And while your state doesn`t legislate on this contractual arrangement, you may feel the need to create a contract to formalize your relationship with a doctor you work with. You can do this to define different responsibilities and further protect yourself and your business. In addition to ensuring that the document itself is in order and meets the needs of both parties, it is important to understand and comply with the conditions set out in the agreement. Place images in your office to remind you and your team of the right CPA protocol and add reminders to your calendar for regular recordings. Finding and working with a cooperating doctor is a major hurdle for nurse owners in non-FPA states. With that in mind, I am an NP who has owned my own practice in one of the most restrictive states (Texas) for 7 years. I am here to tell you that the obstacle is not insurmountable! It`s a puzzle to solve, in a long list of puzzles you`ll face as an entrepreneur. It doesn`t matter, as nurse owners see life as an adventure of puzzles to solve, battles to fight, and problems to overcome (H/T Roy H. Williams). Once the PCA is in place, Nyhus recommends that the two sides review and revise the document together.
Before signing, it would be ideal for your own lawyers to review the agreement as well. This can help you make sure you haven`t missed anything and gives you the opportunity for your lawyer to explain all the parts of the document that you didn`t understand. Each person involved in the CPA should consider having their own lawyer to avoid conflicts of interest. Here are three additional tips to keep in mind throughout the process of creating and implementing your collaborative practice agreement. Scope of practice laws may, for example, prohibit nuclear power plants from prescribing controlled substances. Or these laws may require nurses to complete a certain number of hours of medical training to practice. The most common requirement under state practice laws is that NPs work with a physician or practice under the supervision of a physician. The specifics of these laws vary from state to state.
Define the terms of payment of the physician`s employee. Most cooperating physicians expect to be paid for their services, with the possible exception of a physician working with NPs in a group practice. As a rule, both parties agree on an hourly rate, but annual fees, billable by graph and profit percentages are also common agreements. You and the cooperating physician may design the compensation structure in a way that you deem acceptable to both parties. -The rule of collaborative practice does not apply if the AI is not in a CPA with a doctor. This is a difficult topic because it is difficult to research the cases of malpractice in which nurses and their cooperating doctors are named. Clinical relationships are often not known and the details of the study are not publicly released. Most states fall between the two described above, in which there are no relevant laws in the books. In these cases, PIs must ensure that they meet all state surveillance requirements, only arrange with qualified NPs, and ensure that the NP is able to contact the physician or staff member for consultation if necessary. To answer this question, we need to evaluate malpractice claims, insurance premiums, case law, and state laws.
If you`re opening your own practice as an NP, chances are you`ll need to create a collaborative practice agreement with a doctor. We`ll walk you through the process and give you some CPA templates to get you started. As in most health professions, there is a lot of paperwork that comes with practicing as a nurse. NPs must obtain a national certification as well as a state license to practice. In addition, an NPI number and nurse attestation documents are required to bill insurers. In some places, NPs have even more coordination, as state practice laws require additional documentation to meet the requirements of the practice. Such a document is an agreement on collaborative practices. -CPA refers to written agreements, jointly agreed written protocols or written standing orders for the provision of health care services [see 334.104, RSMo]. Many state nursing authorities publish templates for cooperation agreements to use on their websites. The following sites publish model agreements for nurses: Malpractice premiums for nurses have naturally increased in recent years as they increase in number and practice with more autonomy. Malpractice claims against APRNs still represent only a small fraction of the total claims.
In fact, a 2009 study showed that the inclusion of providers of advanced practices does not increase liability and that the presence of APRN in groups may actually reduce exposure to allegations of professional misconduct for the group. .