The Nurse Agency

The Nurse Agency was founded in 2001 by Penny Golden, RN, Steven Golden, and Ann Elk-Weist to provide supplemental registered nurse staffing to hospitals and healthcare facilities in the Chicago area. The company operated for 24 years before announcing its closure effective November 1, 2025.

The agency specialized in placing registered nurses in hospital settings, with particular experience in geriatric psychiatric nursing. The company positioned itself on offering competitive pay rates for nursing professionals while maintaining negotiable bill rates for hospital clients. The agency held Joint Commission accreditation and was certified as a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE).

The leadership team brought combined experience spanning over 90 years in healthcare and staffing coordination, with backgrounds in hospital nursing, staffing management, and business operations specific to the supplemental healthcare staffing industry.

Healthcare facilities previously chose The Nurse Agency for established relationships in the Chicago hospital community and leadership with direct clinical nursing experience. The agency's Joint Commission accreditation provided quality assurance for facility credentialing requirements.

However, the company has announced its closure effective November 1, 2025, after 24 years of operation and is no longer available for new engagements.

The Nurse Agency operated exclusively within healthcare, focusing on registered nurse placements for hospital and facility settings. The company's founder and president maintained an active RN license and clinical background in geriatric psychiatric nursing. The agency's Joint Commission accreditation demonstrated compliance with healthcare quality standards, while its leadership team's combined 90+ years in healthcare staffing provided sector-specific expertise.

The agency historically served Chicago-area hospitals, health systems, and healthcare facilities requiring temporary or supplemental registered nursing staff. The service model best fit organizations needing ongoing staffing partnerships rather than one-time placements, with emphasis on facilities requiring geriatric or psychiatric nursing expertise.