Nursing Pool Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need a healthcare credential from the Department of Health to operate a nursing pool?
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Yes, registration is required.
"Nursing pool" is any person in the business of providing, procuring, or referring health care or long-term care personnel for temporary employment in health care facilities. Examples of a nursing pool include licensed nurses or practical nurses, nursing assistants, and chore service providers.
Nursing pool does not include individuals who only engage in providing their own services. It also does not include hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, enhanced services facilities, or adult family homes that provide temporary staffing to its own organization (RCW 18.52C.020(9)).
- Do I need a nursing pool registration for each location?
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Yes. Each nursing pool location must have a separate registration.
- What are the requirements to become a registered nursing pool?
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- A completed application for registration and application fee.
- Evidence of professional and general liability insurance per WAC 246-845-080.
- A signed quality assurance standards affidavit, and documentation of methods used for compliance with the standards established in WAC 246-845-090.
- If a corporation owns the nursing pool, they must provide their Washington state corporation certification number or a copy of the "certificate of authority to do business in Washington".
- If a registered nursing pool is sold and the ownership or management is transferred, does the nursing pool need to apply for a new registration?
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Yes. If the registered nursing pool is sold or ownership or management is transferred, a new registration is required.
- How often must you renew a nursing pool registration?
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Annually.
- Where do I report my annual reporting requirements and when?
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Annual reporting requirements are due by January 31st of each calendar year. Visit the Nursing Pool Registration page to report the required information
- What required information is reported annually to the Secretary of the Department of Health?
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Please view the Nursing Pool Survey Questions document (PDF) with a list of annually reported items.
- Is my annually reported information public?
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Yes. The Department of Health (DOH) is required by RCW 18.52C.060 to produce an annual report by county and make it available on DOH’s website. This report includes information for all nursing pool registrations. See RCW 18.52C.060 to learn what you must include in the report.
- How does a multistate nurse license affect Nursing Pools?
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- Beginning September 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, individuals that hold a multistate nurse license issued by a state other than Washington and are employed by a nursing pool must complete any demographic data surveys required by the board of nursing.
- Individuals that hold a multistate nurse license issued by a state other than Washington and are employed by a nursing pool must complete the suicide assessment, treatment, and management training required by RCW 43.70.442(5)(a).
- Nursing pools must report to the board of nursing, within 30 days of employment, all nurses holding a multistate license issued by a state other than Washington and an attestation that the employees holding a multistate license have completed the tasks required under this section.
This section is subject to enforcement by the secretary. Complete the demographic data survey located on the Washington State Board of Nursing website.
- Is a Nursing Pool required to conduct a background check on health care and long-term care personnel?
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Yes. The nursing pool is required to conduct a background check on all health care and long-term care personnel.
This is required under RCW 43.43.842 and RCW 74.39A.056, and an exclusion verification as required under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1320a-7. Background checks must happen prior to employment or referral of the health care or long-term care personnel per RCW 18.52C.040(8).
- What credentialing requirements must be verified by a nursing pool?
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Credentialing requirements verified by a nursing pool include, but are not limited to:
- licensure,
- certification,
- training,
- health requirements, and
- continuing education standards for the health care or long-term care personnel’s position in the health care facility (RCW 18.52C.040(1)).
- How much notification are nursing pools required to give facilities for contract changes?
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A nursing pool must provide a nursing home, assisted living facility, enhanced services facility, or adult family home with written notice of contract changes at least 90 days in advance. This includes, but not limited to, availability or charges for services, items, or activities. RCW 18.52C.040(4).
A nursing pool may not, in any contract, require the payment of any compensation if health care or long-term care personnel are hired as permanent employees by the nursing home, assisted living facility, enhanced services facility, or adult family home. RCW 18.52C.040 (5)
- Can a nursing pool require employees to recruit while on assignment?
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No. The nursing pool cannot require employees or independent contractors of the nursing pool to recruit new employees or independent contractors from the permanent employees of the health care facility. 18.52C.040(2),
- Definitions used throughout the nursing pool chapter.
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Read RCW 18.52C.020 for nursing pool definitions.
- How do I file a complaint?
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You can file a complaint online or by email. When submitting your complaint by email, please submit it directly to us as an email or attachments.
Please do not:
- send your complaint through online storage services (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)
- send using a secure email service that requires login credentials.
- send pictures of your filled out complaint form. Often pictures of complaint forms are not formatted correctly and can be difficult to read. Please type your complaints as an email message. If you have other pictures, please email them as attachments.
- use uncommon file formats for saving your complaint. We can access complaints saved as PDF or Microsoft Word files. We may not be able to open other file types.
If you file a complaint by mail, please send to the address below:
Washington State Department of Health
Health Systems Quality Assurance
Complaint Intake
P.O. Box 47857
Olympia, WA 98504-7857