CNS · Louisiana
Supervision Agreement for Clinical Nurse Specialists in Louisiana
Yes, a written supervising-physician agreement is required. Louisiana does not name a specific instrument.
Louisiana treats CNS as one of four APRN roles under the same CPA framework as NP/CNM (R.S. 37:913) rather than carving out a non-prescribing-based independence test the way Virginia does. Whether Louisiana CNS practice routinely includes prescriptive authority in practice was not separately confirmed.
Independent practice requires: Same unconfirmed hours-based CPA exemption referenced in the general `np` entry (LA Admin. Code tit. 46 §7911.A.5, which secondary sources describe as also covering CNS) — exact hour threshold and resulting scope not confirmed in this research pass..
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
Available remotely (no on-site requirement)
No codified mile/minute radius or on-site standard; collaborating physician must be available by telephone or direct telecommunication when not physically present (LAC 46:XLV.7911).
Supervision ratio
Not codified — no cap on file
Chart review
Not codified — left to the agreement
Meeting cadence
Annually
Same CPA clinical-practice-guideline annual review cadence as general NPs.
Prescriptive authority
Separate prescribing terms required · controlled substances permitted
Louisiana's APRN definitions (LAC 46:XLVII.4505) describe CNS prescriptive authority through the same generic CPA mechanism as other APRN roles, without a Virginia-style non-prescribing carve-out — not independently confirmed how common non-prescribing CNS practice actually is in Louisiana.
Written agreement
Required
Practice ownership (corporate practice of medicine)
Licensee-only ownership required — Professional Corporation/LLC under La. R.S. 12:901 et seq. — same general nursing-services-entity framework as the `np` entry; not independently confirmed for APRN-specific entity structures in this research pass.
Legal sources for these rules (3)
- La. Rev. Stat. § 37:913 — Definitions (Advanced Practice Registered Nursing, Collaborative Practice Agreement)secondary
- La. Admin. Code tit. 46, Part XLVII, §4505 — Definitionssecondary
- La. Admin. Code tit. 46, Part XLV, §7911 — Eligibility; Required Components of Collaborative Practice Agreementsecondary
What a supervising physician costs here
Typical monthly cost in Louisiana
$500 – $600
Estimate for one Clinical Nurse Specialist. This state's proximity rules add a small premium.
About Louisiana's rules
Louisiana remains a 'reduced practice' state for NPs — no SAVE Act-style full-practice-authority reform has passed. LA Admin. Code tit. 46 §7911.A.5 references an hours-based exemption from the CPA requirement for NP/CNM/CNS, but secondary sources give conflicting hour figures (1,000 vs. 2,080) and this pass could not confirm the exact threshold or resulting scope — verify directly with LSBN before relying on it.
Other clinicians in Louisiana: see the state overview.