A staffing contract.
The agency hires the nurse and assigns them to your hospital for a defined period, commonly two to three years. The hospital pays the agency; the agency pays the nurse.
The model comparison
A standalone explainer · share it anywhere
Two models.Very differentoutcomes.
When a hospital brings on an internationally educated nurse, the relationship is structured in one of two ways: a staffing contract, in which an agency remains the employer, or a direct hire, in which the nurse becomes the hospital’s employee. The structure decides everything that follows.
The two structures
Who's actually the employer.
Direct hire: your employee from day one.
On your payroll, your benefits, your org chart, with no agency holding the employment relationship in between.
Why hospitals choose Global MedTeam
Beyond the structure.
Pipeline depth
A deep Philippines pipeline across specialties, so a request for a specific unit does not start from an empty list.
White Glove service
Full settling-in support for every nurse and their family, so retention does not depend on luck.
Specialty coverage
ICU, ER, med-surg and beyond, matched to your specific unit needs rather than a generic applicant pool.
What changes in practice
Five dimensions, side by side.
| Dimension | Staffing contract | Direct hire · Global MedTeam |
|---|---|---|
| Who manages the relationship | The agency sits between you and the nurse, so loyalty, communication, and their next move all run through a third party. | You manage the relationship directly. The nurse is your employee, answerable to your hospital, with no intermediary in between. |
| Who's the employer | The agency, for the life of the contract. | The hospital, from Day 1. |
| Cost structure | Ongoing markup paid to the agency for the contract duration. | One-time placement fee, then a standard salary line. |
| Retention risk | Nurse can be reassigned, or the contract simply isn't renewed. | No built-in expiration: they're staying because they chose to. |
| Integration & growth | Limited by contractor status; agency manages credentialing and logistics. | Full eligibility for advancement, recognition, and development. |
See what this looks like for your hospital
Start with whichever you need.
How the model works
Download the EB-3 Planning Guide, from first contact through your nurse's first year on staff.
Why Global MedTeam runs it best
The no-recruitment-fee model, the direct-hire structure, and the proof behind them, in one place.
Talk it through
Discuss your specific need with a real person, not a sales queue.
Comparing recruitment models?
Cross-reference this page with Why International Nurses and Why Global MedTeam, or skip straight to a conversation.