Scared to be "THAT agency nurse"

Specialties Agency

Published

Hi all --

Just as I was convinced I was going to do agency when we move this upcoming Jan, a dilemma pops up.

I work in an busy ICU -- we had an agency nurse come in for the first time to our unit. Apparantly she had been working agency for 20 years in ICU's and loved it. Nice lady but long story short, when she left at 3pm, things were a mess. Someone else picked the patients up and said things were left undone that should have never been left...and mistakes were made. The nurse who relieved her was not one of those picky ones either...so I knew things must have been bad because she is usually very laidback.

I later heard my mgr call the supervisor and tell her never to send that woman back. Then she got off the phone and mumbled "THAT'S why I hate agency nurses-- you never know what you're going to get".

(Don't shoot the messenger)

My point is, I don't know what happened in this womans day to make things so bad. I helped her with her charting (computer) and I continually asked her if there was anything I could do to help. She refused and said she was ok. But I worry about the same comments being made about me -- I don't want to be that agency nurse that everyone complains about doing such a horrible job. I'm a hard worker -- but sometimes I guess being in a new environment can be so overwhelming.

Scary thought. Maybe agency isn't right for me afterall???

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We all have bad days. I've received a mess from staff and agency alike and I try to understand unless blatant neglect has occurred. If I'm leaving many things undone I offer to stay over and finish up; but many places have policies prophibiting agency OT so the nurse has little choice than to leave things to the next nurse. We won't necessarily have a give and take relationship established to fall back on in these uncomfortable situations. This takes time we may not have had at this facility.

I have found it is true agency makes easy scapegoats for disgruntled staff nurses looking to kick a cat. We are also the outsider who is very easily and quickly judged. Usually I i find a few good nurses to use as resources when I do my agency work. If I don't or if I encounter a staff that is hostile, nonhelpful, or dumps on me too much I i don't go back...and thats what makes agency a lifesaver for me. I actually have a little control over my working conditions!!!

If you are flexible, a quick study, great people skills, exceptionally competent and hit the floor running, and thrive in new situations you are a good candidate for agency work and travel nursing. If you prefer stability, knowing everybody around you (strengths and weaknesses) and thrive in constancy, agency/travel is probably not a good fit. I have many nurse friends who could never work agency, and agency friends who would never go on staff unlless they were starving...LOL! ;)

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Good response Matt ;)

I love being Agency; There is good and bad in both (staff and agency).

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I agree with MattsMom. Couldn't have said it any better if I had tried.

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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

Don't be afraid to be an agency nurse because it is an option available to those who need more control of their time for family, personal, and/or professional reasons.

Don't go to work as an agency nurse thinking your day is going to be a piece of cake "just because you are an agency nurse" because it is usually quite the opposite...you just may be the nurse getting dumped on simply because you make more $$$.

I've worked as an agency nurse off and on for my entire nursing career, and it has its upside as well as its downside. The downside being no benefits, no guaranteed hours to work, and so forth. I currently work as an agency nurse, and although I enjoy being able to control my life more, I'm also "without a steady flow of cash" because the shifts are few right now. :o

I've been agency, I've been staff, and I've been a travel nurse. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. Do what works best for you and your own situation. :)

I love travel nursing the best. You go in...put in your contracted time...and get out.

When working agency nursing, NEVER say "NO" to help when asked. Always keep yourself OPEN to learning from those you work with. They are "regulars" on the floor...you are not. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you aren't sure of something. Each hospital has its own way of doing things, so do most units within the same facility.

Some people don't ask for fear they may appear stupid. Better to appear stupid than to make a serious mistake, or leave the shift with things undone because you were too afraid to say the magic word to the regular staff....HELP! :)

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

Erin:

Mattsmom does a fantastic service to agency nurses as a whole. BUT - - - it may not be right for you. I would suggest that you not let one bad comment steer you away (or towards) agency nursing. There is certainly many benefits to working as an agency nurse - but we here are all biased in our own way.

Try it. . . give it a fair shake and make up your own mind. Do the right research that allows you to know who to work for, the available opportunities, and the benefits available (yes... there ARE actual benefits - health care, 401k, etc).

Good luck. . .

Michael

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My experience has shown that it depends a lot on the particular agency you work for and their reputation at each facility. Some agencies seem to hire anybody, which makes it tougher for those of us who are qualified. I've found the agencies that require more of me up front before I get hired are the ones who have the good reputations in the facility and in the staffing department. Tough to be picky which agency you work for, but it does make a difference in how I am viewed when I'm on shift. Just my two cents.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I know this is an old thread, but I'm considerimg signing up with an agency (locally), and never thought about this.

I currently work as a per-diem in two hospitals. I sometimes feel that the regular staff looks at me as that per-diem (even though I have been there for a while, and worked as staff there before). Sure I can work once a week, or once a month, but I only get paid when I work. Some have said to me "I aspire to be you" half joking, of course. But when someone complains about me, (which recently happened) I wonder if this is why. I have just as many bills and commitments as the full-timers, and take my job just as serious (after all, I'm the first to be cancelled when they are overstaffed :chuckle [imagine that]). As much as I'd like to have that attitude of 'I don't ever have to come back here again", it's not realistic. I don't believe in burning my bridges.

On the flipside, a GWYN (Go Where Your Needed, AKA float pool) nurse gave me report the other day, and made a med error. Sure we all make mistakes, but it was her attitude that really bothered me. She said "I told them I can't take that kind of patient". It was a s/p chemo patient, who needed Zofran (not chemo), and she did not give it. The point is, she may have been unfamiliar with the routine on the floor. But if you agree to go-where-youre-needed, you need to be confident and comfortable enough to ask questions when you are unsure of something. One of the regular staff pointed out that some of the GWYNs feel they don't have to be as accountable as regualr staff.

I could understand the concerns on both sides of the coin, as I have (sort of) been on both sides.

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