse practitioner, care along the wellness-illness continuum is a dynamic process in which direct primary and acute care is provided across settings. CNPs are members of the health delivery system, practicing autonomously in areas as diverse as family practice, pediatrics, internal medicine, geriatrics and women’s healthcare. CNPs are prepared to diagnose and treat patients with undifferentiated symptoms, as well as those with established diagnoses. Both primary and acute care CNPs provide initial, ongoing and comprehensive care, which includes taking comprehensive histories, providing physical examinations and other health assessment and screening activities, and diagnosing, treating and managing patients with acute and chronic illnesses and diseases. This includes ordering, performing, supervising and interpreting laboratory and imaging studies; prescribing medication and durable medical equipment; and making appropriate referrals for patients and families. Clinical CNP care includes health promotion, disease prevention, health education and counseling, as well as the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic diseases.