When thinking about business, the vast majority of nurses and nurse practitioners start with the idea of doing something that utilizes the professional skills they have developed. That makes sense, you spend years getting your education and developing your skills and talents, why not use them? And use them you can…though perhaps in different ways. On this episode of the NP Business Matters podcast, have a chat with Sharon Burch. Her history in nursing is long and varied, but it’s always had a more holistic bent to it. Over the years of creating many businesses, she has honed those skills to c ..read more

Are you taking care of yourself? As NPs, we excel in telling patients how important it is to take care of themselves. But how well are we taking care of ourselves personally and professionally? Do we follow our own advice? Some of us do, but I’m afraid for some of us, self-care remains a struggle. What is Self-Care? If you’re thinking about candles, a sip of wine or two, quiet music, and the like, you’re on the right track. However, self-care is about a lot more than bubble baths and candlelight. In essence, it involves taking action to improve and maintain physical, mental, and emotional hea ..read more

Privacy Alert – Real Life Stories With the majority of personal data online, most people strongly feel the need to protect their privacy for security and safety reasons. You may even be hard-pressed to find anyone arguing that protecting personal data is unnecessary, even though privacy laws in many countries are far stricter than in the US. When we hear of another HIPAA incident, many think of a hospital data breach or a hacked healthcare network. Most of us don’t think about HIPAA violations in the context of small, private practices. But they exist and happen more often than we’d like to a ..read more

Small practices are at risk for HIPAA violations. Here are the 5 most common types and their consequences. Are you prepared? HIPAA, aka the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, requires providers and healthcare organizations to protect patient health information. The official definition of HIPAA is: “The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge.” Before I go f ..read more

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) often need guidance in navigating the complex landscape of business ownership. This is where NPBO can help. Over the years, we’ve seen a significant growth in the number of Nurse Practitioners (NPs) who have chosen to open and operate their own clinical practices and businesses. However, they will tell you this is not something they’ve learned in school. Being a business owner is not for the faint of heart. It’s a lot of work, and the landscape of business ownership is complex andsometimes frustrating. In the latest episode of the NP Business Matters podcast, I answe ..read more

There was a time when we didn’t have the option to start an independent practice. Unfortunately, in almost half of US states, we still don’t. But times are changing, and I am confident the number of states with full practice will increase. While full practice is not required to start a practice, not having to secure a collaborator or deal with supervision certainly makes life easier. A New Challenge However, stepping into a new territory can be challenging, and starting a practice is no exception. You see, when you step out on your own, the world you know is about to change. When you were emp ..read more

Medical coding is more than the CPT code we submit for a patient visit. It also includes the ICD-10 codes. Nothing new there. But one of the things that may not be as clear is how specific your ICD-10 code needs to be, particularly when it comes to being able to document, code, and submit a claim for more complex patient visits. In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Alicia Scott, CPC, CPC-I, CRC about coding. I had intended to interview her on mistakes Nurse Practitioners make that can adversely affect their practices, and she shared so much more. Take a listen and share your thoughts ..read more

No matter how different our political views are, we can’t dispute the increase in violence across the country in the past few years. Every day, we hear about gun violence, hate crimes, gang fights, violence in schools, and crimes in everyday life. While we may not be the victims today, violence affects us all, reaching even the smallest corners of the country. Violence does not discriminate. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that we’ve also seen an uptick in violence in healthcare settings. Violence in the workplace is found across all industries. However, healthcare and social services are aff ..read more

Recently, a tax-related question posted in the Nurse Practitioner in Business FB Group caught my eye. The question concerned FICA taxes and how they are paid. Taxes can be confusing, and since Tax Day is approaching fast, I thought it might be helpful to review taxes as they relate to different business structures. But before I continue, and for the record, what follows is not tax or legal advice. If necessary, please consult with the appropriate professional. As a Nurse Practitioner in private practice, the type of taxes you’re responsible for paying depends on the legal structure of your bu ..read more

Are you stuck between a rock and a hard place, scrambling to keep your Nurse Practitioner practice open? It’s one thing if you’re struggling for reasons under your control. However, if you’re fighting to keep your doors open for reasons outside your control, that’s a different story. An example is the fallout from the recent cyberattack against Change Healthcare. While outside their control, the attack affects all types of providers, including Nurse Practitioners. Unfortunately, many face running out of cash and potentially having to shut their doors before regular reimbursement resumes. One ..read more