Why are others nurses rude to agency nurses

I've heard this saying more than once: "There's a reason why someone wants to be a traveler/agency. . ." - meaning they are hiding professional deficiencies or personality deficits that show up and affect their ability for longer term employ.

I agree that's a gross and inaccurate stereotype but unfortunately, enough agency nurses MEET that definition to make it stick as a sterotype.

Why rude:
1. Transient staff are often an outlet for an overworked unit: an agency nurse has no loyalty to that place but then, that works both ways; that place has no loyalty to you. So, dump the hardest load on the person that's getting paid the most and who can't complain.

That's an attitude I see lots.

2. Doesn't matter whether you disclose your salary or not: the 'regulars' know that you are getting paid several dollars an hour more. You don't have to play the game with the mandatory meetings, etc. You can just waltz in and get paid a ton more and leave. It's an issue of the hospital paying MORE for LESS loyalty superimposed on management's normal philosophy that they deserve the loyaty of a St Benard for all the dough they pay us. . .

Most staff nurses on units that employ agency nurses are SO strung out that you represent the lie that they had been buying: that they were being heroes for their employers by going above and beyond. Your presence is proof of a closer truth: they are chumps, rewarded LESS for that loyalty. It's not fair to take that out on you, but that's life.

3. Most 'regular' staff have detailed scheduling rules that most managers allow to lapse for agency in order to get them to come and play. For example, at my last job, we had to float quite a bit, but the agency nurses were always exempt. So, because YOU are there, now, I have to float. . . Even if that doesn't happen tonight, your presence means my turn to float is coming more quickly. Or, you don't work weekends, etc. That is a key advantage of working agency - the ability to pick and choose your shifts. Well, when you pick and choose, the 'regulars' are stuck with working around YOU.

4. It takes time to form relationships, even interpersonal co-worker ones. It's just easier to ignore you if I know you aren't staying. That's why you are agency, after all, because you don't really want to be part of the team. So why should the 'regulars' bother to include you.

5. "Everywhere I've ever worked, we did it this way. . ."

6. One of the job requirements of agency nurses is the ability to 'hit the ground running.' I've seen contracts that expected near full orientations, or used the lack of one as a crutch to get out of stuff.

7. When agency nurses ARE a problem they are difficult to expunge: management goes to agency nurses because of the 'any warm body' philosophy; their attutude is normally 'suck it up'. I worked w/ an agency contract nurse that was obviously on something (either manic to a fault, or couldn't stay awake, chronically called off shifts at the last minute, made weird excuses to go home partway through and not come back, other signs. . .) - It took weeks to get rid of her (and they actually renewed her contract first!), and then only after pts complained that 'HER' pain meds never worked, and it was finally investigated. . .

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I used to work agency. When my kids are older, I probably will again. I have no problems with most of the agency nurses I see - but you have to understand: the reason why you get paid more and have the flexibility that you have is because the facilities where you work needs firefighters. You're there to put out fires in staffing. How do you think those fires started in the first place? Dealing with those issues are AT LEAST part of your job because those are the very issues that make it valuable to bring you in.

Those kinds of situations may not be fair, but your employer counts on those kinds of situations as the bread and butter of their agency business.

As an agency nurse, you're also a firefighter.

~faith,
Timothy.

Good facilities w/ content staff don't need to use agency nearly as much, though. So, what you tend to see working agency is the miserable staff. . .

~faith,
Timothy.

I've worked as regular staff with other regular staff who were stealing narcs and using them at work. I've never seen agency doing this, though.

As an agency nurse, I've had 3 drug screens in the last 15 mos. One was pre-employment, 2 were randoms. How many reg staff get that many screens?
I also had to pass a credit check, background check, an extensive written exam, and all of my references were personally contacted by my agency before I was hired.

I love the facility, the techs and the boss where I'm currently contracted. I have been offered the job permanently, but of course I had to turn it down as dh and my house are in TX and the job is in AZ.

I am currently working two different units. I have to be really on top of my game, as I am the only licensed staff in the facility each day that I work. At first, reg staff, the mgr, the pts and the docs were wary of me. But since I've proved myself to be a competent, conscientious, hard-working RN, they've let me know I am appreciated.
I am the only traveler this facility has ever had,

I love this job and I will be sad when it is over.

As for loyalty to a facility, forget it. In the past, I've been fiercely loyal to several companies, only to be screwed by them.

I am loyal to most co-workers, some managers, to all pts and to myself. I will never again give a corporation my loyalty.

I'm sorry that you've taken it this way.

My intention was to shed some light on why you are treated rudely since you asked. I don't think anyone here said you personally are a bad nurse.

There is no excuse for backbiting, judgementalism and rudeness in nursing. I don't understand it either. It makes for a bad day, but you just have to rise above, do your best for the patients and leave the drama alone.

My feeling exactly. Some posters may have been rather harsh in their opinions of Agency Nurses but that is thier experience or perception. I agree with the observation that to be an Agency Nurse you do need to be top notch in your field.

My observation is that when a facility has a consistent need it usually means the facility has problems.

Know that we ARE a supportive group of Nurses. We posters and Volunteer Staff Members like to Nurture each other and raise the bar, so to speak, of Nursing. Some of us need to vent and speak aloud our concerns, as you have. I hope you have better and better expeiences and can share in the spirit of Modeling supportive behavior in our field.

to AllNurses.com

Frankly, many nurses have low self esteem, and just look for a reason to be nasty to anyone. They want to make themselves better than others, but it never works out for people like that. Just smile, and say "how nice ".

Now I know, you're nice. You're a wonderful person and what i hear from you now makes me happy. What we say , how we feel and how we see people and events is a projection of ourselves. Keep it up!

For the record, the OP asked 'why?' and I listed some of my observations over the years. But, that should not in any way be conferred to be MY opinions.

~faith,
Timothy.

As a native Floridian and Southerner and as a traveler nurse:

- I have always been treated poorly, at least initially, in Florida. I could be the sweetest most abiding nurse on a unit, and at least initially, will get the "she gets paid more, so lets dump on her" attitude. And bad attitude begets bad attitude. If you continually dump on agency, NO ONE good will want to work with you. There are some facilities in Florida that NO ONE with any experience and an in with grapevine, will work (thinking of "Hellray" or "Deathray" Beach).

- No matter how much that YOU THINK we make, very few of us make that much. The only reason that I ever work Florida is to visit family and friends, not for any "so called" big bucks.

- Virtually EVERY facilitiy that I go to, I am designated first to float over regular staff. Which means if for 5 straight shifts in a row, someone has to be floated and I am on duty, I will be floated for 5 shifts in a row. If your facility has designated otherwise, that is a decision made BY YOUR FACILITY'S MANAGEMENT...and you need to be talking to them about that, as it is not "our" fault. YOU are responsible for what YOU put up with.

At my last Florida assignment, I was required by the contract SET DOWN BY THE FACILITY, to work a certain amount of overtime, which griped some of my coworkers. I personally would rather not work OT. I made it clear that OT was not my choice, but that of the hospital's management and that they should address it with them.

- Do you think that we do not earn any extra dollars that we make? You try it for a year or two. Try giving up your car, shipping your things, and flying into a city where you know absolutely no one, find your way around, set up cable/phone. Try finding a MD (especially if you have a complicated medical history), dentist, lawyer (for any legal matters), laundromat, without the close assistance of friends. Try doing reciprocity paoperwork - if you think life was difficult enough trying to get one license, try doing over and over again.

How many of you cannot eat, shop or tour by yourself? There is nothing quite like when coworkers are setting up lunch schedules, so that they go down in groups....as they cannot even think of eating by theirselves in the cafeteria.

And we have to do it all the time. And with a smile on our faces and a good attitude.

- We should not compare things to our previous facilities and we should not quote pay rates. By the same token, WHY DO YOU THE STAFFER ASK US:

What we think of you compared to others?
Is this the best/worst place that you have been?
What do YOU get paid?
What is you favorite place to work?

To answer any of these would be unspeakabley rude. Unless you have a very close relationship with me (have seen me naked in locker room, gone to the beach with me, eat at least 4 meals per week w/me, know my mom's maiden name, or have known me for at least 4 years straight.....it's close enough), you have no business asking that question and I have no business answering it.

- There are highly dysfunctional agency nurses, that can't get a job otherwise. And for each of them, there are several highly dysfunctional nurses that have worked at your facility for ages.....because there is absolutely no chance in heck that any other place would hire them.

- We will have to work most major holidays (unless contracted otherwise) and will get the crappiest schedule. Most places don't recognize us during the holidays or nurse's week. Last Christmas Eve, I got floated. The floor that I was floated had NO REGULAR STAFF nurse on it except the Charge for 50 some odd beds. We couldn't find anything, had no codes to enter the lockups...it was a dangerous nightmare.

- No vacation pay, no sick pay....enough said.

- No security - we can be fired for any reason. And then have to pack up all we own and get outta town within 24-48 hours.

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As to why staffers treat agency badly....they do it because they haven't figured that agency is not the "Enemy".

The "Enemy" is the lousy management practices that lead nurses to working agency and that result in lack of staff, leading to use of agency.