Featured Questions Preview

Featured Practice Question

I am an FNP and I am working in a family/internal medicine practice, as well as at a local hospice. The hospice organization I am working for is looking at creating an NP role here and I would like to be a part of creating the job description. Can you please give me some direction about the NP role practicing in hospice (what we can and cannot do)? Most NP jobs I see advertised for hospice organizations are for face-to-face recertifications. We would like the role here to go a bit beyond that.

There are two paths for hospice program licensure (Health & Safety Code 1747 – 1747.1), so the answer depends on where the NP works. Some – but not all – hospice programs in California are licensed by the state as hospices. Licensed hospices are required to follow the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association’s Standards for Quality Hospice Care (2003), which do not allow for an NP to be a hospice attending physician. This is what the article is speaking to.

However, a licensed home health agency also can operate a hospice program, without a hospice license, if it’s Medicare certified. HHA-based hospice programs are evaluated based on the Medicare Conditions of Participation rather than the California standards, and CMS permits NPs to be attending physicians.

There shouldn’t be any reason the hospice NPs could not take calls and see home patients under the HHA license/Medicare COPs, whether or not they are the attending. They would be part of the hospice interdisciplinary group. CMS assumes that the IDG members, including the attending and the medical director, will be working as a team.

Featured Legal Question

I am a new grad NP and a prospective employer requires a contract of about five years. What are important questions I should ask regarding the contract or what I should know are important parts of the contract for my protection as an NP employee?

You want to make sure that you are protected, that there is a way out if you need to leave, collaboration is in there, payment for on call, indemnification for both parties, fair benefits, that you can work outside the practice, no non-compete or non-solicitation clauses. Many contracts state what you are supposed to provide, not what the physician provides, so you need to make sure the contract is not one sided.

Click here to access all of this month's featured questions (Login required).

The ability to submit questions and receive responses from our team of experts is a free benefit of CANP membership.  Not a member?  Become one today!