Rozina Aziz In this article, we discuss what is a contract nurse? The steps to becoming a contract nurse and review some FAQs about this role.
What Is a Contract Nurse?
A contract nurse is a nurse who works for a specific healthcare for a set contract of time. They are medical professionals who are brought in to fill temporary or permanent positions in healthcare facilities.
Contract nurses may have special training or experience in addition to being registered nurses or certified nursing assistants. This is their responsibility to provide care for patients in compliance with all applicable laws and policies.
As long as their contracts are active, hospitals and other healthcare facilities must provide contract nurses with a full contract of shifts.
These agreements may last anywhere between one week and two months and a half. The nurse is free to take a month-long sabbatical, accept another contract, or relocate to another location when the contract of the current contract expires.
Where does a contract nurse work?
Many nurses work at home but also have the flexibility to work in other settings, such as community clinics, wellness centers, schools, corporations, and hospitals. To reduce payroll expenses, several businesses opt to recruit nurses on a contract basis rather than hiring them full-time.
What are the responsibilities of a contract registered nurse?
Here are some sample nurse descriptions for contractor registered nurses to give you an idea of what you might expect from someone in that position.
- Patients needing open-heart surgery recovery, intensive care, or post-anesthesia care must be sent to the appropriate units.
- Provide pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical pain relief and sedation to patients as needed; track patients’ reactions to treatment; document care plans.
- Patient care in the intensive care unit, cardiac care, and telemetry unit; R.N. on contract.
- Move to other floors, such as the oncology, orthopedics, and skill units.
- Transferring and admitting new patients to the intensive care unit requires coordination with the home nurse supervisor.
- Help staff the PACU by monitoring patients coming out of general, spinal, and conscious sedation anesthesia following surgery.
- Provide remote monitoring for at-risk patients and give pre- and postoperative care to individuals who have undergone gynecological, urological, or orthopedic surgeries.
- Ensure the PACU always has enough of everything it needs, including medicine.
- Patient follow-up and discharge education following upper and lower gastrointestinal surgeries.
- Colloid administration is required, as is familiarity with and adherence to ACLS protocols.
- In conversations with physicians, nurses, and other users, discuss the utilization and documentation of Electronic Medical Records (EMR).
- Registered Nurses (RN) are needed on a contract basis in the Chattanooga region to aid hospitals with their EMR conversion.
- Deciding what to do in a dire situation, you should contact a triage nurse, an on-call administrator, or a hospice manager.
- Provide diabetic control and prenatal intake care, as well as conduct telephone triage and consult preparation and follow-up.
- Telemetry unit nurse for thoracic surgery on a contract basis.
- Maintained communication with various hospital departments to assess patients and recommend them to rehabilitation centers.
- Perform admission/discharge assessment; give medications; transfuse blood products; create care plans for specific patients.
- Evaluation of care for surgical oncology patients following predetermined research protocols, including planning, coordinating, enacting, and assessing treatment.
- Begin providing care to newborns and performing neonatal resuscitation by NRP protocols.
- Provide medication and supplies to patients, keep detailed records, and answer questions honestly so that you can bill Medicaid and Medicare correctly.
- Certifications and recertifications for Medicaid and Medicare must be finished.
How to become a Contract Nurse?
What you need to do to start working as an independent contract nurse:
Enroll in Nursing School
It usually takes around two years to earn an Associate Degree in Nursing, also known as an Associate of Science in Nursing or Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, depending on the institution. Clinical components and a concentration on a core curriculum for aspiring nurses are typical features of such programs.
In three to four years, you can earn your B.S. in nursing. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing education focuses on leadership, research, and management in addition to the clinical skills taught in most Associate Degree Nursing programs.
Because of the breadth of knowledge gained in a BSN program, graduates may be eligible for higher-paying positions. Some nurses offer expedited ADN and BSN programs for those already in the healthcare workforce as LPNs, EMTs, or M.T.s.
Pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Nursing
To become a registered nurse, one must take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
You must make an appointment with your state’s nursing board before you may take the exam. Once the board has deemed you test-ready, you can make an appointment. Exam questions and their difficulty levels will adjust to your responses using computerized adaptive testing.
Tested Subjects by NCLEX
- Healthcare Administration
- Pharmaceutical and intravenous treatment options
- Changes in the body’s physiology
- Lowering the possibility of harm
- Security and prevention of disease
- Soothing necessities
- The importance of maintaining one’s psychological and social health
- Preserving and boosting health
- It usually takes about six weeks for nursing boards to provide test results.
Gain experience as a registered nurse
After passing the NCLEX, you’ll be able to practice nurse legally in your state and start gaining the experience you need to establish credibility with patients and secure a job.
To distinguish yourself as a freelancer, specializing in an area that interests you or in which you excel, such as working with a certain age range or ailment type.
You might want to consider becoming an APRN.
A nurse is an employee if their employer has a significant say over their work schedule and duties. If the employer has no say over how the nurse performs her job, she is considered an independent contractor.
An RN is an employee because they usually report to a doctor or medical specialist. Because of their increased autonomy in patient care, including the ability to prescribe medication, APRNs are increasingly not seen as employees. Becoming an APRN prepares you for a career as a nurse consultant.
Earning an advanced nursing degree, passing a national certification exam, and registering with the state are the requirements for becoming an APRN. Various graduate-level nursing degrees are available, such as a Master of Science in Nursing or a Doctor of Nursing Practice.
APRNs can obtain certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. There is no universal process for registering. However, all states demand some evidence of completion of post-secondary education.
As an APRN student, you can focus on developing expertise in a particular area of nursing, such as midwifery, gerontology, or pediatrics. To attract clients in specific settings, like elderly care at home, you may want to establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Become a member of a private nursing agency
You can get assistance finding work and move to independent work from organizations like the National Nurses in Business Organization or the National Association of Health Care Recruiters.
The National Network of Women Business Owners (NNBO) is a resource for those looking to launch their own company or advance their professional development. These communities are also great places to meet wise elders willing to impart their wisdom.
Create a Corporation
It would help if you legally established your firm as an LLC, corporation or sole proprietorship. Because of the complex legal requirements and state-specific rules that must be followed by nurses to incorporate in some jurisdictions, it is recommended that you seek the advice of a nurse before finalizing any necessary documents or entering into any binding agreements.
Find Customers
Use your existing business connections and targeted networking to gain clients. A nursing agency that works with hospitals and other healthcare providers can be a great way to network and build relationships with potential clients.
You won’t be an independent freelancer but a contractor for the agency itself. You will be considered an independent contractor once you have established your clientele apart from the nursing agency.
Keep your business and nursing reputations in excellent standing
When working as a freelance nurse, you may be responsible for administrative tasks that a traditional employer would normally handle, such as submitting quarterly estimated tax payments.
You’re also responsible for purchasing and maintaining your liability insurance as a self-employed person. If you take the initiative to secure your insurance, you can safeguard yourself from legal action. As a freelance nurse, you are responsible for arranging your continuing education to maintain your nursing license and stay current in your chosen nursing field.
You must also keep up with the ever-changing state requirements. Reminders on your calendar for when your subscription expires or your class begins can be quite useful.
What Are the Benefits of Being a Contract Nurse?
Degree of Independence
If a nurse works for a contract agency, they may set up their nurses and decide where they will perform their duties.
Reduce politics
Nurses who work temporarily can handle the ins and outs of office politics. Staff members can arrive to work, care for patients effectively, and leave work and their personal lives behind.
Work Availability
Most nurses report that they can easily fill in for absent coworkers whenever they need to, provided they have the necessary expertise, experience, and availability.
Your Coworkers Are Grateful to See You
Having a per diem nurse on the unit is a huge help for most departments and facilities since they can divide the job.
Nurse Leaders
Companies that use contract nurses can ensure that their new hires have undergone rigorous screening and possess the necessary abilities to provide excellent patient care. Because the nurse employs these nurses on a contractual basis, they expect them to be more reliable in showing up for a contract and making sick calls.
Local Adaptability
There are nurse staffing agencies in both rural areas and major metropolitan areas. Short-term or per-diem contracts are common ways for nurses to supplement their income or fill the time until they find a permanent contract.
Understanding of Group Dynamics
Nurses who work temporary shifts at several facilities can observe how the business is run without making any long-term commitments.
Benefit from the Freelance Market
Up to 40 percent of today’s workforce may consider themselves independent contractors. There is no distinction between nurses and other types of knowledge workers. Flexibility in scheduling is growing in popularity among nurses, especially when a spouse or partner can pay for the nurse’s health insurance.
Discounts on Taxes
Contract workers in several states can take advantage of tax credits and deductions for uniforms, continuing education, and transportation. Nurses who want to maximize their tax benefits should contact the relevant authorities.
Less exhaustion
The likelihood of burnout is reduced because workers report greater satisfaction when they have some say over their working conditions and hours. A nursing agency’s advertisements provide nurses with options for work locations, allowing them to switch nurses on the job.
There are a variety of advantages for the contract nurse to take on an at-will or temporary position. Those registered nurses interested in a secure yet adaptable profession will find a great resource in nurse staffing services.
How Much Does a Contract Nurse Make?
Registered nurses who work as independent contractors in the United States earn an average of $128,474 annually or $61.77 per hour. The lowest-paid 10% of contractor-registered nurses earn around $72,000 annually, while the highest-paid 10% earn over $228,000.
How long do nursing contracts last?
The typical length of contract for a travel nurse is 13 weeks. Because of how long it often takes for new nurses to get used to their new surroundings (both professionally and personally) in a given location, this period has become the norm. The beginning of the contract typically entails a set time of training.
FAQ’s
What are the benefits of working as a contract nurse?
Contract nursing has many benefits, including a flexible work schedule, the ability to take on varied assignments, and the potential for higher pay. Additionally, contract nurses can often gain experience in different healthcare areas, increasing their marketability.
How do I become a contract nurse?
It would be best first to become a licensed Registered Nurse (RN), and then pursue a contract nursing position. Contract nurses can be hired through staffing agencies, healthcare organizations, or directly by a physician.
What are the qualifications of a contract nurse?
Contract nurses must have a valid nursing license and be current in their continuing education courses. They must also possess knowledge of medical terminology and patient care protocols and excellent communication and organizational skills.
How long is a contract nurse contract typically?
Contract nursing contracts typically range from a few days to several months. The length of the contract depends on the position and the employer.
Do contract nurses get more money?
To ensure that patients continue receiving high-quality care even when an institution struggles to fill open nursing jobs, travel nurses accept temporary placements lasting anywhere from 13 weeks and above. Travel nurses are compensated more than staff nurses because of their experience and adaptability.
Can you quit a nursing contract?
You can terminate the contract if the employee experiences serious health issues, a family emergency, a hostile work environment, or for any other good reason.
