CRNA · Rhode Island
Supervision Agreement for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists in Rhode Island
Yes, a written supervising-physician agreement is required. Rhode Island does not name a specific instrument.
Unlike RI's other APRN roles, CRNA authority is statutorily bounded to the 'immediate perioperative period' (day before surgery through PACU discharge; § 5-34.2-2) rather than granted as a general independent scope. RI has NOT taken the CMS Medicare physician-supervision opt-out, so physician supervision is still expected for Medicare anesthesia cases.
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
Not codified — left to the agreement
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
Separate prescribing terms required · controlled substances permitted
Within the immediate perioperative period, CRNAs may issue medication orders and order/evaluate labs, point-of-care testing, and radiographic imaging (Ch. 5-34.2). Broader prescriptive privileges may be granted per Ch. 5-34.2 — exact controlled-substance schedule detail was not separately confirmed in this research pass.
Written agreement
Required
No RI statute was found specifying a written practice-agreement document for CRNAs the way § 5-54-8 once did for PAs — 'agreementRequired' here reflects the ongoing physician-supervision expectation for Medicare cases and the perioperative scope boundary, not a confirmed document requirement. Verify with the Board of Nursing.
Practice ownership (corporate practice of medicine)
Licensee-only ownership required — Professional Service Corporation under R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-5.1-1 et seq., via CRNAs' RN licensure base.
Legal sources for these rules (2)
What a supervising physician costs here
Typical monthly cost in Rhode Island
$500 – $600
Estimate for one Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. This state's proximity rules add a small premium.
About Rhode Island's rules
RI is a Full Practice Authority state for NP/CNM (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-34-44) and, since a 2019 reform (§ 5-54-8), no longer requires PAs to have a written practice agreement — 'collaboration' with an always-accessible physician replaced supervision and hospital ratio caps. CRNAs are the exception: RI has NOT taken the Medicare physician-supervision opt-out, and CRNA scope is statutorily bounded to the perioperative period.
Other clinicians in Rhode Island: see the state overview.