PAs in EM working per diem through staffing company?

[familygal]

How many PAs out there who are working in EDs are employed through outside staffing companies? Do many of your EDs have PAs who work there on a per diem basis?

 

I am currently employed full time 3 days per week in an ICU and have talked to a local staffing company about some potential ED per diem jobs for some extra cash and experience. They sent me a contract to sign, which looks pretty benign, states that I'll be an independent contractor through them (not an employee), I'm not bound to use just their staffing company, and they provide tail coverage mal-practice insurance. They will not disclose all of the available jobs until they have my signed contract and my CV.

 

I've never used a staffing company before and this one seems legitimate. I'm just cautious. Overall, I was happy to learn that this company provided malpractice coverage.

[Cideous]

Any job that you could potentially get that the staffing agency has dealt with would be off limits to you. The job would have to pay the staffing agency big bucks..upwards of 10-20k for you to go to work there <talking full time placement>. I never used a staffing agency for that reason. If you do stumble on a good job, and you have signed a contract with a staffing agency they will overlook you so they do not pay out that big retainer. My advice is to put in the time to research jobs yourself. If you are in Emergency Medicine then that is a no brainer. No way you should have to use a staffing agency for that.

[Joelseff]

In my area, CEP (ed staffing co) holds most of the ED contracts. So you have to go through them to be hired. The good thing is the benefits and pay are predetermined (and very attractive BTW) and are guranteed upon hire. So I agree that in general try to get a job on your own to avoid being looked over d/t sign on fees etc as cideous describes above but in some areas u have no choice than to work with the staffing agency.

 

 

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[familygal]

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

In my area, it has been very difficult for me to find a per-diem ED job as a PA, especially since I already have a full time job. I have casually been looking online and in newspapers for the last 4 months, and put word of mouth out there to some contacts I know, but there's very little that's come through. There has only been ONE advertised per diem ED job from a hospital's HR website, to which I applied 3 1/2 months ago but last time I called they said the position was about to be filled. It is interesting because I'm in a city with a very very large medical center/community.

 

It's been my impression in the past that staffing companies are usually who staffs the EDs.

[familygal]

Thanks for your thoughts.<br><br>In my area, it has been very difficult for me to find a per-diem ED job as a PA, especially since I already have a full time job.  I have casually been looking online and in newspapers for the last 4 months, and put word of mouth out there to some contacts I know, but there's very little that's come through.  There has only been ONE advertised per diem ED job from a hospital's HR website, to which I applied 3 1/2 months ago but last time I called they said the position was about to be filled.  It is interesting because I'm in a city with a very very large medical center/community.<br><br>It's been my impression in the past that staffing companies are usually who staffs the EDs.

[EMEDPA]

you will have better luck in rural and underserved areas. on several occasions I have cold called er's or just sent a copy of my cv saying I would be interested in a per diem position and almost always get a call back asking me to interview.

Regarding CEP in california, they are known for keeping pa's in low acuity areas only so you need to know that if you look at working with them. you won't be working in main, you will be doing triage or fast track.