CNA hosptial staffing agencies

[char1]

Just recently I had gotten hired by a staffing agency in the SF Bay Area. They asked me what locations/area would work best for me and I said the South Bay / East Bay. To my surprise they make me work in SF. Don't get me wrong the work experience here is wonderful, but there is a reason as to why I didn't want to get placed here and it's simply because of the 2+ hour public transportation commute (I was not going to pay $20+/day for hospital parking). Anyways the reason why I am writing this is because this is my first time working for a staffing agency. I would like to know a little bit more info about how agencies work since my own company can be very vague at answering my questions at times.

Here are some questions I had, keep in mind they only place me at hospitals:

- Do most agencies give compensation for transportation?

- Do they usually reach you 2 hours before every shift to finally tell you where you're being placed? If not how does it go for you? (This company actually forgot to let me know I was working making me almost late to a shift!!!)

- Are they pretty flexible with scheduling?

- Are most of the positions sitter positions? How often do you actually work the floor?

- What are the chances of getting hired at an actual hospital from an agency?

These are just to name a few. If more come up, I'll definitely put it on here!

Thanks!

[shortlilgirl02]

Third attempt at reply - tablet ate my other two.

I have done pool or agency work for the better part of 6 years now. Originally I used it to supplement my regular full time job. However, since 2009, the only type of work I have done has been agency. Out of the agencies I've worked for, only one reimbursed mileage to a city 45 miles away. The rest have not - and keep in mind, I also commute 80 miles one direction at times. My agency calls me the morning of my shifts to let me know where I'm going, and if it changes they call me by 515. If I'm cancelled later than 6, I receive two hours pay for the late cancel. One of the benefits to my agency is the flexibility with scheduling - which is the main reason I now use agency as my sole income. My classes have varied by semester and I am not always available certain days, so working with an agency makes it easier to work around those issues. I can also work as much or as little as I choose, as long as I make myself available four shifts per month. Last year, for example, I worked so much between January and August that I worked no more than 8 shifts a month between Sept-Dec and still cleared over 40K. I usually call the day I want to work - if I feel like working a 7 pm shift Wednesday night, I'll call around 330 Wednesday afternoon. When you start out with agency, chances are good that you will be a sitter more often than not. However, as hospital staffing and charge nurses get to know you, you'll work the floor more. I have several charge nurses that will pull me to the floor if they have another agency aide on the floor because they know I can handle a heavy work load and fast pace while keeping a level head. I work the floor so often now that I will pick up sitter shifts just to give my feet a break - I'd say 90% of my shifts now are floor. As for your last question, I have been offered permanent jobs by every hospital I've worked in, both float pool and various floor positions. I have shot them down up to this point because agency scheduling is what works best for me.