Abstract
ABSTRACT: According to the American Hospital Association, over half of its member hospitals used contract/agency nurses to fill vacant positions in 2000. It is imperative that companies that provide nurses be able to furnish, to employing hospitals, documentation that demonstrates each nurse's ability to practice safely and legally. The article specifies the areas where documentation is needed along with discussion of each area. The nurse executive needs to be aware of these issues to ensure that the facility in which he or she works is getting the appropriate information regarding supplemental staff in order to protect against licensure and litigation repercussions.