Another Side to Nurse Registry Story

Licensed registries are concerned about the article of June 4 titled “Nursing Registries Booming; Some Say Trend is Unhealthy.”

There exists another side as yet not represented in this article.

A licensed nurses’ registry is not the same as a temporary services agency or so-called “registry/agency,” which places staff nurses in health facilities at a markup of more than 150% to 200% in fees billed to the hospital and convalescent hospital by the registry/agency. Such an arrangement leaves the agency nurse a poorly paid middleman; the health-care consumer poorly cared for; the hospital happy as it did not have to pay good nursing wages, health insurance, disability insurance, vacations, etc., and the agency a lot richer. The money finds its way back to the owner of the agency and the hospital, but never, never the nurse or the health-care consumer.

We look forward to a day when licensed registries, operating under rules, regulations and standards set up by the Department of Consumer Affairs and State Personnel Board in Sacramento, will have their opportunity to present the other side.

EVELYNE M. KEITH

Van Nuys

Keith is treasurer of the California Nurses Registries’ Network.