Page 11 - APP Collaboration - Assessing the Risk (Part Two)

SVMIC Advanced Practice Provider Collaboration: Assessing the Risk

“Licensed physicians may supervise healthcare workers in

their provision of services which fall within the physician’s area
of expertise. Specialty board certification in psychiatry is not

required in order to supervise a psychiatric nurse practitioner
in the performance of his or her duties, as board certification is

not the only way to demonstrate one’s expertise in psychiatry.
A physician’s area of expertise can be said to encompass the

range of services routinely provided in the course of his or
her medical practice. It may also include services not routinely

provided, but regarding which the physician has specific, up-
to-date, reliable knowledge acquired during his or her medical

training. In order for you to lawfully supervise the provision of a
psychiatric nurse practitioner’s services, the Board’s position

is that the services provided must be within your existing area
of expertise. That is to say, you must currently provide these

services in the course of your medical practice, or you must
have received some specific medical training resulting in

current knowledge which is sufficient to safely provide these
services.”
3

Regardless of the home state of practice, this opinion serves as

a good rule of thumb for any physician considering entering into
a supervisory or collaborative role with an APP. If the physician’s

medical specialty differs from that of the APP, consult the
applicable state boards for guidance.

Generally, there must be a backup or secondary physician with
the same or similar experience and expertise as the APP named

in the event the primary supervising physician is unavailable.

3 https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/ME071916.pdf

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