employee or consultant?

I was recently approached by a local homecare agency to help them institute policy and procedure for homecare of the pediatric population which was previously provided by the county health dept. Their nurses have no pediatric experience.

This agency is now affiliated with a healthcare network. The network hospital was a former employer of mine. I worked on their pediatric unit for over 20 years and helped develop policy and procedure for that unit.

The Nurse Manager of Maternal Child Health at the hospital referred the homecare agency director to me as a resource Pediatric Nurse for them. I am currently(for the past two years) at a family practice office, I can no longer perform bedside nursing due to personal health issues.

Originally I was going to be an employee of the healhcare agency,on an as needed basis,to help orient nurses to pediatric care, help write policy and procedure for the ped patients and help adapt their documentation to reflect age specific care. Suddenly the agency is telling me I will be employed as a "consultant" per a contract at a rate yet to be determined.

I am now being told that I must get a business license from the county, I must submit my own taxes and social security BUT I must be available to the agency by phone during hours of operation for any questions the nurses in the field might have and I might have to actually go into the home with the nurse if it is a case she is not comfortable with.

I am not a business person. I have worked per diem in many different areas of nursing but was always compensated as an employee. This seems like they want it both ways.

I have no idea how to be a "consultant" Does NY state have specific rules and regulations?

If anyone can point me to any information that could be of help I would greatly appreciate it.