Sent home after 4 hours...AGAIN!!!!

I so know what you mean. My supervisor didnt know how to manage the schedule or a budget and she was always over staffing and having to send people home. You just get angry. Thats why I like travelling now. I haven't had one assigment fall through yet and my people treat me real nice. I hope things get better for everyone else.

Try to relax and look for a better agency. Maybe even one from out of your state.

I so know what you mean. My supervisor didnt know how to manage the schedule or a budget and she was always over staffing and having to send people home. You just get angry. Thats why I like travelling now. I haven't had one assigment fall through yet and my people treat me real nice. I hope things get better for everyone else.

Try to relax and look for a better agency. Maybe even one from out of your state.

We don't use agency nurses but it is not unusal for an FTE to be sent home or called in to stay home. If they want a full check they have to supplement with benefit time. On my unit it works out kinda well... there are e few who like to take off and don't mind and some who don't have the benefit time and need to work so we all cooperate.

We are in an agency forum, I had assumed everone here was working for an agency.

I know being sent home is not unusual, however it does become very frustrating, after all we do have a life to support and possibly family and not only does the employee need to be dependable, but so does the employer.

Thank you for your input though.

I have found that having two to three agencies works out best. Surprisingly enough I have not found much conflict and at orientation with the first one the agency head said that she knew we would be working for other agencies as well. If I get cancelled with one I call the others and usually someone has a late call.

Me too!! I am feeling just a little cranky at the moment, because tonight was supposed to be night 4 - prebooked in ED (just what I like - yay!!) but guess what? EVERY SINGLE SHIFT WAS CANCELLED!!! They booked me just in case they needed me, then cancelled me at 20:30 (just over 2 hrs before my shift was due to start, so they don't have to pay me a cancellation fee). The first night - Wednesday - I managed to pick up another shift, but 20:30 is a little late to get a night duty.

I'm a single mum, and the kids are at their dads at the moment, so I was booking myself for every available shift so I could have some of the school holidays off when they come to me. Guess where I won't be working from now on??!! And someone who works at that particular hospital has told me previously how much trouble they have getting agency staff to work there - WONDER WHY???

Hang in there where ya can. I hear ya. In Denver, overbooking is the norm at many facilities. The area is SO census geared.

I too have called another agency after cancellation and do get used for late call from time to time.

Diversity is the key.

Durings slow times, check with your agencies to see if there are short term travel contracts available if you are able to commit. You mentioned block booking and that is one of my favorites too.

Good luck to you and let us know how we can help.

B.

I'm confused....if the facility cancels , you don't get paid? Every agency our hospital uses gets paid whether their nurses work or not, so if an agency nurse is scheduled and census is down, a staff nurse stays home...

Boy, if I could find an agency like that, I'd change over in a heartbeat.....

Standard arrangement is, if they cancel you less that 2 hrs before the start of a shift, they have to pay you for 2 hrs. Once you are there, they can send you home at any time & either pay you for 2 hrs or the time you have been there, whichever is longer. BUT if the hospital cancels more than 2 hrs before the start of a shift, the agency nurse gets....you guessed it, NOTHING!!!

NURSES WHERE I WORK HAVE TO LEAVE AFTER FOUR HOURS. SOME ARE FLOATED TO DIFFERENT UNITS EVERY 4 HOURS WHEN THE SENSUS IS DOWN.