Do all agencies require annual physical?

[Mulan]

Just curious.

Do all agencies require an annual physical?

The last hospital I was an employee of, I do not remember having any physical, all I recall is seeing the employee health nurse and giving a urine sample for drug testing.

The agency requires an annual physical, not just an annual PPD, but a whole physical.

Are all agencies that way, and why, if the hospitals don't require annual physicals do the agencies?

This is not a pre-employment physical, I have been with this agency for almost four years now.

[Dixielee, BSN, RN]

My agency does require an annual physical, but all it requires is that a physician state that I am fit to continue my work as a nurse. This is usually written on a plain Rx form. I just get one of the ER docs where I work to write it and haven't had any problems.

[promed]

While many agencies don't require annual physicals, they should and probably will as agency credentialing takes hold and that is included in the industry standards.

There are several reasons to require physicals, but the two most important ones are to take a preventative position regarding worker's comp and protect against medical staff predators who see agency work as a way to file bogus claims relating to old injuries. It protects the client facility and the agency staff. A WC claim can break a small agency and threaten the jobs of all who work there.

THe second important reason to require physicals is in the best interest of YOU, the staffer. Acuity is very high and the work more demanding, stress is even higher and outside elements of life add to that. REquiring physicals for agency staff is the agency's only way to promote wellness, to make healthcare workers step back and take a deep breath and think of themselves first for a change, and ultimately to catch problems early that are related to stress and just too few hours in the day.

Sorry for the length, but I believe every agency should require this!

[eddy]

It seems to me that most don't, but I really think they should.

We nurses are involved in a very physically demanding ocupation in many environments. If nothing else, it's good for our own well-being.

Also, this could help to screen out high risk nurses from working in environments that are too physically demanding. We've all seen nurses that were really walking injury timebombs due to pre-existing injuries and health problems. This would protect them (whether they liked it or not) and reduce work comp premiums to agencies and facilities (about 4% of pay depending on the state). That could end up back in employee pockets or employee benefits. Just a thought.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Every agency that I have worked for did, but then also every hospital that I have worked for required a yearly physical.