CNS · Wisconsin
Collaborative Practice Agreement for Clinical Nurse Specialists in Wisconsin
Yes, a written physician agreement is required. Wisconsin does not name a specific instrument.
Same APRN Modernization Act transition threshold applies to CNSs as to NP/CRNA.
Independent practice requires: ≥3,840 hours of professional RN practice over ≥24 months; ≥3,840 hours of advanced practice in the CNS's Recognized Role while working with a physician or dentist immediately available for consultation, over ≥24 months.
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
below the 3,840-hour/24-month transition threshold: Available remotely (no on-site requirement)
No geographic proximity requirement; collaborating physician/dentist must be immediately available in person or by telecommunication.
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 with DEA registration, same as other Wisconsin APRN roles.
Written agreement
Required
Practice ownership (corporate practice of medicine)
Licensee-only ownership required — Service Corporation under Wis. Stat. ch. 180, subch. XIX — a CNS may co-own a multi-discipline service corporation as a health care professional; non-licensees may not hold equity.
Legal sources for these rules (1)
What a collaborating physician costs here
Typical monthly cost in Wisconsin
$500 – $600
Estimate for one Clinical Nurse Specialist. Standard-tier state.
About Wisconsin's rules
The APRN Modernization Act (2025 Act 17) took effect September 1, 2026 — days before this data's last-verified date — replacing permanent NP/CRNA/CNS collaborative arrangements with a 3,840-hour/24-month transition to independent practice; CNMs are auto-licensed with NO such threshold. Given how recent this is, verify current DSPS/Board of Nursing implementation guidance before relying on transition-period details below.
Other clinicians in Wisconsin: see the state overview.