[Arrow 1]

Ive read all the posts and there Are alot of Agencies reaping pretty substantial rewards. Its true as well that when running an agency there are alot of outgoing costs for that agency. One way to look at it in most cases is the larger the company/corporation, the more pressure they will be under to increase profits. I worked for a large public staffing firm and eventually choose to leave due to the, shall we say shady, corporate environment. If your looking for a more flexible situation, and a company that will work around your requests, go with something smaller. Feel free to IM anytime, I can give some suggestions on various companies.

[eddy]

Originally Posted by Arrow 1

Ive read all the posts and there Are alot of Agencies reaping pretty substantial rewards. Its true as well that when running an agency there are alot of outgoing costs for that agency. One way to look at it in most cases is the larger the company/corporation, the more pressure they will be under to increase profits. I worked for a large public staffing firm and eventually choose to leave due to the, shall we say shady, corporate environment. If your looking for a more flexible situation, and a company that will work around your requests, go with something smaller. Feel free to IM anytime, I can give some suggestions on various companies.

I agree. Smaller local agencies tend to be more attentive to your wishes and provide a much better overall compensation package. Plus, you tend not to have the crazy turnover in staffers like you see with the nationwide big corporate agencies. I've been in many different cities as an agency nurse and each time it seemed that one or two local agencies were the definate leaders in the market while the big chain/franshise/corporate agencies always trailed behind. I think a lot of that can be attributed to more involved owners rather than a detached CEO that is only worried about the price of the stock.

[nubins397]

How do you contract yourself out? I would really like to know also .

[manonthecross]

Yeah travel agencies are making a killing....instead of complaining im trying to fiqure out a way to start my own.... but i aint gonna work for 29.00 an hr im currently on a travel assignment in CA from a company based in San Deigo and im getting a mere 35.00 an hr...other benes include 575.00 for housing and they furnished the apt..... 600 travel expense to/from the location...and then im working prn where the rate is greater than 36 an hr

So no criticism here just show me a way to start my own

MOC

[earthlovers123]

Originally Posted by eddy

Completely agreed.

I ran a small accounting/tax firm prior to getting into nursing for about 5 years. I had 6 employees. I charged per hour for their time. I paid them an hourly rate for time worked. In order to make a profit I had to have a bill rate that was about 33% above what I paid the employee. That means that if I paid the employee $25 per hour I had to bill the client $37.50 per hour. Remember, I had to cover overhead expenses like liability insurance, errors and ommissions insurance, work comp, unemployment insurance, health insurance, vacation and sick time (paid for not working), retirement plan contributions, withholding taxes on employee wages, my office space rent, advertising, phone lines and long distance, internet access, association dues, utilities, interest expenses on my line of credit and business startup loan, office supplies, technology costs (new computers, fax machines, copiers, printers, etc.), printing and reproduction costs, office furniture, equipment maintenance, legal fees, chamber of commerce memberships, phone book listings, and on and on and on. After all of this was paid for, I got to pay myself (yay!), which didn't amount to making me an overnight millionaire by any means but was USUALLY a fairly comfortable living. Of course, there were good and bad times and unforeseen expenses that would arise, so I was NEVER guaranteed a specific amount or anything at all for that matter (which was true at times!).

Hmmm... Isn't this EXACTLY the same thing as a nurse agency? I wasn't doing anything wrong. I was running a business. That's how ALL businesses work. We HAVE to pay an employee less than we generate in revenue. Otherwise we don't exist. There are many other costs that come in to play besides your paycheck.

Unless you believe everyone should work for themselves and create their own businesses (that would mean eliminating unions, unemployment benefits, work comp insurance, and on and one in terms of protection) you need to do some real research and formulate an argument based on fact NOT jealousy.

People were always telling me "it must be nice to own the business"... "don't have to report to anyone".... "get to do what you want".... "make your own hours"... "make tons of money".... etc. What those who haven't done it fail to understand is that I SACRAFICED a TON to make that business successful. I worked twice the hours as my employees for no extra pay and if it failed I lost everything I owned.... They just had to find another job. Ultimately, that is part of the reason I chose to sell the business (yes for a nice sum of money) stash the money away for retirement and became a happy working stiff again.

The grass isn't ALWAYS greener and just because you have an opinion doesn't mean you know a thing about what you are talking about.

It's kind of a "Put up or shut up." Otherwise you are WAY out of line.

Thanks for reading.

Good post

[Jessy_RN]

It's the same exact thing with construction contractors. They rake in big bucks and pay the workers a fraction of what they are charging to have the construction built. (hubby works as a construction worker)

Needless to say, it would be nice if he could just go out and get an independant job on his own but no one would hire him because you need insurance all this extremely expensive equipment and the help of a team.

There is no other choice but to take it however it comes.

I am not going to agree or disagree wether this should be the same thing in nursing cause I am a student and haven't worked in the field, but just wanted to express my view from the contruction point of view

[chattypattyCRNA2B]

Capitalism, you gotta love it......NOT!

[suzanne4]

Any company is set up to make money. Period. Anyone that employs staff has to pay the staff as well as the insurance and all other fees associated with this company. Doesn't matter what business that you are in.............
the compnay needs to make money or should be making money.

Same with any field, not just nursing.................people invest money in something because they want to make money from it. Same for any of you that wish to set up your own agency, you will be billing the facility a certian rate, hopefully based on what your expenses are as well as what you want to be paid........if you hire others to work for you, you will be making money from what they make................and the cycle begins again..............

[eddy]

Originally Posted by suzanne4

Any company is set up to make money. Period. Anyone that employs staff has to pay the staff as well as the insurance and all other fees associated with this company. Doesn't matter what business that you are in.............
the compnay needs to make money or should be making money.

Same with any field, not just nursing.................people invest money in something because they want to make money from it. Same for any of you that wish to set up your own agency, you will be billing the facility a certian rate, hopefully based on what your expenses are as well as what you want to be paid........if you hire others to work for you, you will be making money from what they make................and the cycle begins again..............

Well put Suzanne.

[mattsmom81]

So...has anyone here been successful in contracting themselves individually in the community, without going through an agency??

I knew a nurse once who did this himself but he wasn't able to get into the hospitals this way, only LTC. I suspect that doing business this way also sets one up to be an outsider and thus incur a greater liability. Facilities are suspicious and scapegoating enough to agency....would an IC get even worse treatment??

I sure like the idea of being an IC though...although I can imagine it takes up more time and energy to be having to make contacts and recruit for ones self.