Your Healthcare Staffing Questions Answered

About Healthcare Staffing
Temporary Staffing
Nurse Staffing
Physician Staffing
Allied Staffing
AMN Service Offerings/ Workforce Solutions

About Healthcare Staffing

• How can hospitals staff appropriately amid clinician shortages?

  The shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and an increasing demand for healthcare services is affecting hospitals and other medical facilities across the country. Even with strong retention programs, the best approach to maintain adequate staffing is a strategic plan that addresses both short- and long-term vacancies. AMN Healthcare can work with you to forecast your supplementary staffing needs—factoring in census fluctuations, facility projects and expansions, new service offerings, technology implementation, and coverage for vacations, illnesses and urgent needs. Then we’ll help you develop a plan, and find the highly qualified nurses, physicians and allied professionals that will help your patients continue to receive excellent care. A free workforce assessment and further management expertise is available through AMN’s Workforce Solutions teams.
  
  

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

  AMN Healthcare is the nation's largest healthcare staffing and management services company, offering more staffing choices and workforce solutions than any other agency, and with unparalleled quality and customer service. With 25 years of experience and accreditation from The Joint Commission, you can rest assured that AMN understands your needs and will quickly find the most qualified physicians, nurses and allied health professionals across all assignment lengths. We can also offer full-service workforce solutions with our managed services program (MSP) and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) program. From per diem to travel assignments to permanent placement, AMN works as your partner to provide excellent patient care in every season and situation.
  
  

• How do you recruit healthcare professionals?

  AMN Healthcare uses 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 advertise extensively on job boards and in the leading industry publications, and 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, our leadership position in the industry, 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 candidates also undergo background and drug screening, and a personal interview. 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?

  Per diem nurses and other healthcare professionals can be provided on the day you call. For temporary travel assignments, we've placed healthcare professionals within a few days of receiving a staffing request and as early as a year before the start date. AMN’s time to fill is shorter than most agencies because we offer the largest supply of healthcare professionals. Our vast, diverse network of qualified doctors, nurses and allied professionals 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 and workforce management services that are right for you, request to speak with one of AMN Healthcare’s knowledgeable account representatives by filling out our quick request a call form; or, if you are ready to fill a specific staffing need, 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.
  
  

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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, including:
  
  
  • 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?

  AMN Healthcare provides temporary and permanent 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, home health and more. We place nurses on assignments ranging from per diem shifts to traditional 13-week travel nursing assignments through AMN’s travel nursing companies. We also offer rapid response/short-term placements for travel nurses (4-8 weeks), as well as longer-term staffing solutions (typically 18-24 months with international nurses) and permanent placement.
  
  

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

  Candidates undergo an initial screening, which includes a background check, licensure verification and a review of skill sets appropriate to clinical areas. Each nurse employed by AMN Healthcare typically has at least two years of current experience in his or her specialty, although our nurses’ average work experience is often three times that. Our staff of trained RNs review 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 through continuous improvement.
  
  

• 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 in 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 company, O’Grady Peyton International, 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. 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. Our broad specialty physician 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, home health agencies, schools and pharmacies. Our allied health division includes several established staffing firms that recruit healthcare professionals in a variety of specialties. We place imaging technologists and therapists, such as physical, occupational and speech therapists; pharmacists and pharmacy technicians; CRNAs, and more.
  
  

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AMN Service Offerings and Workforce Solutions

• 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. AMN’s Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) program 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 Healthcare’s skilled staffing experts who are committed to matching your positions with the right candidates. This exclusive partnership is a cost-effective and efficient way to manage recruitment efforts.
  
  

• Do you provide healthcare staffing only 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 supply 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, we offer both staffing assistance and full-service, coordinated in-home care. AMN Healthcare's Home Health Staffing services program is designed to help home health agencies maintain a continuum of care, making the hospital-to-home health care transition as smooth as possible, and to provide quality, home health care for long-term needs . We can match you with qualified healthcare professionals that have solid home health experience.
  
  We also offer a full range of home health services through Nursefinders Home Care agency, an AMN Healthcare company. For decades, thousands of families have trusted Nursefinders Home Care to care for loved ones who are aging, living with a serious disease or recovering from an illness or injury.
  
  AMN is the leader in home healthcare, providing innovative solutions and access to exceptional home health nurses, therapists and caregivers.
  
  

• What makes AMN the most trusted 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 over other healthcare recruiters in the staffing management industry. Some of the survey’s key findings:
  
  
  • Top Staffing Choice – AMN received “first mention” as a company of choice from 55% of respondents, 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, with a combined score (84) nine points ahead of the next-best agency.
  • 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.”