Agency Nurses Have No Rights?

[AGaston]

While working at a hospital in North Texas, I complained about the continuously turn around on getting admissions before I could thoroughly assess and do rounds on my other patients I was assigned to that day. Patient load continue to increase with no PCA or minimal at best, frustration continued to build as I had requested a CT of the abdomen of on a fresh post-op patient whom was complaining of severe abdominal pain unrelieved by analgesics; I was told by the radiology tech, that he didn't have time to do the CT, although I had explained to him that this was urgent to determine if the patient was bleeding. 3 hours later and after speaking with his supervisor the CT scan was done, he in turn reported me as being rude. Days later I started my shift at 0645 a.m. and was not given access to the pyxis until 0945 that day. I had a full assignment including a patient that routinely requested pain medication every four hours on the hour(her pain meds were due at 0700). I requested access to the pyxis 3 times before I was given access. I voiced my concerns of having to wait 3 hours into the shift to administer medications and that no nurse was willing to assist me, days later I was made a do not return. In the complaint I was referred to as rude, (labeled rude because I voiced valid concerns), the complaint also alleged that I was not doing hourly rounds or answering call lights. I would answer call lights while the other staff nurses were sitting at the nurses station discussing their personal affairs. What are we supposed to do when we have concerns and no one cares to listen and if you speak you will be labeled as rude and made a do not return. Agency nurses have no rights! What do we do?

[heron, ASN, RN]

No, you don't. As an agency nurse you are basically a day laborer. They can dnr you for any reason they like. Bugging management about working conditions and quality of care issues when you are neither an employee nor a customer is an excellent way to accomplish that. Your only recourse in such a situation is to decline assignments at that facility and let your agency know why.

[AGaston]

That is unethical and wrong though and regardless we are still nurses and humans first. Decline to work and the cycle continues, changes needs to be made.

[Sour Lemon]

1. Most of these things don't seem like "agency" issues to me ....the exception being the pixis access.

2. Why do you want the "right" to return to a hospital you were so miserable at?

3. It's not always what you say, but how you say it.

[heron, ASN, RN]

Then pursue a job with state or federal regulators, CMS, JCHO or the like. Alternatively, if you can specify actual incidents, drop a dime with the relevant agencies or call the facility's corporate hot line. Or join local patients' rights group. Or convince your agency to boycott the facility. Organize a letter to the editor campaign. Write a bad review online. There are ways to pressure the facility from the outside - all of which have both negative and positive consequences for you.

But as a contracted temporary worker, you have zero leverage to effect change. You certainly have a right to speak out. They have the right to decline to listen to you or hire you back for another shift. They have no reason to pay any attention to you at all.

[AGaston]

I indicated agency issue because had I been a staff nurse, my voiced concerns or complaints wouldn't have resulted in me being a DNR. I am expected to perform to the standards of any other professional nurse and I do so. I have a right just as any other nurse to voice my concerns and not be reprimanded. I care not to return to that hospital but that doesn't solve the problem.

[heron, ASN, RN]

I indicated agency issue because had I been a staff nurse, my voiced concerns or complaints wouldn't have resulted in me being a DNR. I am expected to perform to the standards of any other professional nurse and I do so. I have a right just as any other nurse to voice my concerns and not be reprimanded. I care not to return to that hospital but that doesn't solve the problem.

Yes, you have the right to voice your concerns but there is no "right" to have there be no adverse consequences of doing so. Had you been an employee rather than an agency worker, it's highly likely that you would wind up targeted and eventually fired.

If you feel personally called to "solve the problem" at that facility, that's a good thing, especially for the patients and the caregivers who are stuck there. But let go of your rescue fantasy and get real about what that will entail. There is no "right" to criticize or push for change without opposition. Do the work and deal with the consequences, including the certainty of retaliation, malice, unfair tactics and the possibility of failure.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

I indicated agency issue because had I been a staff nurse, my voiced concerns or complaints wouldn't have resulted in me being a DNR. I am expected to perform to the standards of any other professional nurse and I do so. I have a right just as any other nurse to voice my concerns and not be reprimanded. I care not to return to that hospital but that doesn't solve the problem.

Are you sure that you wouldn't be written up after voicing your concerns in the role of staff RN in THAT place? There got to be reasons why they have to fill shifts with agency staff, and the most common of them are inhumane conditions and poor treatment from management.

Maybe it is hospital as well as an agency problem. While agency nurses are almost customarily given assingments nobody else wants, I was treated as a human being first time in my career when I was in agency. My coordinator directly told me to call immediately if anything threatening my practice (like refusing breaks, no access to EMR or to Pyxis, no help while I have to leave floor, etc).

[compassionresearcher]

It's a shame that this happens all too often. For some reason, there is a misconception that agency nurses are less than...I don't know where it came from and I hate it. The only thing I can suggest is to call the agency when things like this are happening so they get your side of the story first. You would think the staff would be happy to have an extra person there! What would they do if the float/traveler/agency nurse didn't come in? It's a head-shaker...

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

OP, your scenario is most likely the reason why the facility is in need of agency nurses in the first place. When I encountered places like that throughout my many years as an agency nurse, I made those facilities a 'not on your life' before they made me a do-not-use/return. Count your blessings and keep it moving!!!

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

I indicated agency issue because had I been a staff nurse, my voiced concerns or complaints wouldn't have resulted in me being a DNR. I am expected to perform to the standards of any other professional nurse and I do so. I have a right just as any other nurse to voice my concerns and not be reprimanded. I care not to return to that hospital but that doesn't solve the problem.

A staff nurse might still get canned. Most employers can make staff disappear with enough documentation, lies, exaggerations, misinterpretations, or even the truth - whatever it takes.

This is a painful lesson, but a valuable one. Next time, no matter what, no complaining. Surely you could get one of the staff to get you into the Pyxis so you could give pain meds.

And never mind what the staff are doing, like sitting and talking about personal stuff. It really is not your concern. Not saying it's right or that it isn't galling - only that there is no good that can come from you focusing on it.

Why do you work agency?

[AGaston]

I asked a nurse to administer pain meds for me and her reply was rude and nasty, she pulled a stool softener and said, that's all I'm going to pull. No other nurse was available, they all went into hiding.

I was only concerned with them gathering at the nurses station and discussing personal matters on the count of, while I was answering their call lights as well as mine they would just sit. But wrote in the complaint that I wasn't answering call lights.

I work agency because I like the flexibility in scheduling and the pay is better I am also a travel nurse. I've worked agency for over 15 years.