With so many JCAHO, staffing and facility requirements, becoming and staying compliant can be challenging, but it is one of the most important things you do for your career.
Whether you are full time or a contract traveler, each facility will require you to maintain your compliance status. Keeping compliant with your license, certifications, CPR, immunizations, skill checklists, annual training and much more, show your strong commitment and integrity towards your profession.
When starting your career with Cariant, regardless if you are a new grad or a seasoned therapist, there will be several things required from you before you start your first assignment. Because most clients want and usually need a traveler to start as soon as possible, it is very important that you place a strong sense of urgency on completing or submitting the required items in a timely manner. When you are set up for a drug screen and any other medicals that are necessary (TB test, titers, physical, etc.), it is best to get in early. Drug screens can take from 24 hours to up to 5 days to receive results; a TB test requires 48 – 72 hours between the initial inoculation and it being read; titer results generally take up to 7 days for results.
Keeping complete and accurate records can help expedite the process. If you are current on your immunizations, physical and other medicals, you can submit the documentation and forgo getting retested or getting duplicate immunizations. (A drug screen will always be required prior to starting your first assignment and annually thereafter.)
When talking to any staffing company, it is always a good idea to ask what is required for compliance and who is responsible for setting it up in addition to who is responsible for payment. At Cariant, we will set up the locations for you and take care of payment.
In addition to medical compliance, there is also a lot of paperwork… A LOT. This will be true for any staffing company. At Cariant, we have moved our forms and tests to an online system. At times, certain clients/facilities may require their own documents to be completed and we forward those on to you as soon as they are provided.
The good news is everything mentioned above is not required for every assignment. Once you’ve completed everything upon being hired by Cariant, it is done. There will be certain items that have to updated annually. This is a great advantage working with one staffing agency for each assignment. We maintain your records and let you know when anything is expiring to make sure that you are not only staying compliant but that you are ready to roll for your next assignment.