Contracted units?

[DHB]

I am very interested in this notion....I would love to be a part of this kind of movement...the problem of maintaining a staff large enough to cover the units needs would remain...the hospital would still have to increase the monies available for professional salaries in order for the practice group to recruit nurses. Assuming that hospitals would go ahead and do this, just think how nice it would be to organize our own education, schedules, standards, etc. I think there is something like this going on in Richmond, VA but I don't know anyone there to ask.

[PeggyOhio]

Ask Charles Smith

Here is his e-mail [email protected]

[RNed]

There has been many discussions on this BB regarding agency nurses, hospital nurses and hence the lack of nurses, frequently there is a question or comment such as, " how do we get nurses back (employed) into the hospital".

During one of my discussions at work (staff RN, ICU), I posed the following question or hypothesis.

Are we headed to a time when a hospital contracts with an agency or supplier for all the staff for a particular unit? An example would be ICU or ER. I ask this question because it seems as though the hospital potentially could lessen liability, benefits, orientation, unionization and other staffing headaches by establishing such a contract and passing those duties and responsibilities to a agency. These contracts already exist in many ER's for ER Physician groups.

The question posed is, "do you see a time when a hospital might enter into a contract with an agency to provide all that unit's need in RN staffing and in essence have only subcontracted staff, except for employed oversight management."

This question is not a pro or against union issue, nor do I seek to open a "can of worms". I have a feeling this is a potential and wonder what others think.

Just thinking out loud.