How many nurse practitioners can a physician supervise in Texas?

A physician in Texas may supervise up to seven nurse practitioners and physician assistants combined, or the full-time equivalent (FTE) of seven supervisees¹. In facility-based hospital practices and in practices serving medically underserved populations, there is no cap on the number of supervisees²¹.

Under Texas law, a “practice serving a medically underserved population” includes the following settings and designations³:

• Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs)
• Clinics designated as Rural Health Clinics (RHCs)
• Clinics designated as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
• County, state, or federal correctional facilities
• Public health clinics or family planning clinics under contract with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission or the Texas Department of State Health Services
• Practices designated by the Texas Department of State Health Services as serving disproportionate numbers of clients of publicly funded programs, with notice published in the Texas Register