Do You Like Agency Nurses?

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 13, 2004

Oh boy, this may or may not be a hot topic, :)..........well there are good agency nurses and there are bad agency nurses.

I hate to say, but the night shift agnecy nurses that I've seen in my hospital haven't been very good. Not dangerous, but just the kind to medicate the patients and then do nothing else for them, no turning, suctioning, no basic care. We don't use agency a lot so I'm talking about only a few, and worse yet they were male nurses.

As a disclaimer probably the best nurse I've ever worked with, a role model for me, was a per diem agency nurse.

I'm not going to judge agency nurses however on my experience. I take each individual as they come and give them the benefit of the doubt. It isn't easy being an agency nurse.

A lot of agency nurses say they are mistreated by staff, given the worst assignements, feel resentment because they are paid more, etc.

Blackcat99 · Dec 13, 2004

I like agency nurses. The ones I have worked with have done a good job. I wish my job would use them more often as I am sick and tired of being constantly hassled to do overtime. :angryfire . I hope you will be able to work with some really good agency nurses in the future. Good luck

flashpoint · Dec 14, 2004

I've only worked with two agency nurses who I didn't like...I don't think I would have liked them if they were staff either! Most of the agency nurses I have worked with have been nothing short of outstanding. I'm always thankful to have a full staff! :-)

Mystery5 · Dec 14, 2004

I've seen some bad and some good. There are those that you get the feeling that they are one step ahead of the law, probably can't get along as part of a permenent job situation, and trying to get by with as little work as possible. We've had some that were consummate professionals with excellent work ethics and utterly a pleasure to work with. Here in Washington State they come over from Northern Idaho to make bigger bucks, because the pay sucks in Idaho.

RNS for Unity · Dec 14, 2004

I myself am an agency nurse and a fulltime RN in a hospital. I've seen nursing from varied perspectives, nurses who aren't really nice, either agency or regular staff. I've seen blatant unprofessionalism, nurses often like to deflect blame from themselves and exagerate or accentuate faults of others. this psychologically is a way for themselves to bolster their own egos. Any nurse can be misperceived, while having a busy/stressful shift. often misunderstood. None of us are deliberatley trying to be rude to each other, and none of us is exempt from this. For the most part, all of us are guilty of thie type of behavior. Often times a nurse will accuse another nurse of something to defect blame or diminish thier own shortcomings or mistakes. If nurses are truly as compassiionate, caring as they see themselves, they wouldn't be so quick to judge fellow nurses. If we are expected to get along with our pts (who are total starngers initally) we should be welling to get along with our fellow nurses. Often I've found that I'm so busy in my own practice, that I'm unable to watch my co-workers under a microscope. Just imagine if we would always tell on the rude doctors, other medical personnel and visitors or pts who might also be rude or misunderstood.

Why are so many nurses so over sensitized to emotional, knee jerk reactions to their fellow nurses. Maybe if you would make a sincere attempt to like yourselves you might have the ability to care for your co-workers. Many nurses act as though the agency/traveler nurses are aliens, not nurses who possess the same good intentions of other nurses. Plus why is it that when an agency staff are the focal point for blame? All nurses are human, all of us,are capable of making mistakes. None of us is perfect. Yet when an agency nurse makes an error they're ostracized, criticized and sometimes released when they make the same errors of ommision and commision, just imagine if our judical process functioned that way. Why bother with a trial, just do what you'd do to a nurse: judge, convict and hang them all at once. No trial, no fair evidence and inequivocal punishment. Also have inequality in the workplace, allowing some nurse to make mistakes and meanwhile allowing your favorite nurses to make these same mistakes and negative behaviors without reprisal. Walk a mile in someone elses shoes, bond with co-workers instead of allienating yourselves from eachother. Try to get along. Stop with the biased attitude toward other nurses, these nurses you despise are nurses just as you are, educated shared and differnet professional/life experiences. All nurses are human beings with a heart, brain and feelings. Demonstrate compassion and caring not only to your pts but to fellow healthcare workers.

REMEMBER THE BIBLICAL PARAPHRASE ABOUT WITHOLDING JUDGEMENT, LEST YOU BE JUDGED.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 14, 2004

Oh boy, this may or may not be a hot topic, :)...........

See what I mean? :rotfl:

Mystery5 · Dec 14, 2004

Get off your high horse or pedestal of self righteousness. Stop the elitest attitude.
REMEMBER THE BIBLICAL PARAPHRASE ABOUT WITHOLDING JUDGEMENT, LEST YOU BE JUDGED.

Before I get off my highhorse, may I gently suggest that you use paragraphs for easier reading of your posts??? :saint:

flashpoint · Dec 14, 2004

I think that a little more is expected of agency nurses. My nurse manager feels like employees are hired more for their attitude than their aptitude. Aptitude can be taught. Agency nurses should be able to come in and handle most situations without difficulty. Agnecy nurses should come in with skills...it should not be the hospital's job to teach them their skills.

But...I still love most of the agnecy nurses I've worked with. Most of them have had great skills and I've learned a lot from them.

Surgical Hrt RN · Dec 14, 2004

just in case anyone cares....here is my opinion. lol :chuckle i have worked agency, registry and staff. i don't think that an agency nurse, registry nurse or staff nurse has anything more or less to add to the profession than the other. i have worked with bad nurses from every aspect of nursing; just as i have worked with outstanding ones!

that's the funny thing about nursing....it is an "equal opportunity" profession. bad nursing is bad nursing, fantastic nursing is fantastic nursing, it does not matter one iota what heading you fall under!

Mystery5 · Dec 14, 2004

Unless I launch a book for publisihing, and your my publicist,I thnk you can stand to read a page or so without acting like a proof reader.

No need to get upset, but I am a flawed person who has a strong tendency to not read posts without paragraphs. Not neccessarily proof reading, just not reading.

It was just meant as a friendly tip to get more folks to read what you have to say!:)

SmilingBluEyes · Dec 14, 2004

They are generally no better or worse than any other nurse. I am glad to have them when our staffing falls short, and treat them with respect. I never give them the worst assignements, either.