The continuous availability of appropriately skilled and qualified staff is essential for effective healthcare human resource management. The safety and quality of performance within any healthcare organization is linked to the ability to access qualified personnel, and to deploy them in a work environment that optimizes their scope of practice.
Healthcare systems continue to experience an increasing demand for complex and changing healthcare services compounded by recruitment and retention issues. Alternative approaches for resource team models such as an internal pool and optimization of current health human resources has been one approach in addressing human resource shortages. Use of Agency Staff has become a common practice across healthcare sectors and with this there is an increased risk of adverse events. Risks are particularly high when Agency Staff are deployed to services that require a specialized level of skill.
Agency Staff: Regulated and unregulated healthcare providers employed by a third party (e.g., an agency) or contracted, other than by the healthcare organization, to provide healthcare-related services for a temporary or time limited period.
When the applicable agency staff are health professions it is important to understand that the regulation of health professions is the constitutional responsibility of the Provinces and Territories and accordingly the importance of confirming licensure, when applicable, with the provincial or territorial body/College. Through their licensing power, health regulatory colleges are responsible to ensure health professionals provide health services in a qualified, professional, and ethical manner. This includes, among other things, setting standards of practice for the profession, investigating complaints about members of the profession and, where appropriate, disciplining them.
When engaging healthcare professionals through an agency, ensure:
Onboard Agency Staff using Human Resource processes including but not limited to:
