Credentialing

[Spacklehead, MSN, NP]

When you go through the credentialing process for hospital privileges, does the medical office call and verify each place where you did your clinical rotations as an NP student? Reason I'm asking is because two of the preceptors I was with during my rotations have since left their practices, so I don't know who exactly would verify that I was actually even there and what I did.

[Sheri FNP-C]

The hospitals I am credentialed with verified my degree, but not the individual clinical experiences. They did verify my previous employment though.

[Spacklehead, MSN, NP]

Thanks, Sheri - I appreciate your reply!

[core0]

When you go through the credentialing process for hospital privileges, does the medical office call and verify each place where you did your clinical rotations as an NP student? Reason I'm asking is because two of the preceptors I was with during my rotations have since left their practices, so I don't know who exactly would verify that I was actually even there and what I did.

Credentialling is involved in verifying if it is safe for you to practice in the hosptal. They usually check criminal background, national practitioner data bank (for reportable claims), the state boards for any state you are licensed in, and credentialing at any previous place of employment. What they are looking for is any previous problems or restrictions on practice. They also check (or should check) your license, certifiation and education from the source directly. The only time that I can see them checking on a rotation is if you are asking to be credentialled for a procedure (say central line insertion) and your training was done during a rotation. Then they may ask the site or the preceptor that you did x number. Finally your program should have documentation that you were at a certain place and what you did there if there is any question.

David Carpenter, PA-C

[Spacklehead, MSN, NP]

Thanks, David. My school does have all of my patient logs/hours spent at the site, etc., and I kept copies for myself, also. I just didn't know if I would need to track down these two preceptors in order to have them verify anything (no special procedures were done at either site).

I appreciate your reply!

[Johnleddy]

Generally hospitals follow a primary source verification process as required by Joint Commission standards and internal processes. Physicians are currently credentialled via these standards and nursing professionals will soon follow (some hospitals already do full credentialling for nurses).

The verification can occur a number of ways depending on how much automation the Medical Staff Office has in place. For some verifications such as education they generally send out letters/faxes. Some verifications come via querries to data banks such as queries of the NPDB, OIG and DEA registration. Others are obtained via weblinks such as licensure.

As a general rule the medical staff office will only call as a last resort for most verifications -i.e. they cannot obtain a written or automated response. Most have a policy requiring three attempts to obtain a verification. If they can't obtain the verification the contact the applicant.

Once the verifications are complete, a credentialling packet is sent to an approval committee. Most MSPs will not forward a packet for approval if any of the required verifications are missing. So although it maybe painful, it is important to make sure the medical staff office has everything they need to verify a credential.