[lgnurse20]

So I just started doing agency and I put in some availabilities. I gave several days for days and pms. I am with 2 agencies and the first agency could only book me for one day. I go the other agency and they book me for all the days. Then I show up at the hospital only to find out that I need orientation there and cannot work. So now all of my shifts are cancelled. Needless to say I am frustrated and don't know what to do. Is this typical? Next questions is how does orientation work. I am told most of the hospitals need orientation, but yet no one is trying to get me into an orientation...I am confused.

[dukeRN]

Ummm...this is strange. In my experience, your agency should give you a packet of educational resources and tests that are hospital specific(pharm, general nursing knowledge, etc: the same ones that are provided in hospital orientation to their permanent new hires) to work through prior to being placed. Occasionally, an organization/hospital will then allow you to staff there based on these written tests/pamphlets only. You usually will them be required to go to a short (1/2 day or full day) class at the hospital to review equipment, major policy/procedures, etc and get "checked off" on your understanding. Regardless, the agency is suppossed to be YOUR source of information, telling you what needs to be done for a specific organization, finding out when these mandatory sessions are to be held, and getting you signed up with the agency to attend. For you to show up there without having met all of the requirements to staff is ridiculous. Sorry that happened to you. Get with your agency and tell them to get on the ball: or find another agency. Chicago ought to have plenty of other places that will be glad to put you to work. Good luck!!

[traumaRUs]

I did some agency work at Loyola in 2001 and the agency that I went through was very thorough. They knew what each hospital wanted and I did those tests, did 4 hours of orientation and off I went.

[suzanne4]

Many facilites are now requiring orientation time from the nurse, can be for the unit specifically, or for a computer class. But the agency should have known this, and the facility should not have accepted you if you had not been thru their program.

[lgnurse20]

An little update. yesterday I picked up a shift for another agency. I was previously scheduled for yesterday at loyola, but I obviously couldn't work there. After I got off of work I recieved 4 messages from the agency that staffed me at loyola...the oncall person was calling to say loyola cancelled me. Aparently no one took me off for the shifts I can't work. If I would not have been cancelled it would have looked at though I was a no show.

Traumarus- what agency did you work for?

[eddy]

Yikes. Find a new agency.

[lgnurse20]

One agency is intelistaf and the other is healthcare personnel.

[eddy]

Originally Posted by lgnurse20

One agency is intelistaf and the other is healthcare personnel.

I'm not a big fan of Intelistaf and I am not familiar with healthcare personnel. You might check if there is a Favorite Nurses in your area. They are generally pretty good.

[lgnurse20]

Healthcare personel is a chicago based agency. I am with another chicago based agency AMR pronurse and they are totally on top of things. I have been using them. It is awesome because they are the staffing office for many of the hospitals and outpatient facilities.