14 Essential Questions for Facilities Selecting a Travel Nursing Agency
For healthcare facilities navigating the complexities of hiring travel nurses, finding a staffing agency that aligns with your facility’s needs goes without question. A good staffing agency can provide quality nurses who integrate seamlessly into your team, ensuring your facility continues to offer top-notch patient care without skipping a beat. To help you determine the best fit for your facility, here are 14 questions you should ask prospective travel nursing agencies:
1. What is Your Experience in the Healthcare Staffing Industry?
Understanding the agency’s history and years of operation can provide insight into their market stability and level of expertise.
2. How Do You Vet Your Travel Nurses?
Knowing the agency’s vetting process, including credential verification, background checks, and clinical skill assessments, is essential for ensuring you receive qualified candidates.
3. What Specialties and Certifications Do Your Travel Nurses Have?
Ensure the agency has nurses with the specializations and certifications relevant to your facility’s needs.
4. How Do You Handle Credentialing and Compliance?
An agency that manages credentialing and compliance can significantly reduce your administrative burden.
5. What is Your Approach to Staffing Emergencies or Last-Minute Needs?
An agency’s ability to quickly fill last-minute or emergency vacancies is crucial for maintaining patient care standards.
6. How Do You Support Your Travel Nurses During Their Assignments?
Agencies that provide strong support to their nurses tend to have happier, more effective staff.
7. Can You Accommodate Custom Requests or Specific Facility Needs?
The flexibility to accommodate specific requirements can make an agency a better fit for your facility.
8. What is Your Turnaround Time from Request to Nurse Placement?
Understanding how quickly an agency can place nurses will help you manage staffing gaps efficiently.
9. How Do You Ensure the Quality of Your Travel Nurses?
Inquire about the performance evaluation and continuous quality improvement measures the agency uses.
10. What Types of Contracts Do You Offer?
Knowing the contract types available can help you choose the most cost-effective staffing solutions.
11. How Do You Address Performance Issues or Conflicts?
An agency’s policies on handling performance concerns or conflicts are crucial for maintaining a harmonious workplace.
12. What are Your Rates and Billing Procedures?
Clear understanding of costs and billing practices helps avoid unexpected expenses.
13. Do You Offer Any Additional Support Services?
Some agencies offer value-added services, such as continuing education or logistical support for travel nurses.
14. How Will Our Facility Communicate with Your Agency?
Effective communication is key. Know whom to contact and how communication is managed throughout the nurse’s assignment.
Conclusion
Selecting the right travel nursing agency is a critical decision that impacts your facility’s operational effectiveness and patient care quality. By asking these questions, you can ensure a fruitful partnership that supports your facility’s staffing needs and enhances overall healthcare delivery.
Winner of the 2024 Best of Staffing Talent 5 Year Diamond Award, Jackson Nurse Professionals delivers flexible, scalable travel nurse staffing solutions to over 500 hospitals, outpatient clinics, ALF, SNF, and home health clients nationwide. In today’s highly competitive job market and climate of shifting demands, you’ll appreciate our ability to quickly deliver highly skilled travel nurses – ready to hit the ground running – in every setting and key specialties of care.
Get the travel nurse staffing solution designed to flex with your needs. Contact our Business Development Team.
