Gretchen Henkel is a medical journalist based in California.
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Hiring a Nurse Practitioner? Consider This
Studies have shown that adding a NP to the practice is often revenue positive and increases patient satisfaction. According to sources interviewed by The Rheumatologist, the following considerations can help physicians assess whether and how to employ a NP.
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Consider what you want to achieve by adding this additional health professional to your practice. Do you envision the NP seeing all new patients and doing the initial workups before you see them? Or, do you want the NP to mostly see return patients, or those with certain clusters of diagnoses?
- Research the licensure requirements in your state regarding prescription privileges, physician supervision versus independent practice, and third-party billing for the NP. The website of the National Council of the State Boards of Nursing (www.ncsbn.org) can provide state-by-state information.
- Prepare to invest the time and money to bring the NP up to speed in rheumatology. Can you send the NP to the ACR/ARHP annual meeting, for instance? Financing their participation in the ACR Advanced Rheumatology course will guarantee that your NP acquires a standard amount of information.
- Think about the progression of functions you will be able to offer the NP, keeping in mind that after the initial orientation and learning curve, the NP may be able to expand into a variety of functions. This will help your candidate gauge whether he or she can remain engaged and challenged as a rheumatology health professional.
- Be prepared to review the NP’s notes and give constructive feedback. An example might be, “Here was a complex disease where I would have liked to have been involved sooner. This test was omitted and this lab result was not interpreted correctly. Let’s be sure to talk about these in the future.”
- Welcome the NP to the practice and educate the front office staff about the NP’s functions. Consider sending a welcome letter introducing the NP to patients and referring physicians.
Sources: Joyce Carlone, Karen Kerr, Karen Huisinga, Gordon Starkebaum, Kori Dewing
