promed

An out of state agency can and will screw you? I guess you have a bad taste iin your mouth from a previous experience? Not every agency is out to "screw you". And FYI, by the time out of state agencies pay the exorbitant taxes the state of CA demands for the privelege of sending nurses there on assignment, the profit margin is considerably less and at times, OT paid after 8 hours on a 12 hour shift may not even allow them to cover the costs of the assignment. For instance, my housing, my worker's comp and med/mal insurance, the payroll department that keeps my check coming, the overhead to run the office that I contribute to, my salary & travel expenses - well you get the picture. At some point we have to be reasonable if we want to enjoy this lifestyle in the future.

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!