Start a Nursing Agency
A nursing agency provides qualified staff for health care institutions or private patients, for example sending nurses to a hospital during an unusually busy time or providing round-the-clock care to chronic patients at home. In some countries, nursing agencies are in high demand and many successful agencies with at least 10 employees have a revenue of over $1 million dollars in their second year of operations. If you have a nurse's license or an interest in providing private nursing services and are looking for a way to run your own business, read the steps below to find out how to start a nursing agency.
Steps
- Obtain your nurse's license through an accredited nursing training program at your local hospital or at a nursing school. Though as the owner of a nursing agency you don't have to be a licensed nurse, it will give you a better understanding of customers' and employees' situations.
- Research the health and safety code in your jurisdiction that pertains to nursing agencies to find out what the legal requirements and obligations of a nursing agency are.
- Create a business plan. Include your start-up costs, initial payroll costs, market, operating strategy, taxes, and advertisement campaign. It's advisable to have an accountant review your business plan for any omissions or mistakes.
- Raise the investment capital to start a nursing agency with a business loan or from private investors. Starting a nursing agency requires a relatively small start-up sum, but you will need to have sufficient money in reserve to pay your nurses in case clients pay their invoices late.
- Apply for a private duty nursing license at the appropriate city or state department. You will also need to apply for separate license from your state to supply skilled nursing or CNAs staff
- Choose a location for your office that is accessible to clients and nurses. In today's digital world, you can have a virtual office. Google apps for instance makes it very easy to work from anywhere.
- Obtain client and employee contracts. The best way to do this is by having a local lawyer draw them up in compliance with all local and national laws. As a new agency, you might need to use local healthcare facilities for new clients and advertise in local magazines for new nurses and CNAs. Most hospitals and nursing homes consume a lot of CNAs than agency nurses which is a good way to start. You can utilize staff engagement services to help you engage your new nurses once you receive work requests. This cuts down on costs of hiring a scheduler. Hospitals and nursing homes loves fast turn around. You can use services Make sure you understand every clause to avoid problems later.
- Purchase liability insurance for your nursing agency.
- Buy payroll software that allows for frequent payments for your employees. You can also utilize online Software as Service companies (Saas). You pay a small monthly fee.
- Interview candidates for nursing positions and run a background check on those you plan to employ. Make sure their nursing licenses are current and their records are clean.
- Market your nursing agency to clients by advertising at local hospitals and doctor's offices, as well as in the media.
- Meet with clients who are interested in your services to determine what their needs are, which nurses would be a good match, and what the nurse's duties are in accordance with each patient's treatment plan. Once all of the details have been agreed upon, sign the contracts and send out your nurses to the appropriate clients.
Tips
- Join a trade organization to network with other nursing agencies, attract more nurses, and find out about new opportunities.
- Stay abreast of changes to health and safety legislation that might affect your business.
Things You'll Need
- Nurse's license
- Business plan
- Investment capital
- Office space
- Client and employee contracts
