Can RNs be self employed?

[91W]

Can Rns be self employed and operate like a self registry service? Just curious if anyone does this or knows what you need to do. Thanks.

[CharlieRN]

Can Rns be self employed and operate like a self registry service? Just curious if anyone does this or knows what you need to do. Thanks.

The short answer is "sure". Historically that is what nurses were. They did "private duty". This can be as a one to one nurse who stays at the bedside of her patient when he is hospitalized or at home to give bedside care. Such care is paid for directly by the client or their family. As hospitals are increasingly short staffed, and patients are sent home sicker there is more need for it. It is a major expense though.

Nurses are employed as subcontractors by insurance companies to do pre insurance physical exams and screening. Often these folks work out of their homes and take a set of vital signs and take a medical history on clients who are referred to them by the insurer.

In the specific area of psych it is a bit more tricky. An experienced psych nurse certainly may be very competent as a counselor but such practice is marginally covered by RN licensure. If you were very careful not to exceed the limits of nursing practice it can be done but most likely it would be difficult to get third party payment.