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Don't neglect competency assessment for temps

Ambulatory Safety Monitor, September 21, 2006

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To deal with the shortage of healthcare professionals, many ambulatory care facilities turn to temporary staff agencies to supplement their staff. This has become an essential part of operations for ambulatory care facilities, because many facilities employ just enough staff to run efficiently and must turn to these agencies when staff are temporarily unable to work or when the facility needs time to hire a replacement for departing staff.

If your facility relies on temporary staff to operate, here are two steps to better ensure that temporary staff can provide the high level of care that your staff provide and your patients require:

1. Select only a few agencies. Research the agencies near your facility to help determine which are the best organizations to provide your facility with staff. A good agency will perform background and credential checks and other similar tasks before hiring staff.
2. Develop a detailed contract. Sign a contract with an agency that spells out the requirements that temporary staff must meet before they are sent to work at your facility.

This tip was adapted from Briefings on Ambulatory Accreditation, a monthly publication that reports on the activities of ambulatory care accreditors the JCAHO and the AAAHC. Click here for more information or to subscribe.

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