Policies & Procedures

Nursing Administration

PATTON - FULLER COMMUNITY HOSPITAL POLICIES & PROCEDURES

Nursing Administration
Evaluation and Orientation of Agency Personnel / Use of Outside Agencies

Policy

When necessary, the nursing departments shall utilize staff from outside agencies in order to provide quality patient care. When using personnel from outside agencies, the nursing departments will insure that said personnel are properly trained and oriented to hospital rules and procedures.

Purpose

  • To provide quality nursing care when unable to fulfill staffing needs from within the hospital.
  • To provide orientation for agency staff.
  • To provide a method of evaluating individual performance.

Procedure

  1. Verification of agency
    1. At least annually, the Director of Nursing for each unit, or their designee, will work with Human Resources to perform an audit of each contracted agency.
    2. At least annually, a current orientation manual will be provided to each agency.
  2. Orientation of agency personnel
    1. Before an individual hired from an outside agency begins their first scheduled shift, he/she will be orientated to the nursing unit and to the nursing service policies and procedures. He/she will show evidence of identification and licensure, and copies of BLS, ACLS.
    2. The facility orientation will be completed by the supervisor or their designee during the first scheduled shift.
    3. The appropriate Orientation Checklist will be initiated and completed within the shift.
    4. Information relating to the competency and skills of each agency employee shall be maintained in a location readily accessible to the nurse supervisors.
  3. Assignment and supervision of agency personnel
    1. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to ensure that agency staff are assigned to provide nursing care services within the scope of their demonstrated competencies, qualifications and skill levels.
    2. The nurse supervisors shall monitor the care administered by agency personnel.
  4. Evaluation of agency personnel
    1. Prior to being assigned to the hospital, the agency nursing personnel shall be evaluated and screened by their respective agencies.
    2. The Agency Evaluation form shall be utilized in evaluating agency nurses. An initial and annual evaluation form will be completed for each registry staff member. These forms will be forwarded to and maintained by the Directors of Nursing for each unit or their designee. Any performance concerns will be documented on the form and promptly reported to the agency staff�s employer.
    3. Any agency employee whose performance is not satisfactory may be placed on Ineligible For Return (IFR) status. The individual�s agency will be immediately notified of this status.
    4. The Director of Nursing for each unit will randomly review a sample of personnel files and relevant quality improvement activities from every agency utilized for temporary nursing services.

Responsibility

The Directors of Nursing for each unit and the nursing supervisors shall be responsible for the implementation of and compliance with this policy.