CRNA · Arizona
Supervision Agreement for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists in Arizona
Yes, a written supervising-physician agreement is required. Arizona does not name a specific instrument.
A.R.S. § 32-1634.04: a CRNA 'may administer anesthetics under the direction of and in the presence of a physician or surgeon.' AZBN has a position statement interpreting 'presence' that could not be retrieved in this research pass (source blocked) — whether it narrows to something short of literal physical presence is unconfirmed; treat the plain on-site text as current until verified.
What the supervision must look like
The rules the physician relationship has to follow. Each fact comes from the statute or board rule listed under sources.
Proximity
On-site presence required
Plain text of § 32-1634.04 requires the physician's 'presence,' read here as on-site — but AZBN's own interpretive position statement (title referencing 'Physician Presence and CRNA Independent Practice') could not be retrieved to confirm whether the Board reads 'presence' more loosely (e.g., telecommunication-accessible, as with PA/esthetician laser hair removal). Verify against the current AZBN PDF before relying on this for compliance decisions.
Supervision ratio
Not codified — no cap on file
Chart review
Not codified — left to the agreement
Meeting cadence
Not codified — left to the agreement
Prescriptive authority
Covered by the practice agreement · controlled substances permitted
Scoped to the perioperative/anesthesia encounter, not general outpatient prescribing.
Written agreement
Required
Practiced under a physician's direction/presence for specific care episodes per statute, rather than a standing written collaborative agreement in the PA/pharmacist sense.
Practice ownership (corporate practice of medicine)
Non-licensee ownership permitted — Same A.R.S. § 10-3301 framework — no numeric ownership cap confirmed in the primary text located.
Legal sources for these rules (3)
- A.R.S. § 32-1634.04 — CRNA Practice; Physician Direction and Presence
- A.R.S. § 32-1634.03 — CRNA Certification Requirements
- AZBN Position Statement — Interpretation of A.R.S. § 32-1634.04 Regarding Physician Presence and CRNA Independent Practice (could not be retrieved in this research pass — verify directly with AZBN before relying on it)
What a supervising physician costs here
Typical monthly cost in Arizona
$500 – $600
Estimate for one Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. This state's proximity rules add a small premium.
About Arizona's rules
Arizona has no explicit statutory CPOM ban; existing doctrine comes only from two optometry cases never applied to physician/PA ownership, making MSO tolerance a reasonable inference rather than a confirmed rule. NP/CNM/PMHNP have FULL practice authority with no collaborative agreement. PA's 2024 reform (A.R.S. Title 32 Ch. 25) removes the written agreement at 8,000 hours but still requires a designated collaborating physician/entity.
Other clinicians in Arizona: see the state overview.