Agency Nursing?

I love agency nursing, but you need to be flexible if you are going to get the most out of it. The other name for agency nursing is "staff relief." You may work for 4 months at one facility, then get told your services will not be needed anymore, nothing to do with you, but they are no longer going to be using agency. So then you move onto the next facility. It may be closer, it may be further away. You may actually arrive at one facility, they don't need you, you will get paid the cancellation fee, and usually the agency can find you something else to do, again, this depends on how flexible you are and the different types of units that you feel comfortable working on.

Sure, there will be weeks when you may not get 40 hours, but then there will be weeks when you could work 7 out of 7 days. The census at most facilities is seasonal to some extent.

1. Do they pay you for travel, such as gas, etc?

2. Medical insurance benefits?

3. Cancellation policy, both for you and the facility

4. Some agencies actually offer vacation pay.

Most agencies have a set contract written by their lawyers, theywon't be writing an individual one for you.

Cancellation pay, for the hospital cancelling too late, can give you any where from2 to 4 hours pay. Depends on what type of unit that you are working on.

I work only specialty areas, and primarily OR, so yes I could be in charge, especially if I was the off-shift person.

I have worked agency for over 25 years, so I can't tell you about hospital pensions as I never was covered under one.

If you are flexible you never have to really worry about not getting enough hours. But again,I am only talking on my experience, not sure what others go thru. I never had a problem.

Agencies do provide health insurance, at least some of them. I always took care of everything on my own................