How To Start Your Own Medical Clinic As A Nurse Practitioner

The idea of starting your own medical clinic as a nurse practitioner can feel daunting, but it also offers big rewards.

And when you open your own clinic in a medical coworking space near me, it’s not as stressful as you might think.

When you own your own medical clinic, you get to be in charge of your schedule, your patients, and the kind of care you provide.

Here at Symbiosis, we’re in the business of making it easy to open your own clinic.

But while you might see your colleagues starting their own allergy clinics, orthopaedics practices, pediatrics practices, and more, what about nurse practitioners?

Can you, as a nurse practitioner, go into private practice?

And can you build a satisfying healthcare career doing so?

Let’s take a closer look.

Can A Nurse Practitioner Start Their Own Private Practice In Washington DC?

As a nurse practitioner, you may be wondering if starting your own medical clinic is possible.

The answer is, it depends.

Healthcare laws vary from state to state.

However, 26 states and Washington DC have what’s called “full practice authority.”

This means nurse practitioners can run their own private practices without any physician oversight.

These states include:

• Alaska
• Arizona
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• District of Columbia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Iowa
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Mexico
• North Dakota
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• South Dakota
• Vermont
• Washington
• Wyoming

The other states are either “reduced authority” or “restricted authority” states.

Reduced authority means nurse practitioners can diagnose and treat patients, but can’t prescribe medications without a physician’s oversight.

Restricted authority means nurse practitioners can’t do any of the above without a physician’s oversight.

So if you’re reading this and you’re in Washington DC, good news – you can start your own clinic as a nurse practitioner.

And Symbiosis can help.

But why should you start a nurse practitioner private practice?

We’re so glad you asked.

Why Start A Nurse Practitioner Private Practice?

Starting your own practice as a nurse practitioner gives you lots of control over your working environment.

While it’s true that healthcare burnout is an issue regardless of what you’re doing, it’s more of an issue in corporate health care jobs.

It’s difficult to find a work life balance as a healthcare provider when your schedule is under someone else’s control.

You also have no control over the types of patients you see.

Do you have a special interest in treating a certain population?

Or a certain type of illness?

If so, too bad – you get to see who they tell you to see.

And what about choosing your clinic location?

Forget about it – you work where they tell you to work.

Of course, none of this is an issue when you run your own clinic.

You get to set your own schedule and rules.

You get to choose who you hire, the quality of care you provide, the type of patients you want to treat, and more.

You don’t get any of this in a corporate setting, and that’s why people are leaving corporate health care jobs.

5 Things You Need To Start A Private Practice As A Nurse Practitioner

There are many things you need in order to be able to start your own private practice as a nurse.

We’ve narrowed it down to five of the most important things to think about as you’re starting your practice.

1. Your Private Practice Scope

Being able to pick what kind of care you provide is an important first step to opening your own nurse practitioner practice.

Choosing what kind of care you provide can happen in many different ways.

You might decide you’d like to open a practice geared toward a specific group of people, such as women or seniors.

On the other hand, maybe you want to run your private practice in a certain area.

In that case, you can let your scope of practice be dictated by the needs of the community in that area.

You could also choose your scope based on the care you want to provide, such as specialized care targeted at sexual health or a certain health condition.

No matter what, it’s important to know the scope of your practice as you begin to prepare your business.

Your private practice’s scope can inform your budget, the equipment you’ll need, the kind of staff you’ll hire, and the patients you’ll be recruiting.

2. A Good Location For Your Clinic

Location is a very important aspect of starting your practice.

You’ll want to know the demographics of your location.

Is the area comprised of primarily older people or young families?

Are there other clinics nearby with a similar scope to yours?

Is your clinic accessible and close to potential clients?

Make sure the area you choose allows you to serve the scope of your practice.

At the same time, you need to maintain your budget and allow your business to grow as it becomes established in the community.

3. Equipment, Medical And Otherwise

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to medical equipment for your own practice.

First, you need the right kind of equipment for the type of medical care you’d like to provide.

You’ll want to know the different options available, training that is needed for any equipment you purchase, and, of course, the cost.

You’ll also want to make sure you have insurance for any equipment that requires it.

Beyond that though, consider the other non specialty items you may need.

This includes things like:

• Desks
• Chairs
• Examination beds
• Stethoscopes
• Blood pressure monitors
• Hypodermic needles
• Safe disposal of used needles
• And much more

4. Support Staff

Having the right team is incredibly important to any private practice.

You’ll need a wide range of staff, not just other nurses.

For example, you’ll need people to cover accounting, reception work, HR support, and legal issues.

You’ll also want to consider any employment policies you already have or would like to develop.

And in general, you’ll want a team who can work well together and feels supported by you and each other for a successful practice.

5. Patients, Of Course

Last, but not least, you’ll need patients.

Of course, there’s always going to be a demand for healthcare providers.

But at the same time, your patients need to know you exist in the first place.

Hanging a sign in your window is no longer enough to build a prosperous practice.

Digital marketing, networking, and other forms of outreach are all essential parts of keeping your practice profitable.

How The Medical Coworking Space At Symbiosis Can Help

There’s a lot to think about when starting your own private practice.

And for some, the traditional model can be cost prohibitive.

Starting a private healthcare practice can easily cost you into the high six figures, and then some.

But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with your corporate health care job.

There’s a third option – a medical coworking space.

The Symbiosis medical coworking space allows you to pool your resources with other likeminded healthcare providers.

Symbiosis provides you with the clinic space, front desk staff, medical IT systems management, janitorial services, private practice marketing strategies, and more.

This massively decreases your startup costs, allowing you to focus on what you do best – providing excellent health care.

You don’t have to be stuck in that exhausting, soul sucking corporate job forever.

We can help.

Contact Symbiosis To Start Your Own Private Practice Today

Ready to open your own practice, but not sure where to start?

Want to know more about what a medical coworking space can do for you?

Contact Symbiosis, and take your first step toward starting your own private practice today.