For those without a job, have you tried...

For those without a job, have you tried a nursing staff agency? For those who have tried this, please share your experiences and opinions.

Thank you,

BJ

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

Are you referring to nurses in general or new grads? Most agencies require at least two years experience before they hire.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

for those without a job, have you tried a nursing staff agency? for those who have tried this, please share your experiences and opinions.

thank you,

bj

do you mean a temp/travel agency for nurses??? as the other poster reports, new grads do not count for most travel assignments (most agencies do not talk to you with less then 1 year of work experience). plus, for nurses who have not worked in a while, some agencies will not talk to you without 1 year of recent work experience.

[evolvingrn, BSN, RN]

there are some angencies around here that will let new grads work as lpns without experience....but then they can't be hired by the places they go for 6 months so they end up narrowing the field.

[Blackheartednurse]

I'm working for a home health agency.Doing ok.

ps.BTW I'm a new grad,dont let people discourage you,try it out for yourself.

[GM2RN]

I'm working for a home health agency.Doing ok.

ps.BTW I'm a new grad,dont let people discourage you,try it out for yourself.

I believe the OP was asking about staffing agencies, something altogether different than home health agencies, kind of like a recruiter but not those employed by hospitals.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I have had my RN license for six months, and I've been an LVN for more than four years.

Since I currently have less than one year of RN experience, the agencies in my area will not hire me under the RN license. And now that I have earned my RN license, the same agencies will not send me on assignments under my LVN license anymore because I will be held to the standards of the highest level of licensure that I hold (the RN license).

So, I'm presently stuck between a rock and a hard place until I accrue that magical one year of RN experience.

[onetiredmomma]

Staffing agencies are feast or famine for hours. Before you can start (at least in Colordo) you have to do a drug screen and have a security background check.... Then computer charting classes for the various facilities.... Even if I am block booked i am first to be canceled when hospital census drops. I am not qualified for ICU or PACU so that could be part of the reason I get canceled soooo much. Not knowing until 5am if I am working that day makes it hard to plan anything.

[SDALPN]

I am still looking for work. I got hired on with one agency who said they had work for me. Once I was hired the lady told me she had a job in a peds clinic that would fit well with my skills. So then she tells me she needs my resume. I sent it to them when I first applied. So apparently she lost my resume at some point. After that I found out that they couldn't use me for that clinic because I didn't have clinic experience and she thought I did. Between sending my resume and telling her I had 5 years of PDN experience with a little hospital experience mixed in, how did she get that I had worked in a clinic? So all that work to get hired for nothing. Oh, I didn't mention they wanted my immunization records and all sorts of things I've never been asked for. It took 3 weeks to get those records and cost money as well. This was from a very well known nursing agency.

Coming from doing PDN/home health I wasn't surprised that they claimed they had tons of work and only had one thing once I was hired. The rest was a bit rediculous though. Still looking for work... I'm not even that picky.

Edit: Wanted to add that they also told me I'd have to call 2 hours before my shift and when I arrived at the site and I could be canceled without pay or compensation for travel to the location at either of those times. My thought was that they double book and play favorites if both show up. But I'm not one to not show up for a shift.

[hope3456, ASN, RN]

Staffing agencies are similar to used car salesmen........

[indigonurse]

In CA if an agency calls you to work and you show up, find out your are canceled they have to pay you for either two or four hours it's been a while so I forgot company policy does not overide our state employment law. I actually took a home health agency to court about this and won. I proved that I showed up at the job because I had signed some stuff and when they did the investigation the facility vouched for me. Don't know how that works where you live.

[nurse0520]

Yes I tried agencys but they wanted someone with experience. had none, they did not even count being a cna