Don't know how you do it

[travel50]

I have never been an agency nurse. I like going to work and knowing where the pencils are. Only in the last 2 months have I even used agency nurses. I am the DON at a nursing home. So I am jotting a note here to tell you guys that I just don't know how you do it. The agency nurse coming in for the first time is lucky to get her full 15 minutes of report on her 30 or so residents. Orientation "ain't happening"! They take over a med cart they have never seen (it is a bit of a clutter), to pass meds to residents they've never seen (and some they hope they'll never see again!), deal with obnoxious family members who get angry b/c the nurse doesn't know if mama ate all her breakfast, etc. They don't seem bothered when my schizophrenic resident wanders over to them to ask, "You got all your female parts?", and they do okay when my noncompliant brittle diabetic steals and eats an entire 3 layer cake out of the fridge that I wonder who forgot to lock. The odd thing is they tell their boss that they like to work for me b/c I stopped, asked how they were doing, and waited for an answer...and b/c I got upset that a belligerent family member (recently out of prison and not embarrassed to say so) frightened the agency nurse. I now make sure the agency nurses know to call me at home when they are frightened and I will go in...after a small phone call to the cops if necessary. So, hats off to you guys. You're amazing.

[Cali]

Thanks! It's nice to be appreciated. :thankya:

[morte, LPN, LVN]

oh, dear, me.......can i kiss your feet? lol, long term agency nurse here......you are a gem.....thanks

[AngelsWings09]

I love being an agency nurse....tried to work for a "facility", never again. The scheduler treated the girls

like crap. If she liked you, you got what days off you wanted, the assignment you wanted. If not, you

were at her mercy. If you speak your mind, you get put thru the ringer for it.

As agency, I work when and where I want. I need a day off for an appt at the doctors, I let them know

and it is done. You don't have to put up the mandatory 45 minute inservice on too many paper towels being

used, at 3pm, when you should be at your assignment.

I have been an agency nurse for 11 years, looking into doing some traveling now. I love the challenge,

the knowledge that I can come into a facility "cold", do a narc count, find things in carts that look like

they have not been cleaned in months. If you greet your CNA's, introduce yourself, tell them you are there

to help them with anything, answer call lights, put grandma on the bedpan, show them some respect,

thank them before you leave at night, you will be treated well and welcomed with open arms. I have walked into

facilities, after only one night with them, and the girls have asked if I was working tonight, and met with a

"YES!!" when I said I was. Not blowing my own horn, but give respect, get respect. Thank you for your kind

words. And remember, it is not always the "agency nurse" who did it, or didn't do it. We are here to help you.

[bellynursegurl]

Wow that was sweet!

Thanks!

[Simba&NalasMom, LPN]

WOW I found this really, really late...but I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for appreciating us. I have had two different facilities complain about me in the last month for piddly stuff and it almost has me wanting to give up and find permanent work (UGH). One staff nurse outright lied to my agency and said I refused to do something that was not even supposed to be done in the first place and the other one said the staff complained I was not a "team player" on a NOC shift (it was a very quiet skilled unit with two CNAs, one of which slept in a chair during downtime). When asked if I made any clinical errors they said "Oh no that part was fine." I'm so afraid that if one more place complains, even about stupid stuff, that my agency will drop me. thanks to anybody who happens to read this, for listening to my vent. LOL.