The U.S. Government Accountability Office has published a report on hospital use of nurses supplied by nurse staffing agencies during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 43-page report was prepared per the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act in which Congress authorized GAO to report on its pandemic-related oversight efforts, including changes in hospitals’ use of supplemental nurses. ASA and several member nurse staffing agencies cooperated with GAO in its preparation of the report.

The report confirms what was widely known—that the sharp spike in patient demand during the pandemic caused nurse wages and the cost of staffing services to rise. At the same time, the report acknowledges the important role staffing agencies played in helping hospitals “maintain capacity” during the crisis.

GAO is sending the report to relevant congressional committees and other interested parties. GAO’s reports sometimes can lead to legislative action, but ASA has no indication that Congress is considering legislation relating to nurse staffing.

A copy of the report is available at gao.gov.