What must be in a New York NP collaborative practice agreement?

A New York NP collaborative practice agreement must include specific provisions that guide day-to-day clinical collaboration. Required elements include dispute-resolution procedures for diagnosis and treatment within overlapping scope, timely chart review by the physician (at least every three months), referral/consultation processes, and coverage for emergency absences, plus any other mutually determined provisions¹².

• Dispute resolution: If the agreement does not specify a process, the physician’s recommendation prevails for diagnosis/treatment within the shared scope¹.
• Patient record review: The collaborating physician must review NP patient records at least every three months¹.
• Referral and consultation: The agreement must address referral and consultation procedures¹².
• Emergency coverage: The agreement must outline coverage for emergency absences of either party¹².
• Other agreed terms: Additional provisions may be included as determined by the NP and physician¹².

In addition to the collaborative practice agreement, NPs must have written practice protocols (unless they have at least 3,600 hours of practice) that identify the area of practice and include case management such as diagnosis, treatment, and recordkeeping⁴³.