Nursing staff play a significant role in the core operations and form a backbone in healthcare, undoubtedly. They take care of some of the critical jobs, from assisting doctors to attending patients. It is, therefore, essential to keep this area of work fully staffed. Nurses are a primary need of any healthcare department to serve patients 24×7. Since each healthcare cannot indulge personally in recruitment, outsourcing these staffing services to fulfill the workforce needs of their department has become a norm lately. This is because the services are dedicated, quick, efficient, and reasonably priced.
Nursing staff vacancies are higher, with vacancies to be filled up in place of retirees and new placements of the department. According to a study made in 2019, it is seen that staffing agencies for nursing staff are approached more as compared to earlier times. This is because of the arising needs of nursing staff in healthcare departments.
Staffing Agencies for Nurses- What are they?
Staffing agencies that provide nursing staff offer hospital placements for registered nurses on both permanent and temporary basis. They are involved in securing contracts for them to work in different healthcare facilities.
Some of the primary features of the right staffing agency are:
- Staffing of travel nurses
- Per Diem or per-day basis nurses
- Temporary, permanent and critical nurses staffing
- International placements
- Placements of interim nurse director, manager, CNE and CNO placements
- Clinical staffing
- Thorough background check of nurse staff
- Capable recruitment of skilled staff
- Selecting nurses from a talent pool
- Easy and quick replacements
- 24×7 assistance
- Meet the supply to the demand effectively.
With a shortage of nurse staff and overgrowth of patients and their needs, there is an intense requirement of a sustainable solution. A dedicated nursing staff agency is the solution for quick filling of these spaces.
How do they operate?
Staffing agencies help to procure the workforce that is nationally and internationally educated to meet the overall supply and demand. This way, healthcare agencies that are finding it hard to get professionals in and out of the country can get skilled nursing staff quickly. The agencies sponsor the visa for nurses on a flat fee. The list of nurses in their database are registered with a thorough background check. Any healthcare department that partners with a staffing agency are quick to fill the space as and when the need arises with professional registered nurses. Some staffing agencies also you Back Office Staffing Services such as Back Office Staffing Solutions.
There are different types of placements
PRN or Per Diem- Nurse on-call are given contracts for a day to several weeks for placement. There are no hours guaranteed.
Travel Nursing-Short-term contracts from 4-6 weeks or a little longer fall into this category with traveling involved. The traveling is to different geographical locations. In some cases, the contract can be for long-term or extended, based on the healthcare requirement.
Temporary to Permanent Nurses-This is the right way for registered nurses to get into permanent positions post a time.
Permanent Nurses- These are direct hire positions for a fee, which is usually about 20-25% of yearly salary.
International Nurses- The placement is abroad with a contract of 2-3 years that can extend to full time.
Factors to consider when choosing a nurse staffing agency
Proper placement of a registered and skilled nurse depends on the right nursing agency that you need to partner with. To get a suitable and efficient workforce, there are some factors that you need to consider before partnering with a nurse staffing agency.
These factors are:
Price-A staffing agency, which charges low rates, may compromise on their quality of supply as well. A highly skilled and professional registered nurse will be an add-on to your healthcare facility in the long run. It involves the lives of the patients and hence, does not settle for anything. Settling for a staffing agency only based on the price can cost you. Look for other benefits they provide, if they can fill you for a permanent position eventually based on reviews and the contract duration of RNs with them. Traveler nursing is also a good option. However, it is best if the work tenure is longer based on the investment you will have to make.
Speed- The time taken for the placement of a nurse is also a factor to be considered to partner with any staffing agency. This turnaround time is essential to be noted as for immediate needs and facility coverage, it has to be minimal. For urgent requirements, per diem nurses are the right choice. For short-staffed healthcare departments, temporary to permanent placements are sustainable. The average turnaround time is best between 5-10 weeks on average for the right staffing agency. This time includes the screening, selection process, and interview as well.
Quality- Quality is an essential factor, and something that cannot be compromised with an RN and healthcare. A quality nurse is hardworking, experienced, good with teamwork, communication, and safety. Minimal experience is best to consider to get into higher position nursing staff placements. This is because they can offer long term unit stability.
The need for a nursing staffing agency
Partnering with staffing agencies for nurses can be the right choice when you are on a lookout for increasing your staff or keeping the existing staff number. This can be for excellent performance, efficiency, and meeting the healthcare needs without any glitch. Staffing agencies permit hospitals flexibility to keep up with the workforce needs when the need is critical. They are specialized in quality nurses recruitment according to the changes in the system. Their client base is met with upgraded staff. They are reputable, committed, and expertise facilitated. Their delivery time is minimal. The nurse database is diverse and inclusive of all the positions of healthcare. They are certified and meet the criteria of healthcare requirements to the optimum.
Conclusion
Staffing Agencies for Nurses aid in facilitating shortage looms in the healthcare industry. They offer long-term and short-term recruitment solutions to avoid RN burnout. With the growing needs of patients and healthcare, staffing agencies can provide nursing staff who are skilled, upgraded, and professional at a low turnout time. The importance of these agencies has increased with time and need. A right staffing agency is a premier specialist in staffing nurses for your healthcare department as and when the need arises.