I'm currently working as an agency nurse. I'm dealing with:
1. No computer access - I have to find another nurse to log in for me to check lab values or orders. (You can imagine how thrilled they are about that).
2. CNAs who mysteriously "lose" the vital sign sheet or refuse to help my patients.
3. Up to three hours of (unpaid) overtime required to finish charting. I also recently found out that if I stay to cover the beginning half of an evening shift, the nurse coming on doesn't do or chart a new assessment.
4. Working without appropriate supplies (isolation gowns, etc) because "they're just not on the lift yet."
These are just a few examples. Other red flags include having the director of nursing at the place where I got my employee health physical tell me that new hires from my agency were in twice a day, and turnover was incredibly high. I keep hearing, "Oh, this is just how it is - you'll get used to it," or "oh, you'll figure out how to work the system." If this is "normal" then I'd rather be waiting tables - I don't think I should be expected to just get used to constantly flying by the seat of my pants and feeling like I don't have access to the appropriate resources to do my job. Are my expectations too high?
