Expectations of agency nurses

Specialties Agency

Published

What is the deal out there today? Is it me or do staff nurses place increasingly unreasonable expectations on us?

Seems like every shift is the same...they sit and watch me run with the worst assignments AND admissions. And what is this deal about expecting an agency nurse who comes in once in a blue moon to manage a critical unstable patient? What kind of charge nurse would make an assignment like this? I don't know their docs, their unwritten protocols, their 'ways' of doing things....:(

Had to vent guys...its getting to me....can anyone relate? How do the rest of you manage getting 'dumped' on...sadly, I can no longer find anywhere to go where this does NOT happen to some degree and its more than wearing on me... :o

maybe its time to retire.... :rolleyes:

I can SO relate to you...maybe you just need a break. Or perhaps you need to find a niche.

I am on my first travel assignment. I think I'm handling the hostility pretty well. I was hoping for better, but oh well....I'm not there for them, anyway. I'm there to do my job and if they have a problem with me, there are scads of other places out there who are begging for nurses.....

......if the staff has a problem with agency nurses or contract nurses, let them put in the extra hours, or turn agency themselves. I don't know what their freaking problem is.

I like travel nursing so far, even with the "Trial by Fire" I am enduring. I'm bracing for anything.

**** them, they can't keep me down for long!

Yes I would like to kill those regular staff nurses who are unfriendly to the agency nurses. Some regular staff nurses complain about overtime and being harrassed on their days off. Then these same nurses turn around and treat the agency nurses like dirt so they don't want to return. How stupid is that? :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire

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I have had several injuries in the past few years that cause me chronic pain. ICU has been my niche and so I've tried to stay in it. To me it has less physical stress than the general floors. Lately, all the stresses of my job have become too difficult. Some of it is due to me not tolerating the crap out there as well anymore (due to my own stresses) Some of it is the changing environment of hospitals today...very unsupportive, unfriendly, 'dumping' mentality. I left a staff position and went agency hoping I could handle it but it was not to be.

Thanks for everyone's well wishes. I am trying not to feel like a failure but it is hard. I am fortunate I was able to return to nursing at all following my injuries... and I try to tell myself that. :)

Now its time to stop the craziness. I need some time to decompress...maybe see my doctor about better pain control. The fact I was working in nursing kept me from getting stronger painkillers...but I need to reasess...also the depression and anxiety that I am feeling. Perhaps a visit to a counselor is in order too.

Thanks for listening all and hugs to everyone. :)

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If I were a full time employee, I would expect to get the easier assignements, and for the temporary staff to be given the harder ones. Obviously, a facility wants to keep their full timers, so why wouldn't they give them preferred treatment?

Also, I firmly believe that an agency staff should be able to walk in and do the work. None of this "orientation".

I have worked agency since 1987, and have watched the changes, both good and bad. Choosing agency work includes all that goes with it...the tougher assignments, sicker patients, pain in the ### jobs, etc.

However, we also get big "pros"...avoiding politics, no every 2 week inservices, meeting new people, constant learning, massive accumulation of varying skills.

It isn't easy, though, and I have to vent occasionally also.

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I have had several injuries in the past few years that cause me chronic pain. ICU has been my niche and so I've tried to stay in it. To me it has less physical stress than the general floors. Lately, all the stresses of my job have become too difficult. Some of it is due to me not tolerating the crap out there as well anymore (due to my own stresses) Some of it is the changing environment of hospitals today...very unsupportive, unfriendly, 'dumping' mentality. I left a staff position and went agency hoping I could handle it but it was not to be.

Thanks for everyone's well wishes. I am trying not to feel like a failure but it is hard. I am fortunate I was able to return to nursing at all following my injuries... and I try to tell myself that. :)

Now its time to stop the craziness. I need some time to decompress...maybe see my doctor about better pain control. The fact I was working in nursing kept me from getting stronger painkillers...but I need to reasess...also the depression and anxiety that I am feeling. Perhaps a visit to a counselor is in order too.

Thanks for listening all and hugs to everyone. :)

Hugs to you MattsMom.

You do what you can do, and let us know how we can help.

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I have had several injuries in the past few years that cause me chronic pain. ICU has been my niche and so I've tried to stay in it. To me it has less physical stress than the general floors. Lately, all the stresses of my job have become too difficult. Some of it is due to me not tolerating the crap out there as well anymore (due to my own stresses) Some of it is the changing environment of hospitals today...very unsupportive, unfriendly, 'dumping' mentality. I left a staff position and went agency hoping I could handle it but it was not to be.

Thanks for everyone's well wishes. I am trying not to feel like a failure but it is hard. I am fortunate I was able to return to nursing at all following my injuries... and I try to tell myself that. :)

Now its time to stop the craziness. I need some time to decompress...maybe see my doctor about better pain control. The fact I was working in nursing kept me from getting stronger painkillers...but I need to reasess...also the depression and anxiety that I am feeling. Perhaps a visit to a counselor is in order too.

Thanks for listening all and hugs to everyone. :)

Hugs to you MattsMom.

You do what you can do, and let us know how we can help.

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I'm sorry you are having such a tough time of it, Matt'sMom.

I know what you mean about floor nursing. It wears you out. I really don't know if I could even BE a nurse without my family to come home to. If I lived alone I don't think I could deal with the hostility, abuse, and B.S., either.....but I know I have my family waiting at home, thank the good Lord.

I have a wonderful husband, and knowing you are loved makes it so much easier.

It's a very sad situation for nurses when they have to endure the hostility most of us find today...my best wishes to you, MattsMom.

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I'm sorry you are having such a tough time of it, Matt'sMom.

I know what you mean about floor nursing. It wears you out. I really don't know if I could even BE a nurse without my family to come home to. If I lived alone I don't think I could deal with the hostility, abuse, and B.S., either.....but I know I have my family waiting at home, thank the good Lord.

I have a wonderful husband, and knowing you are loved makes it so much easier.

It's a very sad situation for nurses when they have to endure the hostility most of us find today...my best wishes to you, MattsMom.

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I've been given the most stable patients in the ICU's where I have done agency. I think the RN's are 'territorial' (sp?) as they SHOULD be in taking care of the criticals in their units. I can take care of a critical patient (the more drips, the merrier)....but, I'll only be there one night. That critical patient may be on their unit for some time.

So what if I get the 'ole confused guy that tries to get out of bed?....I take care of the same kind of patients at my full-time job on occasion. Last time I had a confused Hudini on agency shift, there was a sitter in the room the whole time. Not a bad gig.

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I've been given the most stable patients in the ICU's where I have done agency. I think the RN's are 'territorial' (sp?) as they SHOULD be in taking care of the criticals in their units. I can take care of a critical patient (the more drips, the merrier)....but, I'll only be there one night. That critical patient may be on their unit for some time.

So what if I get the 'ole confused guy that tries to get out of bed?....I take care of the same kind of patients at my full-time job on occasion. Last time I had a confused Hudini on agency shift, there was a sitter in the room the whole time. Not a bad gig.

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If I were a full time employee, I would expect to get the easier assignements, and for the temporary staff to be given the harder ones. Obviously, a facility wants to keep their full timers, so why wouldn't they give them preferred treatment?

Also, I firmly believe that an agency staff should be able to walk in and do the work. None of this "orientation".

I have worked agency since 1987, and have watched the changes, both good and bad. Choosing agency work includes all that goes with it...the tougher assignments, sicker patients, pain in the ### jobs, etc.

However, we also get big "pros"...avoiding politics, no every 2 week inservices, meeting new people, constant learning, massive accumulation of varying skills.

It isn't easy, though, and I have to vent occasionally also.

Okay, don't agree. As an agency nurse, I DON'T get bennies like the full-timers get. When you add up the benifits that they are getting, they are really making more money than I am during the shift. If the full-timers want to make the hourly wage, they can certainly become agency nurses themselves...they DON'T need to dish out "attitude" to those of us that do.

Really poor rationalization here.

Basically, if I'm treated poorly by staff....it is ME that DNR's that unit in that facility. I will not return if treated badly....and my agency totally backs me up on it. They've even opted NOT to send any more of their nurses to certain facilities when there is repeated abuse of scheduling and rudeness to their nurses. It is the facility that needs to straighten up in these cases...not the agency nurse. It's really ironic when they call my agency coordinator and "BEG" for nurses to be returned to their facility because they are so short.:p

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If I were a full time employee, I would expect to get the easier assignements, and for the temporary staff to be given the harder ones. Obviously, a facility wants to keep their full timers, so why wouldn't they give them preferred treatment?

Also, I firmly believe that an agency staff should be able to walk in and do the work. None of this "orientation".

I have worked agency since 1987, and have watched the changes, both good and bad. Choosing agency work includes all that goes with it...the tougher assignments, sicker patients, pain in the ### jobs, etc.

However, we also get big "pros"...avoiding politics, no every 2 week inservices, meeting new people, constant learning, massive accumulation of varying skills.

It isn't easy, though, and I have to vent occasionally also.

Okay, don't agree. As an agency nurse, I DON'T get bennies like the full-timers get. When you add up the benifits that they are getting, they are really making more money than I am during the shift. If the full-timers want to make the hourly wage, they can certainly become agency nurses themselves...they DON'T need to dish out "attitude" to those of us that do.

Really poor rationalization here.

Basically, if I'm treated poorly by staff....it is ME that DNR's that unit in that facility. I will not return if treated badly....and my agency totally backs me up on it. They've even opted NOT to send any more of their nurses to certain facilities when there is repeated abuse of scheduling and rudeness to their nurses. It is the facility that needs to straighten up in these cases...not the agency nurse. It's really ironic when they call my agency coordinator and "BEG" for nurses to be returned to their facility because they are so short.:p

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Oncology/Psych/College Health.
Basically, if I'm treated poorly by staff....it is ME that DNR's that unit in that facility. I will not return if treated badly....and my agency totally backs me up on it.

Exactly - the notion of dumping on fellow nurses is probably part of why a facility needs to use so much agency backup in the first place.

Again, anyone who is there to lend a hand is not going to get dumped on if I can help it. It *will* come around to bite you.

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