NP · Louisiana
Supervision Agreement for Nurse Practitioners in Louisiana
Yes, a written supervising-physician agreement is required. Louisiana calls it a Collaborative Practice Agreement (CPA).
Louisiana is a 'reduced practice' state — NPs generally practice under an LSBN-approved Collaborative Practice Agreement for as long as they practice. A codified but unconfirmed hours-based CPA exemption exists (see conditions) — treat as conditional pending verification, not confirmed full independence.
Independent practice requires: LA Admin. Code tit. 46 §7911.A.5 references an exemption from the collaborative practice agreement requirement after a threshold of prior collaborative-practice experience — secondary sources give conflicting hour figures (1,000 vs. 2,080 hours) and this research pass could not confirm the correct figure or exactly what authority the exemption confers (full independent diagnosis/prescribing vs. a narrower administrative exemption) — verify against LSBN rule text before relying on this for a compliance decision..
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; the collaborating physician must be available by telephone or direct telecommunication for consultation and emergencies when not physically present (LAC 46:XLV.7911). A 2014 LSBME proposal would have required a 1:4 ratio and quarterly on-site visits when not sharing a practice site — secondary-sourced and not confirmed as ever finalized; do not encode it as current law.
Supervision ratio
Not codified — no cap on file
Chart review
Not codified — left to the agreement
Meeting cadence
Annually
Clinical practice guidelines within the CPA (drug types/categories/schedules and generic-substitution options) must be mutually agreed upon and reviewed annually (LAC 46:XLV.7911). No shorter recurring chart-review or meeting cadence is codified.
Prescriptive authority
Separate prescribing terms required · controlled substances permitted
If the NP holds controlled-substance prescriptive authority, the collaborating physician must also hold current, unrestricted Louisiana and DEA registrations.
Written agreement
Required
Practice ownership (corporate practice of medicine)
Licensee-only ownership required — Professional Corporation/LLC under La. R.S. 12:901 et seq. — Louisiana's Professional Corporation Law generally restricts ownership of a nursing-services entity to licensees of that same profession; not independently confirmed for APRN-specific entity structures in this research pass.
Ownership and clinical collaboration are legally distinct: the collaborating physician under a CPA does not need to own the entity the NP practices through.
Legal sources for these rules (4)
- La. Rev. Stat. § 37:913 — Definitions (Advanced Practice Registered Nursing, Collaborative Practice Agreement)secondary
- La. Admin. Code tit. 46, Part XLV, §7911 — Eligibility; Required Components of Collaborative Practice Agreementsecondary
- Louisiana State Board of Nursing — Joint Practice Statement
- Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson — Update on APRN Supervision Rules for Hospitals with Physician Practices (secondary source, describes historical/proposed ratio rules; confirm current status before relying on it)secondary
What a supervising physician costs here
Typical monthly cost in Louisiana
$500 – $650
Estimate for one Nurse Practitioner. 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.