The past year has brought many challenges – including new practice safeguards that for many limited how many patients could be seen in a day – as well as many opportunities. Many of our practices have embraced telehealth, new collaborations, and creative staffing models as we sought to meet our patients’ needs during this time.
One of the areas that I have seen blossom for my practice is in my collaboration with nurse practitioners. I serve as a consultative partner to independently practicing nurse practitioners who are strengthening access to quality care for our community. And collaboration-via-telemedicine means that my nurse practitioner colleagues do not have to work close by. Together, we can make a difference in helping to better serve our patients and reach vulnerable patient populations in underserved areas of the state.
It is important, as physicians, that we work together with health care professionals like nurse practitioners, particularly when it comes to telemedicine. As a physician, I choose to collaborate with nurse practitioners because it benefits everyone in the equation: the patients, the nurse practitioner and me.
Win for patients
Telemedicine has many advantages for patients but practicing at a distance also makes some aspects of care more difficult. However, we can address these difficulties in a way that improves patient outcomes. Team care, the true collaboration of medical providers across disciplines and specialties, means a better level of care for patients. The patient has access to the expertise and experiences of both the nurse practitioner, who may have years of clinical experience across specialties, and the physician, whose experience is likely deeper in their primary specialty.
Additionally, nurse practitioners often have more on-the- ground experiences with devices, materials and procedures, and so are better able to walk patients through their use via telemedicine. For instance, a nurse practitioner with experience in home health would be much more familiar with consumer-model blood pressure cuffs and the pitfalls and procedures for safe and effective self-application of wound dressings.
Win for nurse practitioners
Virginia law requires nurse practitioners new to practice to work in “collaboration and consultation” with a physician mentor. When nurse practitioners reach five years of full-time clinical experience, they have the option to apply for a license that grants them the ability to practice independently. And newly passed legislation reduces that experience to just two years of full-time clinical experience, although this provision sunsets July 1, 2022, at which time the requirement will revert to five years of experience.
For new nurse practitioners in Virginia, working with a collaborating physician means having a level of independence not available otherwise. They see their own patients and have their own billing, but still have the collaborating physician as a resource. They also carry their own liability insurance, as set out in the law. And, just as the physician benefits from a nurse practitioner’s years of clinical experience, we’re hearing from independently licensed nurse practitioners that the true benefit here is shared knowledge and having a physician’s expertise through regular patient case reviews.
Win for physicians
Collaborating with independent nurse practitioners is a force multiplier for a physician’s practice. Without taking on the salary of another physician member, and without committing a large amount of time, the physician can help provide better care to more patients, bringing in additional revenue for their practice. Thanks to telemedicine, collaboration can occur with nurse practitioners from outside of the practice area – meaning we can collaborate in areas that can make a real difference in access to care in health professional shortage areas.
Just as a nurse practitioner’s breadth of knowledge benefits the patient, that experience also helps the collaborating physician by contributing to the quality of patient care.
And, ultimately, the biggest win for both physicians and nurse practitioners, is the best possible outcome for the patient.
Collaboration: Mike Rodriguez, MD from Virginia Telehealth Network on Vimeo.
Grant funds for this former VTN initiative have expired. For more information about connecting with or serving as a collaborating physician in Virginia, we suggest contacting Virginia Board of Nursing, Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners, or Virginia Nurses Association.