When a healthcare facility works with an agency like BlueForce, they’re trusting us to provide them with Nurses who are proven certified and capable of taking care of their patients.

Because there’s a lot of liability involved, our clients want a lot of verification that you’re a good fit for the job.

To increase your chances of getting your dream job, we developed a nursing profile that gives our clients a clear understanding of how qualified you are.

There are a few documents you must have if you want to snag that dream assignment:

1. Resume/work history

A good resume is often the difference between getting the job and getting passed over. Your resume should include:

• Licenses and certifications, and the dates that they expire
• A detailed work history that includes what specific roles you had at previous jobs
• An explanation of any gaps between assignments

Read BlueForce’s “5 Secrets to the Perfect Travel Nursing Resumé” here, and download our sample resumé to find out how you can improve your own resumé.

2. Skills checklist

A skills checklist will help you get an interview at any facility. This, along with your resume, comprises your shell profile, which BlueForce submits to clients for review. These documents will likely determine whether or not you receive a phone screen.

Skills checklists let hiring managers know that you’re able to perform the skills their assignment requires, and they’re specific to the types of assignments that you’re searching for.

When you first contact BlueForce, a Recruiter will respond with a request for your resumé, then we’ll send you an electronic skills checklist to complete.

3. BLS/ACLS card

You cannot work in a position with patient contact if you don’t have a hard copy of your BLS card. Some Nurses have even been removed from assignments because they didn’t have a copy of their card, or their certification expired while on assignment.

Many Nurses take a BLS class and forget to get the hard copy of their card, then have to wait for a card to be mailed. During that time, you may miss out on a new assignment or shifts on your current contract. BLS certification is moving to an online system, but until then you’ll still need the physical card.

If you’re working in a position that requires ACLS certification specifically, you’ll need that card too.

4. Two references from within the past year

References are a requirement to get assignments at many facilities. If you can’t find former peers and supervisors who would recommend you, hiring managers aren’t likely to take a chance on you.

References should be from a professional peer or higher. Good people to approach for a reference would be your Charge Nurse, Nurse Manager or CNO. Personal references aren’t acceptable.

5. Fit to work statement

About 35% of our clients require a Statement of Fitness for Work, which says you are physically able to perform your job as a Nurse. Most facilities that don’t require it would also still prefer if you had one on file.

Fit to work statements expire every 12 months, and you need to be re-examined annually. You can take a physical exam to get this statement at your local health department or primary care physician. If you have a PRN job, they will also typically provide this for you.

6. PPD skin test

A TB screening is mandatory at every facility, and the most common screening is the PPD test. This is a tuberculosis test in which you’re injected with a protein and your response is evaluated. While one PPD test is a minimum, about 80% of our clients now require a two-step PPD that takes more time to complete.

If you have a positive reaction to the PPD test, the secondary screening is a chest x-ray to evaluate your lungs for tuberculosis. A clean x-ray is also acceptable in place of PPD test results when combined with an annual TB questionnaire. Two other acceptable versions of TB screening are the QuantiFERON-TB Gold or T-SPOT, which are both procedures where blood is drawn, tested and reported.

7. Records of your vaccinations

There are a few records that may be needed in your profile:

• MMR and varicella (chicken pox): Clients want a positive titer result or a record of two vaccines.
• Hepatitis B: These records are mandatory. You can get a vaccination or have titers drawn to validate immunity. Legally, a hospital can’t require you to be vaccinated for Hepatitis B. If you decline, you’ll have to sign a declination indicating you refused.
• Tdap: For most clients this is not mandatory, but it is good to have in your profile.

Records of your vaccinations show hiring managers that you won’t pose a risk to the patients you’re caring for.

Ready to start completing your Nurse profile? Contact us!

Our Recruiters will help you complete your Travel Nurse profile, and start finding opportunities for your next assignment. You can also contact us online with any questions about your documents.