Managing Travel Healthcare Compliance Documents Digitally
The healthcare industry has more than its fair share of paperwork, and compliance documentation relating to healthcare professionals is a large part of that. The number of credentialing documents required increases annually, thanks in large part to the increased usage of vendor management systems by many hospitals. This volume of documentation is critical to your employment and not having the right paperwork can be impactful. If documents are missing or have expired, you may not be able to start an assignment. If already on assignment, you could be removed from the schedule until the document has been updated. Gathering, securely sending, and storing all these clinical documents and skills checklists can be a challenge for both facilities and individuals. Healthcare providers spend tens of thousands of dollars each year on software to manage these compliance files; individuals, thankfully, can do so for free. And, yes, you need to be storing your own documents. When you rely on an agency to do it for you, you could wind up scrambling if there are certain documents they won’t release to you, like the documents they paid to have completed. Manage Travel Nurse Compliance, Allied Health Compliance Digitally While a flash drive is a handy tool to keep documents, it can be lost or damaged. As an alternative (or, better, as a back up), there are several web-based tools for nurses to use. Many of these are likely familiar. Dropbox: Free for up to 2GB of storage, more than enough for all of your compliance documentation. If, however, more space is needed, it’s just $10 a month for up to 1,000 GB of storage. Google: Google provides 15GB of free storage across all of its online programs, including Gmail, Drive, and Photos. Additional storage is inexpensive: 100GB of space for just $1.99 a month and $9.99 for a massive 1TB. Microsoft OneDrive: Microsoft keeps making tweaks to its OneDrive online storage plans, but for now, the company is offering 5GB of storage for free. For 50GB of space, it’s going to cost you $1.99 a month. Online compliance document management services The only problem with these online tools is that the person you are sending documents to may have trouble opening or accessing them without login credentials. Luckily, there are other tools, like those from StaffDNA, that are free and allow individuals to securely store career documents and paperwork in one central location. Documents can then be shared from the site with a single click, passing a complete file to whoever needs it in a format that’s accessible without the need to log in anywhere. Where these sites differ from other online storage options, though, is that in addition to being easily shareable with prospective employers, nurses are notified of expiring documents, so everything is kept up to date. These tools are very helpful when working with a new employment recruiter or prospective employer, making it easy to complete much of the credentialing work required at the start of a relationship.
3 Signs Your Travel Nurse and Recruiter Relationship is Healthy
You’ve likely heard the complaints from another travel nurse: “I can never get in touch with my recruiter when I need her. She only calls when it’s time to find my next job.” Or the equal but opposite complaint: “I can’t ever get my recruiter off the phone. Doesn’t he understand that I’ll call him if I need something?” The travel nurse and recruiter relationship, like any other relationship, is whatever the participants make of it, and it only works if both sides are happy. So, while each traveler may have their own preferences around style and frequency of communication, there are a few higher-level hallmarks that a successful recruiter-traveler relationship is going to have. Open and honest communication Not every job is going to go well, you and your recruiter hope that it will, but they don’t always. When you have a good relationship with your recruiter they can help with that. Maybe it’s just having someone to vent to, release some of that frustration so you don’t explode. But your recruiter can be more than a sounding board. They can communicate your concerns or frustrations to the hospital and be your champion. They can help you turn around a bad situation. Or, if it comes to it, help you get out of your contract without ruining your reputation. Like-mindedness There’s nothing like having that person who knows what you’re thinking without you having to say it. It’s great in a spouse. It’s great in a friend. And it’s great in a recruiter. It comes from a like-mindedness that cuts out the round and round that too often happens when it’s time to find your next placement. When a travel nurse and their recruiter are on the same page, you won’t get those jobs that seem to come out of left field. You see jobs that your recruiter knows you’ll like and meet established criteria, not because it’s going to pay them well if they fill it. Availability Your recruiter should be available when you need them. And they should be ready to communicate in the ways that you prefer. But whether that’s through a text message, an email, or a phone call, your recruiter should be responding to you in a timely manner when you try to get in touch. If they don’t get back to you or are never available, it’s a sign that maybe you aren’t as valuable to them as you should be. How do you get these 3 things? It’s pretty simple: Set expectations at the beginning. A recruiter can’t read your mind, so tell them to what it will take to make you happy. Help them help you. Let them know how you prefer to communicate. Maybe you want a weekly call to check in. Maybe you only want a call as your contract wraps up. Maybe you don’t want calls at all and prefer text messages. Tell them early, that makes open and honest communication much easier. Tell your recruiter what you want from an assignment. Let them know what you want to be doing and where you want to be doing it. Let them know what will make you happy. This builds like-mindedness and allows them to look for those things in your next placement, so you spend less time saying no and more time working.
First-time Travel Nurse? Don’t Delay Compliance
You’ve graduated school. You’ve earned your license. You’ve worked a couple years in a permanent position. You’re ready to transition to travel nursing. Time to find an agency. Time to find a recruiter. Time to find a job. And it’s time to start collecting your compliance documents. Really? Before you have a job? Yes. Really, especially if you’re a first-time traveler. Tackling compliance early can ease headaches later There are a couple of reasons to start now. First, you’re going to have a lot to gather, and it’s going to take a little bit of time. You are going to need to provide documents that you haven’t had to access since you started working at your permanent job. You are either going to need to locate copies of things like college transcripts and shot records or you’re going to have to request those documents and wait to receive them. And other aspects of compliance–things like background checks and drug screenings–could take extra time to complete depending on how in-depth the hiring facility or VMS requires them to be. So don’t wait to begin the process of gathering documents. It’s about controlling the things you can control. You can make sure you have all of your documents together. You can make sure you’ve submitted background paperwork promptly. You can make sure you’ve scheduled a time to complete vaccinations or blood draws for screenings. How long it takes to complete those background checks or drug screenings is out of your hands, but you don’t want to be the reason things get held up. Compliance documents to collect So what do you need to have copies of? It will vary by assignment, but you can start here. A copy of your nursing license A copy of your diploma or a transcript that shows you earned your degree A copy of your annual physical Shot records showing you’ve had your: Annual tuberculosis skin test MMR vaccines (2) or positive titer Varicella vaccines (2) or positive titer Hepatitis B vaccines (3) or positive titer Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) vaccine — within 10 years Seasonal flu vaccine (issued between October 1 and March 31) Copies of any certifications you’ve earned Copies of identifications (driver’s license, passport, Social Security card) A voided check to set up direct deposit with your bank Organizing your compliance documents And where should you keep these compliance documents? There are online tools, like cloud storage sites, that you can use. But maybe the simplest option and one that doesn’t require you to remember passwords or worry about a site’s security being compromised is a dedicated flash drive where you keep electronic versions of everything. Take it with you when you go to the doctor for a physical or to receive vaccinations, and they should be able to put a copy of any documentation onto the drive for you. Now, these won’t likely be all the documents you’ll need to be compliant at every hospital. Each facility and each VMS has its own requirements. If you do have these documents, it’ll cut down some of the hustle you have to do before a new assignment.
New Travel Nurse: Four Things To Remember On Your First Assignment
As a new travel nurse, you’re getting ready to head out on your first assignment. You’re excited, maybe a little bit nervous. You’re thinking about the new adventure, about living in a new place and meeting new people. What you probably aren’t thinking about is the nursing. That, you know. In the hospital and with patients is where you’re comfortable. But travel nursing is a bit different than staff nursing, and recruiters say there are four things you need to remember once you get to the hospital to make your first assignment a success. You are not a staff nurse. This can be tough to remember when you are coming from a permanent position, but when you are on a travel assignment you’re there to do a job. You won’t get the choice shifts. You won’t get the best days off. You are there to fill the gaps in staffing. Unfortunately, those gaps usually occur at night and on the weekend. It’s the trade off you make for the adventure and pay that comes with being a travel nurse. You aren’t there to be an agent of change. Think of yourself as a guest in someone else’s home. If they take their shoes off at the front door you do too. You may think it’s odd. You may disagree with the reasons they do it, but you do it anyway. It’s their house. Travel nursing is the same way. Every facility has its way of doing things. You may not understand them. There may be other or better ways to do those things, but it’s not your place to lead the charge in changing practices. Sure, you can make polite suggestions, but, at the end of the day, it’s their house. You play by their rules. Orientation won’t teach you everything you need to know. You hear that you’re going to have an orientation and probably assume that when you’re done you’ll be fully equipped to get to work. Chances are, you won’t be. Orientation is more focused on policies and procedures–what’s the dress code, how do you clock in and out, etc.–and not about actually doing your job. Be prepared to ask where certain equipment is kept and how certain emergencies are handled, since you may start your first shift without knowing. Temporary work comes with a certain amount of uncertainty, and that’s OK. If you’re someone who finds comfort in knowing what’s around the corner, even if the corner is months away, getting used to the uncertainty of travel nursing can take some adjustment. You may not know where your next assignment will be until a couple of weeks ahead of time. The secret here is to trust your relationship with your recruiter. If you’ve been clear with your recruiter about the kind of assignments you want then they can be working to find that next assignment for you while you are wrapping up your current one. They are the certainty when you travel. The places you go and the people you work with will change, but having a recruiter who you trust can make that uncertainty exciting rather than nerve wracking.
4 Traits New Travel Healthcare Professionals Need In A Recruiter
When you’re new to traveling, finding the right agency to work with is critical. But maybe more important is finding the right recruiter. This relationship is critical. If you get it wrong then your travel experience is going to suffer. So what do you want in a recruiter? Here are four things to look for. You want a recruiter who you generally get along with. Of course you do, right? That should go without saying. But too many travelers, especially those who are new, continue relationships with people who they don’t genuinely enjoy working with. Ideally, this will be a years-long relationship. Find someone whom your personality matches with, with whom you share a working style. While getting along is key, remember that doesn’t mean they’ll always tell you what you want to hear. You also want someone who can be direct when needed and deliver bad news quickly, should there be any. You want a recruiter who knows the industry. The truth is that travel healthcare recruiters can get into the industry without a lot of prior knowledge. So pairing an inexperienced recruiter with a first-time traveler can be dangerous. First-time travelers should look for someone who understands the industry and can help them navigate the aspects of it that can be confusing, especially as they get started. You want a travel healthcare recruiter who can not only help you understand the ins and outs of things like housing and pay packages, you also want one who can help you fix problems once you are on the job. He or she should be comfortable being your advocate and addressing problems with the hospital and working toward resolutions. It should be obvious early on that you are working with an experienced recruiter, but if it’s unclear ask how long they’ve been in the business. And if you aren’t comfortable doing that, there are a couple of red flags that you are working with someone who is inexperienced. They aren’t forthcoming with information. Do you get the used car salesman vibe from them? They won’t answer your questions with a straight answer, dancing around your query as long as they can? If so, they likely lack the experience and knowledge to answer your question. They are magically able to meet everything you’re looking for. While perfect placements can exist, an experienced recruiter knows that finding a job that hits the trifecta of location, pay, and shift is unlikely. If you are always being told yes, then you are working with someone who doesn’t understand the industry. You want a recruiter who puts your interest first. A good travel healthcare recruiter is going to put you in a situation that works for you. They will listen to what you want, then find you the closest thing they can to that. If you are looking for A, they won’t push B. A recruiter that puts his or her agenda first is one you want to walk away from. You want a recruiter who is responsive. Technology has made it very easy to communicate, so a recruiter who lets days go by when you are reaching out to them is a recruiter you don’t want to work with. That’s especially true when an issue arises on the job. Your recruiter is your lifeline. You need them to be available, and that means through email, phone or text message. If your travel healthcare recruiter isn’t responding when you reach out, it’s time for a new one.