Agency nurse assessment for competency.

ABSTRACT

The goal of this study is to make the agency nurse's performance standards equivalent to that of hospital nurse levels of performance based in hospital staff observation to provide continuity of safe, quality patient care. To attain this goal, the following should be done (1) develop orientation process that includes module for general orientation; (2) agencies pay for nurse orientation to include 8-hour session and a 4-hour skills assessment; (3) develop flip cards for agency nurses as a resource tool; (4) annual general assessment for hospital employees to be completed by agency nurses; and (5) develop process to document and distribute information to charge nurses about agency nurse competency. Leaders should ensure that the process for identifying and managing are defined and implemented. The intent of this standard is to hold leaders within the healthcare organizations accountable.