Anyone do agency work?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Specializes in CNA.

I interviewed with an agency that sends CNAs out to either facilitys or home health. Just wondering who else does this kind of work and if you like it? Pros, Cons?

Thanks.

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Specializes in PACU, LTC, Med-Surg, Telemetry, Psych.

I have worked agency for most of my CNA career. I do not think I would

want to do it any other way.

A few things you will probably need to have and to know.

- 1 year hospital experience. (not nursing home)

Most of the agencies I have worked with require this, although

I have heard of exceptions. You would benifit from this experience, too.

Hospital CNA jobs and culture is vastly different than nursing homes.

Also, the weakness of most CNA programs is they teach it only

from a nursing home perspective. (which is a whole separate topic)

-All paperwork needs to be together and no felonies.

Most agencies are even more on top of paperwork being in order

than most facilities. Common things they ask for is copy of non-expired

certificate, TB skin test, current CPR, and immunizations. Places that

go to psych units may require CPI cert (crisis prevention). I also had one

agency wanted 3 letters of ******* recommendation and an expensive

physical they wanted ME to pay for with no gaurantee of work. No thanks!

-Agency pays MUCH better than working directly for facilities in most cases.

BUT until you establish yourself as someone reliable that answers when they

call, doesn't cancel a lot, doesnt show up late, or otherwise give them issues

you may not work that much at first. There is an old saying in agency work

that "Agency has it's picks and chooses". It is true. If you are the person

that saves thier buttocks when a facility calls them wanting someone "right

now", most agences respect that and will make sure you consistanty work.

Some even may give you lucrative contracts. (I had a federal VA contract

I got thru agency like this that lasted 2 years. Your mileage may vary)

Also, ALWAYS finish out your shift if they send you to a horrid facility.

You can always tell them afterward not to send you back, but abandoning

a shift not only makes you and the agency look bad but can also go

against your cert for patient abandonmnt if someone presses the issue.

-Shop around different agencies

The staffing field is insanely competitive. Some facilites favor some

agencies and agencies steal turf from others all the time. If an agency

isnt giving you hours, it is perfectly acceptable to go with another

agency. Also, if you are still in the old agency's system, you can take

calls from both! Just be sure not to double-book or cancel with no

notice just because you prefer one assignent over another.

So there you go. Usually NO set schedule (unless on repeat), you are usually on

call with the ability to say no, you make much more, you are not tied to one

place with its politics, and each assignment is a different adventure! I like it.

But for those not aggressive in getting assignments or needing set schedules,

it may not be for them.

Good luck.

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I just got an agency job as a CNA doing home care. This will be my first home care job. I will not officially start working it until next weekend. LPN's and RN's that have experienced working in hospitals and nursing homes would not have it any other way but to work for home care because you work with one patient/person one on one. This is what I've been hearing about it. I worked in a nursing home and I absolutely hated it. I did not like what I seen go on in there and the other nurses and cna's were not very nice. I could not stay there!! I think I will like home care so much better.

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what's agency work?

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- 1 year hospital experience. (not nursing home)

Most of the agencies I have worked with require this, although

I have heard of exceptions. You would benifit from this experience, too.

Hospital CNA jobs and culture is vastly different than nursing homes.

Also, the weakness of most CNA programs is they teach it only

from a nursing home perspective. (which is a whole separate topic)

so with that being said, how would a brand spanking new CNA get hospital experience?

maybe it's just me being naive, but I really thought that applying at Nursing Homes or Assisted Living/LTC facilities was a give in. I never really considered trying to apply at a hospital.

How likely would a new CNA be hired by a hospital?

Would it be beneficial at all to start at a Nursing Home and gain some experience there, then try to get on with a hospital?

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My first CNA job was a nursing home and I did get experience but did not like it very much. I am now doing home care as a CNA and I will do this for awhile and than apply at a hospital as a CNA. When I did my LPN nursing clinicals in a hosptial, there were a lot of cna's working there. So it is possible to get a CNA job working at a hosptial. The nurses did not have time to do with the patients what a CNA can do because they already has so many other patients to take care of so they delegate the work that a CNA can do to them. You would need to watch for CNA jobs at the hospital that you are interested in working at and apply!!! I think that working at the Nursing Home did gain me some experience but I don't think it is a must that you gain the experience at a Nursing home first but it probably wouldn't hurt though. You can always try!!

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I am a staffing coordinator and a CNA for a home health agency

in my experience there are mostly cons to working in an agency

the pros obviously being, the pay is a little more than nursing homes or perhaps some hospitals, and you can tell the agency what hours you will work, so its easy to work around a school schedule, also the various types of people you will be staffed to work with, you can gain alot of experience

the cons are, working for a client or facility with an agency is very unstable..no job is promised or guaranteed to be there tomorrow..matter of fact I recently opened a case for 24 hour shifting 7 days, which is awesome..staffed it with 6 different caregivers/cna's who were so happy to get full time work, 3 days later the client called to cancel service and i had to call and cancel each one of those caregivers who desperately needed that money..

another thing is agency's rarely provide any type of benefits, no health no dental nothing...

agency's have a down season, which is usually winter...not alot of clients equals not alot of jobs

you may be signed up for an agency but i can tell you there are soooo many other cna's or caregivers who are signed up with the same agency, so you might not even get a call for work

in my opinion i would find solid part time work as a cna, give the agency your available hours, and work around that schedule...that way even if they lose a client/case/contract that youre working with you will always have something to fall back on

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I loved agency work. It really allowed me to give my best care as a CNA, plus the added bonus of if i needed a change I could always go work somewhere else. it's not for everyone, and i agree with jiz1133. there is always the very real posibility of being cancled, and having a solid prn or part time job elsewhere will allow you to have the stability needed

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For a CNA employed (W2 not 1099) by agencies and still looking for a job, do you list the agency on the resume?

If yes, do you tick the box "Yes it is OK to check with my current employer"?

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