The BIG register (the Dutch register of healthcare professionals) is public: any care organisation can check for itself whether a nurse is registered. Always do this before the assignment starts, and record that you have checked it.
If you hire a self-employed nurse, your care organisation remains responsible for the quality of care for clients. A first step is to check whether the nurse is BIG registered. That is simple, free and quick. I am BIG registered myself and consider it only natural that clients check this.
The BIG register (the Dutch register of healthcare professionals) is a public register of care professionals with a protected professional title, including nurses. You search by name or registration number and see whether someone is registered, under which profession, and whether any particulars are noted with the registration. The most up-to-date explanation of the register and what the data means can be found with the administrator of the register itself.
If you are unsure about what you see, contact the administrator of the register or your own adviser. It is better to ask than to assume.
A valid registration says that someone is authorised to practise the profession. It says nothing yet about experience in your care setting. So also ask about areas of experience, such as psychogeriatric care, somatic care or palliative care, and about the way of working. In my case that is more than 12 years of experience, residential and community based, within various VVT organisations (nursing, care and home care). The checklist for hiring contains more points to consider.
During an introductory meeting I share my BIG number and tell you where my experience lies. That way you can check for yourself and immediately judge whether I am a good fit for your ward. If you want to know what else is involved in hiring, also read hiring a freelance nurse: what should you look out for?
I help with this through nursing cover and quality improvement. Want to know what that means for your organisation? Schedule an introduction.
Make the BIG check a fixed step in your hiring procedure, for every self-employed professional. Then nobody has to think about it.
Yes. The BIG register is public. Anyone can look up whether a care professional with a protected title is registered.
Discuss it with the care professional and, if necessary, seek advice from the administrator of the register or your own adviser before you enter into an assignment.
Yes. I am BIG registered and am happy to pass on my registration details, so you can carry out the check yourself.
I am happy to drop by for a coffee to discuss your question.
Schedule an introduction ContactSchedule a meeting. I am happy to visit and discuss what I can do for your organisation.
Schedule a meeting Contact