Today is my first day with an agency!

Grace Oz · Jan 30, 2002

DEAR NEBBY,

G'DAY FROM DOWN UNDER...I WAS SO SORRY TO READ YOUR POST RE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR FIRST AGENCY SHIFT. BUT... SO GLAD TO READ THAT ALL IS NOW GOING OK FOR YOU. US AGENCY NURSES ARE EXPOSED TO A WIDE RANGE OF EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING THE BEST & WORST OF HUMAN NATURE!!... WE HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS HERE IN AUSTRALIA WITH PEOPLES ATTITUDE TOWARDS AGENCY NURSES. I'VE TAKEN TO REMINDING THE PERMANENT STAFF IN ANY FACILITY / HOSPITAL THAT THEIR WORKLOAD WOULD BE A HELL OF A LOT HEAVIER WITHOUT ME, SO THAY CAN MAKE AN INFORMED CHOICE; EITHER YOU WELCOME ME & TREAT ME AS AN EQUAL, INCLUDE, SUPPORT & ENCOURAGE ME, OR.... I WALK, NOW!!...YOUR CHOICE!... THEY SOON CHANGE THEIR ATTITUDE WHEN THEY REALIZE I'M DEADLY SERIOUS & THEY'VE YET TO GET THROUGH AN 8 HOUR SHIFT!!...FORTUNATELY, THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN TOO OFTEN. MOST PEOPLE ARE REASONABLE & SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU THERE. MAKE SURE YOU KEEP ABREAST OF CURRENT PRACTISES, POLICIES ETC. ALWAYS BE WILLING & CHEERFUL, ARRIVE ON TIME & BRING YOUR SENSE OF SELF & HUMOUR!!... REMEMBER; "DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF & IT'S ALL SMALL STUFF"!...

I'VE BEEN DOING AGENCY NURSING FOR 2 YEARS NOW, THIS IS MY SECOND TIME WITH THE AGENCY & I LOVE IT. THE FLEXIBILITY, CHALLENGES, CHANGES OF FACILITY, NEVER GETTING EMBROILLED IN THE POLITICS OF ANY ONE PLACE & THE MONEY'S PRETTY GOOD TOO! :) YOU LEARN SO MUCH AS AN AGENCY NURSE, EVERY DIFFERENT FACILITY TEACHES YOU SOMETHING NEW & DIVERSE. KEEPS YOU UPDATED & REFRESHED. KEEPS YOU HUMBLE TOO AT TIMES! :) YOU DON'T GET COMPLACENT OR 'STALE'.

ENJOY YOUR NURSING & WALK TALL & PROUD AS AN AGENCY NURSE!!... CHEERS FROM OZ.

GRACE.

FHE3 · Jan 30, 2002

Grace,

Your commentary was absolutely brilliant! Well said.

FHE3

MQ Edna · Jan 30, 2002

To all of you kind folks I give you the most heartfelt thanks. Little did I know when I purchased this computer that it would enable me to communicate with the nicest and most compassionate people all over the world, and without your encouragement would have probably left nursing. I have ranted, I have raved, and you have all lifted my spirits. The nurses who post who love nursing have and will continue to be an inspiration to keep on striving forward. Nightngale, your posive take on agency nursing helped me make my decision to try it. FH: thanks for the support. Grace, it's interesting to hear that we nurses struggle with the same issues though thousands of miles apart. And I have gained much from Canoe's posts. Good luck and thanks again. Love ya!

nightingale, RN · Jan 31, 2002

:) ((((((((((((((((Group Hug)))))))))))))))))))))

There is not one of us.. that can think as well as..... All of us!

B.

Grace Oz · Jan 31, 2002

sending thanks to you all for your comments on my comments!!:)

Yes, we're a rather special breed us nurses. There's no-one quite like us!!:) ... United, we stand, divided, we fall. I've decided, people are unreasonable, selfish & unkind sometimes. We just have to reach out & love them anyhow!... Love conquers all & makes the world go round!...

If an "old boiler" like me ( I'm now 51) can still 'strut my stuff' at the coalface,- 34 years a nurse!- then there's hope for you gorgeous, young things!!:) ...

Look forward to more 'chats in the future.

Cheers from Down under....

Grace xx

nightingale, RN · Jan 31, 2002

This type of honest communication is what sustains me..

Earlier this week, I had a "not so bad" day.. then as I was leaving the floor after sign off etc.. One of the evening nurses who took one of my patients.. tried to rip me a new @#$%^& with blah blah blah (unfounded things she did not like about how I gave the report - on tape).. it was one of those moments where you could insult each other back and forth.. you know the talk.. the day nurses don't do this.. the night nurses don't do that.. this "colleague" was unkind, untruthfull, and really trying to start something with me.. I just let it go.. I looked at her (with everyone watching and waiting for me to "react") and said.. well.. that was my decision and that was how I viewed the situation... (she did not like my concentration of the patients lung sounds on report and really being worthy.. after all he was on antibiotics.. she did not like the fact that I left his foley in.. even though it was an open order with the Dr. and the patient was very uncomfortable with pain and really did not need to be worrying about his bladdar right now...

Well.. after she gave me "her assessment" of my report etc.. and did her song in dance in front of her peers (no she was not charge.. thank God for the other staff.).. I just said I was comfortable with my decisons and assessment.. she seemed irritated that I would not get "into it" with her (with everyone watching).. geezzz

During this time frame another nurses was red faced from just being "in a conversation with another night nurse.. she told me in a whisper.. did you hear what I did? I kinda "heard" and one could consider it a bad choice etc.. no harm was done but it was one of those geezz.. kind of things.. all I said was.. do not sweat the small stuff... and we both said simultaneously.. "IT IS ALL SMALL STUFF"..

After I left all that "ego" behind me and I walked to my car; one of my voices kept reverting back to the nurse who was trying to belittle me in front of the other nurses... I kept saying my prayer to give it to God and not let it bother me but it did for a bit.. that sort of thing does for a while.. not that I felt wrong in my decision but she did not have to be so condecening.. ya know..

Well I tell you... Yesterday was a joy with my patients and the staff I worked with (a different floor.. same hospital).. I had worked there once before (Oncology/Medical).. We smiled, laughed, worked hard, my patients were wonderful and kind and I made a difference! The Dr. I spoke to were of the highest callibar in quality of communication and everything clicked... some days are like that... some days aren't...

Nursing is such hard work! but it is SO rewarding... when it all clicks.. it makes all those other days of frustration and sad moments seem hazy and not such a big deal...

And so.. I love this forum.. it allows me to share those experiences that give me joy and to learn and grow with like minds. I just do not get what I get from other sources what I get from this BB and communing with other positive nurses...

United we stand... thank you for being there for me too!

B.:)

Stormy0516 · Feb 5, 2002

i have also encountered poor staff attitudes toward agency nurses.. as well as poor management attitudes toward agency nurses... but i work telemetry now as an agency nurse, and i am considered a member of the team, partially because i worked on that telemetry unit as a charge nurse for 5 years, and also because the charge nurses there know that i do my job completely... and that my patients love me...! i refuse to go to other areas of the hospital where they treat you like crap.. and dump the ones they don't want, on you.....! i have noticed though, that there are all kinds of administrative memos that come down the pike and are posted regarding what the agency nurses do wrong.. you know, the situation where the whole group is stereotyped by what one or 2 might do wrong... or what they might forget to do! plus they schedule you to work 8 hrs, and halfway through your shift they tell you to go home, and replace you with their own prn nurse...to save money...; i have spoken to them about that, and have told them that i am going to call in advance to see if they plan on calling me off before i complete my whole shift, since i may turn down a job elsewhere thinking that i am working an 8 hr shift..., and wouldn't want to turn down another job to do what would end up as a a 4 hr shift..i wasn't rude, just explaining my situation. since then, they have asked for me to work extra! of course, i had only had that problem with one of the nursing supervisors.. (the others are wonderful, and they have tried to get me to come back fulltime...which i can't do, because the hospital won't pay me even the equivalent of my base pay at another hospital when i gave up my fulltime status there and went prn there). overall, i do love agency nursing.. i love the flexibility of scheduling a week in advance, rather than a month in advance.. plus, i can work, more or less, when i want to...

NancyRN · Feb 9, 2002

When I was a new nurse ( just 2 years ago) the Agency Nurses were the ones who were kindest to me. I guess they knew what it was like to be an outsider, and they took pity on me. Most of them were very experienced, and of a higher caliber than the staff nurses. Anyway, we were always happy to have them. I'm doing a little agency work now as well as being on staff. The agency calls me off a lot though so I can't really depend on the money.

nightingale, RN · Feb 9, 2002

Nancy..

Try to book directly with the hospital scheduler (you may report to him/her when you go in) or with the unit itself. That may limit the call offs.

Your agency should give you some feedback about the call offs and what other ideas or places you may be able to try.

Good luck and let us knwo how you are doing.

B.

Teshiee · Feb 10, 2002

I love working for an agency. The true freedom you get is wonderful. Like the other day I was overhearing a meeting the staff was hearing, the same old crap but agency me did not have to participate only in the care of my patients. It is lovely. I notice hospitals have a trend of having in house registry which is fine. I have 2 perdiem jobs which I love because there are times when the registry gets slow I can always depend on working for the hospital until it picks up again. To give you an idea I have a good friend of mine who works registry and she clocked 120k last year. The money is there it is up to you.