Agencies and contracts -- revisited

[suzanne4]

I am not against agencies in general, but only the ones that take advantage of nurses.

Things to consider when going the route of using an agency:

1. There is absolutely no such thing as free exams, free green card, or free plane fare and expenses paid. It will come from your paycheck.

2. Agencies can be paid in one of several ways: 100% by the hiring facility if they direct place you, by the facility as well as the nurse, or by charging the nurse a significant fee before they leave their country such as India, in addition to getting paid by the facility. In India, they call it a bond, but I have failed to see one get that bond returned when they complete their assignment. Or by keelping the nurse as their employee and getting the billing rate from the facility.

3. Make sure that you have taken the NCLEX exam before you arrive in the US, or you may find that you will not get paid until you pass that exam. In many contracts, look closely, it states that you will be paid as a CNA until you pass that exam, and many agencies will not even submit documentation to the BON until you arrive. This also adds months onto your contract, as it states "work as an RN."

4. If living arrangements are made for housing in the beginning, have it specified as to what it will be in writing. We have seen 10 people placed in a studio apt in NY and without heat in the winter; or eight women in a four bedroom apt with only one shower, and a small kitchen. Please be very careful with this.

5. If it is not in writing, it does not exist. A verbal condition from a recruiter does not hold water in a court of law, it must be in writing.

6. If an agency tells you that you need to write the CGFNS exam to work in the US, run from them. That has not been factual in several years. The CGFNS exam is only required in five states currently. Howver, if you live on a continent where the exam is not given, and too costly to travel that is another story....

Please be very careful before you sign anything, much easier to have it checked out before you sign. It is a legal binding contract, inlcuding the cancellation clause that some have added to go into effect even before you take the NCLEX exam. Also be cautious of large cancellation fees, $8,000 to $10,000 could be considered reasonable, but $25,000 and above is crazy. A guarantor also should not be required to sign your contract.

Always be an informed consumer!

[chris_NC0112]

I have been reading several threads, and I would just like to thank you Suzanne and lawrence for all the information you have shared to those who are seeking ideas and/or suggestions. I am a nurse here in UK, recently passed the NCLEX exam last December, and currently communicating with several agencies as to seeking an employer in the US. I did attempt to communicate direct to hospitals for direct hire possibility but not much of a success yet on this aspect. If any of the members are aware about the following agencies: Aldatech, Healthstaff, Adevia, CCM and Stateside, any information on their experiences both good and bad are highly welcome. I have read a thread under international nursing forum, as regard to OGP which seems to be reluctant to inform their clients as to the status of their application in relation to retrogression and other matters and I feel sorry for those affected. I hope that you will be able to share your inputs on this regard.....cheers....

[suzanne4, RN]

If you want my opinion, stay away from every one that you have posted about. You will be giving them either $5 from every hour that you work, equivalent to $10,000 per year or your contract sold to the highest bidder.

What you mentioned happening from that other agency, happens with these as well.

[chris_NC0112]

Thanks Suzanne, I do understand that there are consequences should I go through the agency process, however, I did try as well to apply through direct hire however, I was not successful and have not received any positive replies from the hospital I applied for. My nclex is under CA BON, and am looking for hospitals within the following, maryland, chicago, seattle and/or texas, nonetheless, I will still try to apply through direct hire, and should I be successful, I will have to forego the agency thing, but for now, it seems I have no options left to consider. Thanks for your reply.

[suzanne4, RN]

You have many options available to you, do not sell yourself short. What type of experience do you have? And where do you really wish to work?

[chris_NC0112]

You have many options available to you, do not sell yourself short. What type of experience do you have? And where do you really wish to work?

Thanks suzanne, I have 11 years of experience working as a Nurse, have been to various fields, neonatal, surgical and medical and for the past couple of years, I have been into Recovery/Telemetry areas. I am contemplating on the following states: Texas, Chicago and/or seattle. I have passed nclex under Califoria BON, but has not been given a SSN yet. Still on the initial stages basically in applying for a US job. Hope anybody here could help share more information and I appreciate it so much.. Thanks....

[littleflower123]

Hi christie DM,

I to was in exactly the same position as you and was in the depths of despair when every hospital in the city I wanted to go to turned me down flat. However, when I took a different approach and phoned my favourite hospital again (human resources dept) and asked them if they ever went through a recruitment agent in the city to fulfill their staffing needs it was a totally different story. They were only too willing to oblige and gave me the direct telephone number of the recruiter who worked directly on their behalf supplying them with a hospital contract too. It worked for me!!!!!

Good Luck!!!

[chris_NC0112]

Thanks littleflower for sharing your ideas and experience, I think I will have to do that and will start doing it the earliest possible time to be able to know what my chances will be. Ill keep posted whatever developments may be as regard to my applications.

Hi christie DM,

I to was in exactly the same position as you and was in the depths of despair when every hospital in the city I wanted to go to turned me down flat. However, when I took a different approach and phoned my favourite hospital again (human resources dept) and asked them if they ever went through a recruitment agent in the city to fulfill their staffing needs it was a totally different story. They were only too willing to oblige and gave me the direct telephone number of the recruiter who worked directly on their behalf supplying them with a hospital contract too. It worked for me!!!!!

Good Luck!!!

[niq26]

my niece came here in the us as tourist after she graduated from PI 2005. she applied for nursing license at new mexico and took the test here in louisiana. she applied for receprocity at new jersey and got a contract through agency with 3 years contract. the agency reimbursed her plane ticket for $500, test review tuition for $300 (although she actually spend more than $3,000 - passed with 75 questions), nclex fee, paid for receprocity. the agency sponsored her and she is working at acute rehab center at andover with $24/hr. of course the agency is probably making $15 an hour from her, but this deal is not bad for a new graduate with no local license and no experience from the hospital. the agency do not have an office in the phil. but i will ask my niece the website of the agency and post it here to help out other nurses in the phil. it is a legit agency and the owner treat her nurses good and defend them from the facilities if they are being mistreated. my niece is only 23 yrs old, the agency found her a house to live walking distance from the facility and the nurses that she works with are nice to her and treating her like a baby since they are all experienced nurses from the phil.

[suzanne4, RN]

my niece came here in the us as tourist after she graduated from PI 2005. she applied for nursing license at new mexico and took the test here in louisiana. she applied for receprocity at new jersey and got a contract through agency with 3 years contract. the agency reimbursed her plane ticket for $500, test review tuition for $300 (although she actually spend more than $3,000 - passed with 75 questions), nclex fee, paid for receprocity. the agency sponsored her and she is working at acute rehab center at andover with $24/hr. of course the agency is probably making $15 an hour from her, but this deal is not bad for a new graduate with no local license and no experience from the hospital. the agency do not have an office in the phil. but i will ask my niece the website of the agency and post it here to help out other nurses in the phil. it is a legit agency and the owner treat her nurses good and defend them from the facilities if they are being mistreated. my niece is only 23 yrs old, the agency found her a house to live walking distance from the facility and the nurses that she works with are nice to her and treating her like a baby since they are all experienced nurses from the phil.

There is no reciprocity, she went thru an endorsement process. There is also a retrogression in place and that route would be useless now.

$24 is a lousy salary for that area. And the agency is making much more than that. First what they are getting from the facility, and then what they are taking from her.

Sorry, but that is not a good contract, you may think so, but it is not.

[suzanne4, RN]

Also it is almost impossible to get a tourist visa right now from the Philippines for the US. So unless the nurse had one from travels with her family that way is not going to work. US Immigration is also cracking down on this due to the number that came over and did not leave. It is actually against US Immigration law to come to the US for the sole purpose of finding a job and staying.

Things have changed since your niece came here.

[trix_ctrn]

I know one agency that recruits nurses from the Philippines where the applicants don't have to pay for anything...as in $ 0. Applicants will be interviewed via video conference/ or one-on-one. If hired, agency will manage all the requirements. Employer will pay for everything...as in everything ( reviews, plane fare {for exams and going to US}, NCLEX/ IELTS fees, immigration fees). Then the employer also pays the recruiter per head, once the nurses gets here.

[suzanne4, RN]

I know one agency that recruits nurses from the Philippines where the applicants don't have to pay for anything...as in $ 0. Applicants will be interviewed via video conference/ or one-on-one. If hired, agency will manage all the requirements. Employer will pay for everything...as in everything ( reviews, plane fare {for exams and going to US}, NCLEX/ IELTS fees, immigration fees). Then the employer also pays the recruiter per head, once the nurses gets here.

Sorry, but there is no such thing as any of that for free. The nurse will be paying for all of it out of their paychecks to a minimum of $5 per hour for the life of the contract. And there is not one employer that is paying all of that. The nurse will be paying $10,000 per year for that.

Glad that you know of that agency, but all I can say is run from them. First tip, anything that sounds too good to be true, usually is. And any contract that has come from the Philippines like this, and the nurse is living and working like a slave. And where is this wonderful employer hiring for? You may also wish to look at that? There are some over there recruiting because no American wishes to work there because of safety issues.

Suggest that you do your homework and do not listen to what an agency tells you.