Featured Questions

I'll be working soon as an NP. I'll be an independent contractor in one job and will get paid by production on the other job offer that I'll take. My question is, can I structure myself as PLLC or a corporation to enter into an agreement with these entities that I'm going to work with? If not what are my options? I'm concerned with two things: malpractice and the contract that I'll enter into if it only has to be under my name as a sole proprietor. Please advise how to structure myself legally.

You can form a nursing corporation and file for taxes as an S corporation. Whoever you work with should be happy to contract with a nursing corporation as they will not be responsible for benefits or taxes. Your corporation will have that control. You can then get malpractice insurance through NSO as a nursing corporation.

I am an FNP who just was trained as a clinical hypnotherapist. If I have a private hypnotherapy practice, do I need private NP insurance? Right now, I just have NP insurance through the clinics I work at.

If you are not practicing as an NP, you will not need SPs. You can do hypnotherapy without using your NP license. You really only need your NP license if you are going to be prescribing or treating medically.

I am considering starting a new position part-time with an Ob/Gyn. My husband is concerned with the litigious environment of ob/gyn that even with proper malpractice insurance, his income would be a liability. Is that true? Can a suit go after his income or our savings?

Make sure you carry your own malpractice insurance/disciplinary policy. I recommend NSO, who CANP endorses. Purchase their maximum protection policy. Most lawsuits do not go beyond your policy limits. His income should not be a liability. You can also form a nursing corporation and the employer can hire your nursing corporation to provide your NP services. That way if anyone sued, they could sue you and your nursing corporation, which could go bankrupt if the suit was millions of dollars and you would be OK. It is just another added layer of protection. You can also have all your property owned by trusts, corporations or LLCs. I did nothing but medical malpractice lawsuits for six years and I never saw one go over the limit of the insureds. They would have to prove gross negligence, which is difficult to prove.

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