CRNA · Washington
Collaborative Practice Agreement for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists in Washington
No. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists practice independently here. Washington does not require one.
CRNAs are one of Washington's four ARNP roles under RCW 18.79 and are licensed independent practitioners exactly like NP/CNM/CNS — no physician supervision or agreement required, unlike states (e.g. UT) that carve CRNAs out of prescriptive authority or independence.
What the collaboration must look like
The rules the physician relationship has to follow. Each fact comes from the statute or board rule listed under sources.
Proximity
No proximity requirement
No physician-oversight relationship exists — ARNP-CRNAs are licensed independent practitioners under WAC 246-840-300.
Supervision ratio
Not codified — no cap on file
Chart review
Not codified — left to the agreement
Meeting cadence
Not codified — left to the agreement
Prescriptive authority
Covered by the practice agreement · controlled substances permitted
Schedule II-V upon Board of Nursing prescriptive-authority approval (RCW 18.79.240), same as other ARNP roles; Schedule I excluded.
Written agreement
Not required
Unconditional — Washington does not require a physician agreement for CRNAs.
Practice ownership (corporate practice of medicine)
Licensee-only ownership required — Professional Service Corporation under RCW 18.100.050 — CRNAs are among the 12 enumerated health professions eligible to co-own a multi-discipline PSC; non-licensees may not hold equity.
Legal sources for these rules (2)
What a collaborating physician costs here
Typical monthly cost in Washington
$500 – $600
Estimate for one Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Standard-tier state.
About Washington's rules
Washington is a full-independence state for ALL FOUR ARNP roles (NP, CRNA, CNM, CNS) under RCW 18.79, not just NPs — confirmed current via WAC 246-840-300/420 and Board of Nursing guidance. PAs are separate: HB 2041 (eff. Jan. 1, 2025) replaced supervision-only with a 4,000-hour supervision→collaboration tier (RCW 18.71A.120) with no numeric ratio cap.
Other clinicians in Washington: see the state overview.