Collaborative practice agreements for advanced practice nurses: what you should know

Advanced practice nurses (APNs) seeking employment are often presented with employment practice agreements. A collaborative practice agreement is a written statement that defines the joint practice of a physician and an APN in a collaborative and complementary working relationship. It provides a mechanism for the legal protection of the APN and sets out the rights and responsibilities of each party involved. All APNs, regardless of practice setting, should be knowledgeable about aspects of a collaborative practice agreement before they sign one. The purposes of this article are to delineate basic guidelines for evaluating and developing a collaborative practice agreement and to identify areas of special concern for APNs.