By Cheryl Petrosine, Hospital Account Manager
HEALTHCAREseeker.com
For as long as I can remember, my interpersonal skills have put me on a path to great success. When serving clients, my ability to build relationships has been incredibly beneficial. At HEALTHCAREseeker.com, we are specifically trained to ask very important questions. These questions will ensure a successful placement for a nurse and a hospital. Interpersonal skills are the foundation of a relationship in the Travel Nurse business because they allow recruiters to achieve shared goals with the nurses and hospitals they are working with. Once a relationship is built, HEALTHCAREseeker.com’s recruiters strive to attain excellence in customer satisfaction. In addition and throughout my experiences, I have found that the hospitals that build strong relationships with their agency recruiters are the most successful when receiving qualified nurses.
Most people might think that a qualified Travel Nurse possesses excellent skills with all the right certifications and experience. However, the key to a successful placement has to do with the chemistry between a nurse and their account manager. It is important that a hospital account manager understands the culture of each unit within a hospital. Although, a hospital’s culture is rarely communicated when an agency gets a new position requirement, I always ask questions about the environment and atmosphere to make sure my nurses will be comfortable and successful working there.
Throughout my time as a hospital account manager, I have found that vendor management companies (VMS) often limit a Hospital’s ability of getting a nurse who truly fits in with their hospital. This is unfortunate because when the chemistry is off, the quality and effectiveness of Traveler can be affected.
When a VMS comes between an agency and a Hospital, I am no longer able to learn about the Hospital. I am no longer able to learn about a unit’s culture. I am no longer able to build a relationship with my Travel Nurses. I have found that one of the most important parts of the Travel Nurse business is that both the Hospital and Travel Nurse agency need to be flexible.
But when a VMS gets involved, all that goes away. When a CMS is involved, account managers can’t talk to nurses anymore. They can’t learn about specific issues, nor can they learn about the unit’s culture. In many regards, it becomes a business transaction, which aren’t typically successful in the Travel Nurse industry.
It is also frustrating when a VMS suggests that their deal will not cost the Hospital money. Most VMS companies will charge a percentage, usually three percent, of the bill rate, which the agency ends up paying. Don’t kid yourself, when an agency pays that fee, they are forced to incorporate the cost into a nurse’s expenses. Once the fee is deducted from the Travel Nurse’s expenses, the nurse is paid less, which can result in a hospital receiving a less-qualified nurse. Quality nurses work for the highest pay and in the most exciting locations. Since it is harder for some hospitals to acquire nurses, they are forced to increase their bill rate, which can cause the hospital to pay more in the end.
It is estimated that 19% of Hospitals use some form of VMS companies for Travel Nurses. If you are Hospital that really cares about quality, skip the VMS route by selecting 10-15 agencies. Once you narrow it down to agencies you really like, work your interpersonal skills and build a relationship with them. Your patients and Nurses will thank you. |
