For far too long, nurse practitioners (NP) have had to fight for the professional recognition and autonomy they deserve. Those who sought to build their own individual practices, in particular, have had to contend with the resistance of physicians and the reticence of patients and families.
There has, however, been a definitive shift in both attitudes toward and opportunities for nurse practitioners in recent years, however. As NPs continue to face of an ongoing physician shortage and a catastrophic global pandemic, their demand and authority has grown.
As of 2023, 26 U.S. states grant full practice authority to NPs, meaning that NPs can diagnose and treat patients wholly without physician supervision. This also means that NPs practicing in full authority states may establish their own independent medical practices.
NPs may also establish virtual practices, providing care to patients in full authority states, provided that the NP is licensed to practice in that state. Similarly, NPs may cultivate a vibrant career as a travel practitioner, working in underserved areas where they can practice full authority.
The increasing autonomy of NPs within the national and global healthcare system is opening up untold opportunities for independently-minded clinicians. Therefore, if you dream of building your own individual practice, there has never been a better time than now. This article describes important strategies you need to know for growing a successful independent practice as a nurse practitioner.
Get Your Licensing and Certifications In Order
When you’re working to build an autonomous practice, the most important thing to do is understand the relevant laws. Scope of practice regulations vary widely from one state, territory, or nation.
So you will want to ensure that you have the appropriate licensure and certifications to practice independently in your designated locale. If you plan to provide remote care, you will need the appropriate licensing to provide virtual care.
Building a Robust Online Presence
Regardless of whether you provide telehealth services practice in-person care only, building an individual practice will require you to go online. This is because healthcare consumers are increasingly turning to the web to find medical care. In fact, more than one-third of patients and family members are now finding their next healthcare provider online.
Building Digital Marketing From the Ground Up
The growth of your practice is dependent on your digital marketing strategy. It’s not going to be enough to create a basic website that provides prospective patients with your contact information.
You will need to focus on transforming your marketing strategies to build brand awareness and differentiate your clinic from your nearest competitors. At the heart of every effective medical marketing strategy is not promotion. Instead, it’s engagement. Your goal is to connect and “converse” with prospective healthcare consumers in general.
This enables you both to establish yourself and your practice as an undisputed authority in your area of specialization.
Digital Marketing Methods
You might build a dedicated website for your practice that prioritizes education and engagement. You might provide video tutorials on topics related to health and fitness — from disease prevention and management to exercise and nutrition. For example, you could host a patient education seminar on anti-inflammatory diets, supplemented with video cooking tutorials.
You might create an online database on conditions relating to your particular field of practice. For example, if you operate in gastroenterology, build an online resource for information on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or other conditions.
Consider Digital Transformations
No matter the industry, accelerated digital transformation is proving to be indispensable to the growth to organizations around the globe. This is especially true for the healthcare industry, where surging demand are all too often met with shrinking budgets and worsening labor shortages.
Using digital systems effectively can make your practice more profitable, depending on how you personalize your customer management system (CMS). You migh align your CMS with patient education and disease prevention by automating patient outreach processes.
Your CMS may be designed to automatically generate care reminders based on the patient’s particular needs. You can also base your patient CMS messages based on parameters you specify, such as age, gender, and personal and family medical history.
The key here is to support superlative, personalized care while also streamlining processes through automation and other forms of digitalization. This will decrease operating costs while enhancing the patients’ overall quality of care and customer service experience. The result is more positive word of mouth, improved patient loyalty, and increased revenues.
The Takeaway
Building a profitable and enduring individual practice as a nurse practitioner isn’t easy, but the opportunities for success are out there. Do your research and be prepared, including ensuring that your licensing and certifications are in order before you launch your practice. This is a particularly important concern if you plan to provide virtual services to patients in other states.
It’s also critical that you capitalize on the tremendous power of digitalization to automate your business processes and enhance quality patient care. In addition, building a successful practice requires you to become an equally effective marketer and healthcare provider. Digital marketing is increasingly important to the prosperity of medical practices.
