I have been pulling some shifts through an agency since my Mom's DX with Metastatic breast Cancer.  I take her for Chemo every week and thought this would be a good way to keep the cash flowing, and be with her when she needs me.  I've been some scary places.  One place was an absolute nightmare, I was so scared all night, One nurse-me.  40 residents, NO name bands "It's not homey".  Lots of narcs and 2 hospice patients actively passing.

Has anyone been in a similar situation and how did you handle it?  I did call my agency and notified them of the unsafe conditions.

Thanks.  I did call and the answer I got was "There's a snow storm out there, can't you just stick it out?".  But now I get kind of scared walking into a place blind. 

I currently work for an agency that I totally love. I have called a couple of times and complained about something and it was addressed promptly.  I was terrified to start agency work but now that I have I absolutely love it.  I have only worked guaranteed shifts which does cause some trouble with the staff because they will be made to stay home before me but it ain't nothing I can't handle.  They absolutely love me there and are always asking when I am coming back. 

Wow, sounds like a great gig. 

As a supervisor, I was always under the four hour deadline to cancel the agency, if we cancelled them after that we had to pay for four hours.  As  agency, this was great for me (except on the nght shfift).  I'd show up they would say that they tried to cancel me, argue with the agency over it and I'd get 4 hours free money  .  Whoever posted the Bait and switch thing was right on.  I was always promised an LTACH that I loved and would find my self in some rinky-dink hole in the wall dungeon that I wouldn't send my worst enemy to.

Although I have never been cancelled some of the nurses that have had to stay home come in later in the day and will give me attitude because they were just cancelled and didn't get their hours.  This just happened just the other day.  The nurse came in knowing I was an agency nurse and made the comment, " I got cancelled so that the agency nurse could work."  Of course she got the look of death lfrom me but they can thank their administration for it.  They don't have to guarantee the agency nurses but each time the contract is up they renew it which means I still get my hours.  The good thing is that since working agency I have cut my hours at my full time job to pick up more hours through the agency.  I get paid more working agency than I do my real job.  I can bring in the same money I would bring in two weeks working the agency for one week or 36 hours and get paid weekly.  That is what I like about the agency the best.  Yeah I can get crappy assignments from time to time but when you get paid $43/hour you can get through anything. 

Hello. Do you guy's have to do any lifting in your position?

Thanks,

KJWRN

Kittyrn says ...

I did agency nursing for over 2 years.  There were places that I refused to go.  I've found that some agencies do a 'bait and switch'.  Oh, with your experience we can do this.....and then at the last second, they call and cancel and say "Well, the only thing we have open is".  Unfortunately, about the only thing you can do is to talk to other nurses that are currently doing agency nursing in your area.  Find out, what agency is good, what places are good to go to.....Having said that , you have to realize that the reason a lot of these places need agency, is often because they are short staffed to the extreme.  Occasionally, you'll find a 'good' place, but it's a business.  You can bet, you weren't the first agency nurse sent there, and certainly not the first to call back and complain.

I have had that happen.  I did agency many years ago and I would tell them I wanted to be close to home.  They had me booked in my city at a nursing home.  I woke up the next morning and they had me booked an hour away at a hospital.  I didn't mind the hospital actually always enjoyed when I worked there- I just didn't like the drive.  Needless to say I would wake up at a different time to get to place in my city that would take 5 min to drive to.  Anyways one time it happened and when I got to the hospital late they said I don't understand you have been booked here for over a week.  I then stopped booking with that agency.

Oh boy do I agree.  Doing agency work is NOT for the inexperienced nurse, unless you have REALLY good malpractice insurance and don't care much about patients or your license.  It is hard to know who's a good agency and who is shady.  Callbellcboy said that he has been working with Nursefinders and that they are very good.

The school nurse assigment where I am now is great and I'd like to work there permanently.  They have told me that they are prepared to hire me at the end of the contract and I hope that it works out.  There is another agency nurse there (different agency)  and they are not happy at all with her.  She has plenty of experience but isn't  invested at all.  I believe when I'm assigned somewhere, it's my responsibility to behave as if I were on staff.   I still put everything I have into it whether or not I plan on going back there.  Patients are patients and deserve the same level of care.

Electronictoday, when you speak of "We as nurses" being ripped off, do you mean that as a regular staff member? or are you also an agency nurse.  There is a reason why the slots need to be filled.  Unhappy nurses calling out at the last minute or poor hiring practices, sometimes there are also unofficial sick-outs to try to prove a points.  I did staffing for the hospital once after my back surgery, and I was able to cut the agency bill by about $40.000 over 6 months and as a supervisor, was always trying to cut the agency when possible.   Cutting deals with the other nurses is a good way to do it, but not every one plays. 

If nurses think the that their hospital is overboard on agency, which a lot of places are, (and guess what? there go the raises) see what can be done to help cut the bill.  We do provide a necessary service.  Some  agency nurses are bad, granted, but if you have had experience with a good one they can always be requested.  I was once booked a month in advance for every 3-11 hole in the schedule, but of course I also had to be prepared to be cancelled.

Agency nurses do make more than staff that's for sure.  God knows that we don't make half as much as the agency, but often times there is no sick pay, no benefits, no vacation time, no job security and no way to buy into a retirement plan.  The agency where I am now does have a 401k but it isn't matched at all.

Kittyrn,

Could you go back to that hospital that you liked as regular staff?  A lot of agencies make you sign a "no compete" that states that you will not go to work for a place where you have been assigned as an agency nurse.  But after two years, I would think that the "no compete" would no longer be in force.  They are usually for about a year in my experience, some only 6 months. 

I'm applying for the job at the school I'm assigned to now.  There was no "no compete".  I'm willing to give up the money for happiness and some benefits.  I love the people I work with, and the kids, even though a lot of them are troubled are great, a little pat on the back from someone who cares means a lot in their lives.  I don't wake up in the morning saying "Oh crap!...  I don't want to go in today".  I'm on week 6 of the 8 week assignment and I feel that I know what's what there.

BTW, I learned a little Spanish and have gotten by with knowing "Do have pain here?" then point, "here's your medicine", learning the body parts and saying "I don't speak Spanish" or "I speak a little Spanish, speak slowly please".  You could ask a bilingual person to write down some phrases for you also, I've done that too. 

Where I live we have a lot of Carribean Spanish ( not the same as I learned in high school a thousand years ago) even Puerto Rican and Dominican are different from each other, and a lot of Haitian Creole speakers (not the same as the French I learned in high school either).  Not to mention Portugal Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, (not the same either) and Viet Namese, Cambodian and Laotian.  There I'm on my own too.

Good luck!

Well here is an update.  My contract ended this month and I have been cancelled several times since then.  I now know how independable agency work is.  The only thing I wish is that the company would have more options for me to fullfill my availability.  I am currently researching other options.  I like being able to pick my days and of course the pay!  If I could travel I would have way more options that I do now but having children and a husband hinders the ability to travel much. 

Paddymac says ...

Ddxp2cnc1 says ...

Well here is an update.  My contract ended this month and I have been cancelled several times since then.  I now know how independable agency work is.  The only thing I wish is that the company would have more options for me to fullfill my availability.  I am currently researching other options.  I like being able to pick my days and of course the pay!  If I could travel I would have way more options that I do now but having children and a husband hinders the ability to travel much. 

Have you considered doing per diem nursing at one of the hospitals?  At the hospital i worked at, per diem nurses were either hired for a float pool or for a specific floor.  If you were hired for a specific floor, you were able to tell them what days you would be available to work.  Some floors would even let the per diem nurse put her name and time on the monthly schedule.  Of course if the census dropped you would be the first to be cancelled.

I have thought about that but the pay around here is no good.  I have a part-time real job for insurance and such.  I only work agency to get spending money.  The money is great and I get to pick when I work.  Plus the local hospitals all suck around here.  I have worked at them all and major issues at the two I will not go back too.  We are suppose to have a new hospital here in 2010 so just holding out till then.  Contemplating getting my Illinois license to go there too.  I like not having to commit to commitees or unit meetings and such. 

O.K.  Here's my update.  My school nurse gig is up next Friday.  When the recruiter for the agency picked me up for this assignment, he told me that this was a temp-to-perm position.  So I went to apply for 'My' job.  I guess that there is some fine print that is on the contract that the school worked out that was not on anything I signed.  The school agreed not to hire ony of the agencie's employees "me" for at least 12 months after the assignment is over.  My buy-out price $5,000.  The school said that they would love to keep me and will probably extend my contract, although it's very expensive to do it.  The Director said to me re: the buy-out, "unless you can think of someway to sell it".

Now I'm not sure who is actually screwing me.  I've proven myself and they need me, so why should I have to "Sell-it".  I really like it there and if I stay with the agency, I don't know where I'll land next.

Who out there has experience with buy-outs?

P.S.    Sox Rock!!  We've got 'em baby!