Your Healthcare Staffing Questions Answered

• About Healthcare Staffing
• Temporary Staffing
• Nurse Staffing
• Physician Staffing
• Allied Staffing
• AMN Service Offerings

About Healthcare Staffing

• How can hospitals staff appropriately in a nursing shortage?

  The nursing shortage is affecting hospitals across the country, especially those that have to deal with seasonal fluctuations, illnesses (flu epidemics), new unit openings, staff vacancies and other scenarios. The best approach to maintain adequate staffing is to develop a strategic plan that addresses both short- and long-term vacancies. AMN Healthcare can work with you to forecast your staffing needs (with no obligation), develop a plan and find the highly qualified nurses, physicians and allied professionals that will help your patients continue to receive excellent care.
  
  

• Why should I use AMN Healthcare for my healthcare staffing needs?

  AMN Healthcare is the nation's leading provider of high-quality healthcare professionals for temporary, contract and permanent positions. Our vast nurse, physician and allied staffing capabilities—unparalleled in the healthcare staffing industry—enable us to provide clients with a wide spectrum of assignment lengths in nearly every clinical discipline. AMN works as your single-source solution to simplify your staffing, cut down on vendor contacts and to help you improve staffing efficiencies.
  
  With 23 years of staffing experience, an industry-leading quality assurance program and corporate certification by the Joint Commission, you can rest assured that AMN will place the best matched, most qualified candidates in your facility, while delivering the individualized service you need.
  
  

• How do you recruit healthcare professionals?

  AMN Healthcare distinguishes itself from other healthcare staffing companies by using a multi-brand recruitment strategy that maximizes our outreach to medical professionals through Internet, print and trade show channels. We reach out to thousands of healthcare professionals globally every day through our recruitment brand Web sites and our award-winning portals dedicated to the needs of physicians, nurses and allied health professionals. We also advertise extensively on job boards, in the leading industry publications, as well as attend many national and regional trade shows and career fairs.
  
  Healthcare professionals are attracted to AMN due to our long-standing reputation for high-level service, extensive assignment opportunities, a comprehensive benefits package and word-of-mouth referrals.
  
  

• How do you screen your healthcare professionals?

  We fully prepare our healthcare professionals to become part of your team, starting with our strict standards for job experience and education. Our quality management teams carefully screen all candidates for their skills, credentials, knowledge and experience, based on the criteria supplied by our clients. Our nurse candidates also undergo background and drug screening, and a personal interview. In addition, we focus on continuing education to help our clinicians provide the best patient care.
  
  We continue to evaluate our healthcare professionals after they're placed to help ensure satisfactory performance, as well as to determine feasibility for future placements.
  
  

• How quickly can you find a healthcare professional for my facility?

  We've placed healthcare professionals within a few days of receiving a staffing request and as early as a year before the start date. Our vast, diverse network of qualified healthcare personnel lets us locate the most qualified candidates for your facility, no matter what your staffing need.
  
  

• What is the first step I need to take if I have a staffing need?

  To find out more about the staffing services that are right for you, request an appointment to speak with one of our knowledgeable account representatives by filling out our quick request a call form; or if you’re ready to get started on filling assignments, you can complete a staffing request. In either case, our client services staff will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also call our toll-free number at (866) 871-8519 to speak to a Client Services representative.
  
  

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Temporary Staffing

• When is a good time to consider temporary staffing?

  Temporary physicians, nurses and allied health workers can be used any time when a hospital or healthcare facility has a short-term need or a vacancy that is hard to fill. Temporary staffing can help to maintain staffing ratios and patient care standards during new unit openings, census spikes, maternity leaves and other leaves of absence, computer conversions, ANCC Magnet certification, and in other situations.
  
  

• Why would a provider work on a temporary basis?

  Physicians, nurses and allied healthcare professionals are interested in temporary assignments for many reasons. They may be:
  
  
  • Seeking flexible work opportunities.
  • Exploring different areas of the country.
  • Building their clinical skills and résumé by working at prestigious healthcare facilities.
  • Working through life and career transitions.
  
  

• Is it possible to extend a temporary assignment?

  Yes, in fact many of our clients choose to extend an assignment beyond its initial term. You can extend a temporary assignment for any duration that suits your staffing requirements. In most cases you can extend with the same healthcare professional, but if that person is unavailable, AMN can find another qualified candidate to fill the role.
  
  

• Who is responsible for providing accommodations for the temporary healthcare professional?

  Under our standard service agreement, AMN Healthcare's housing department will find suitable accommodations for the temporary clinicians you employ through us. We negotiate contracts with national property management and furniture rental companies to leverage our size and obtain favorable pricing and terms while placing workers within a reasonable commuting distance.  
  
  

• Who is responsible for providing professional liability insurance for temporary healthcare professionals?

  AMN provides professional liability coverage to all our healthcare professionals.
  
  

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Nurse Staffing

• What types of nurse staffing do you provide?

  We provide nurse staffing for nearly every specialty and subspecialty area, and in nearly every healthcare setting, including acute care, long-term care, sub acute, surgery centers, dialysis centers, government medical centers and more. We place most of our nurses on 13-week temporary assignments through AMN’s travel nursing division. We also offer rapid response/short-term placements (4-8 weeks),  longer-term staffing solutions, typically 18 months and permanent placement. Through our international division, O'Grady Peyton International, clients can employ English-speaking international nurses with excellent qualifications.
  
  

• What special skills or competencies does AMN require for its travel nurses?

  Each nurse employed by AMN Healthcare typically has a minimum two years of current experience in his or her specialty, although our nurses’ average work experience is often three times that. Candidates undergo an initial screening, which includes a background check, licensure verification and a review of skill sets appropriate to clinical areas. Our staff of trained RNs reviews each applicant’s résumé and skills inventory, and we also conduct interviews to consider the person’s career goals and other factors to make sure he or she is a good fit for a potential client.
  
  We look for talented nurses who are hard working, flexible and able to adapt to new situations quickly. AMN also provides continuing education for our nurses to help ensure that they meet the highest clinical standards.
  
  

• What is the benefit of choosing an international nurse?

  Due in part to a U.S. nursing shortage, acute-care facilities are looking for nurses outside of the United States, in Canada and other English-speaking countries. International nurses must meet the same high standards as other nurses employed by AMN Healthcare, and are typically on staff for a longer period of time—usually 18 to 24 months—which can help stabilize your units and provide continuity of care. Foreign-trained nurses can also qualify for permanent placement, and our international division, O’Grady Peyton, will take care of all of the necessary requirements.
  
  

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Physician Staffing

• What types of physician staffing do you provide?

  We provide temporary and permanent physician staffing services to hospitals, medical groups and other healthcare providers across the United States. We place physicians across many specialties on a locum tenens basis (temporary) as independent contractors through our Staff Care division. These physicians are typically placed on multi-week contracts, although assignments can range from a few days up to one year. We also provide permanent physician placement services under our Merritt Hawkins & Associates division, one of the most experienced and largest physician search firms in the country. Our broad specialty offerings include more than 40 specialist and sub-specialist opportunities.
  
  

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Allied Staffing

• What types of allied healthcare staffing do you provide?

  We provide short-term, long-term and permanent allied healthcare professional staffing to acute-care hospitals, medical groups, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation clinics, schools and retail, specialty and mail-order pharmacies. Our allied division includes several established staffing firms who recruit and place healthcare professionals in a variety of specialties: Med Travelers and Platinum Select work with imaging technologists and therapists, such as physical, occupational and speech therapists; Rx Pro Health places pharmacists and pharmacy technicians; and Merritt Hawkins & Associates recruits CRNAs, pharmacists, medical physicists, dosemitrists and radiology practitioner assistants for perm placement.
  
  

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AMN Service Offerings

• Does AMN offer Vendor Management Services (VMS)?

  Yes. We can coordinate your staffing vendors with AMN Managed Services. Our experienced staffing management professionals will provide you with personalized service and technology solutions that will improve the financial, operational and clinical performance of your supplemental staffing function. For more information, visit the AMN Managed Services Web page or call us toll-free at (866) 873-0665.
  
  

• Does AMN offer staffing for ambulatory surgery centers?

  Yes, AMN Healthcare’s Surgical Staffing Program offers a dedicated team of staffing professionals that understand the unique staffing needs of surgery centers as well as local recruitment conditions. We can help you create a customized staffing plan to accommodate shifting schedules, leaves of absence and other specialized needs of your surgery center.
  
  

• Can AMN offer assistance with recruitment for permanent staff?

  Yes. With AMN Healthcare’s Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) program, we can help you fill all of your permanent clinical staffing needs. RPO takes the entire process of recruitment, hiring and on-boarding and puts it in the hands of AMN’s skilled staffing experts who have a commitment to match your positions with the right candidates. This exclusive partnership is a cost-effective and efficient way to manage recruitment efforts.
  
  

• Do you only provide healthcare staffing to hospitals?

  No. AMN Healthcare provides clinical staffing to a wide range of facilities and medical practices including ambulatory surgery centers, government facilities, correctional facilities, rehabilitation facilities, school systems, long-term care facilities, home health agencies and medical clinics. AMN Healthcare has the largest network of physicians, nurses and allied healthcare providers to meet the clinical staffing needs of almost any facility.
  
  

• Does AMN offer staffing for home health needs?

  Yes. AMN Healthcare's Home Health Staffing Services program is designed to assist home health agencies maintain a continuum of care, making the hospital-to-home health care transition as smooth as possible. We provide access to the largest supply of qualified healthcare professionals, each with solid home health experience.
  

   

• What makes AMN the healthcare staffing partner of choice by most hospitals and health systems in the country?

  A blind Web-based survey of 321 acute-care hospitals and medical facilities across the country, done on behalf of AMN Healthcare, showed that AMN was the overwhelming preference in the staffing management industry. Some of the survey’s key findings:
  
  
  • Top-of-Mind – AMN received “first mention” as a company of choice from 55% of respondents. AMN’s percentage of first mentions was more than three times higher than the next company.
  • Overall Excellence – AMN was chosen as “excellent” by 45% and “very good” by 39% of respondents. No other company mentioned had a combined excellent/very good rating of more than 75%.
  • Intention to Use in the Next Year – AMN was the “very likely” choice of 66% of respondents. More facilities are very likely to use AMN than the next three highest-ranking companies combined.
  • Brand Image – In a total of 10 different categories, AMN was the only company to achieve ratings above 4.0 (on a 5-point scale), with the highest rating for “easy to work with.”

As an industry leader with a nationwide presence and a commitment to quality, AMN continues to be the preferred choice for the country’s top healthcare facilities.