How to Protect your License to Practice for Nurse Practitioners
Did you know that Nurse Practitioners (NPs) play a crucial role in the U.S. healthcare workforce? They provide essential care to patients and are an integral part of the healthcare team.
As a Nurse Practitioners, you can protect your license by following the following steps:
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- Obtain a medical liability insurance:
Professional medical liability insurance includes different types of policies such as claims-made and occurrence-based. Claims-made insurance covers an incident and a claim when they both occur during the policy period, while occurrence-based provides lifetime coverage for activities that occurred during the policy period, even if the claim occurs after the policy ends.
2. Complete Your Documentation Promptly
It is important to complete documentation within 24 hours, as Medicare or Medicaid may refuse to pay for late documentation. Delegation is also a significant aspect of the job.
3. . Medical Assistants and Delegation
•Be aware that Advanced Practitioners can delegate to Medical Assistants (MA) and knowing your state rules related to delegation is crucial. Medical Assistants cannot call a patient with abnormal results. Patients may have questions and the MA cannot make medical decisions or perform physical examination.
•Medical Assistants can perform clerical work, take vitals, fill out forms, and communicate with patients but cannot make medical decisions.
4. If a Nurse Practitioner Has A Complaint
When a complaint is made against a Nurse Practitioner to the State Board Of Nursing (BON), the Advanced Practitioner must be equipped with the necessary resources to adequately defend themselves. This can make a significant difference in retaining or losing their license. Being prepared is key in such situations.
To protect your NP license, it is crucial to inform the BON when hiring an attorney who will contact them. It is best not to explain anything personally and avoid discussing the issue with anyone else. You should find an attorney who understands NP law and disclose everything to them, including any arrests. The attorney and NP should then meet with an investigator.
If you want to learn more, you can enroll in the complete course by visiting our Nurse practitioner CE courses at https://schools.npskillsmadeeasy.com/courses/how-to-protect-your-license-to-practice-for-nurse-practitioners
