Have you ever worked through a agency?

NedRN · Mar 5, 2014

Don't do it until you are comfortable in a specialty. You need a staff job first.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 8, 2014

I feel like I am posting this a lot lately...

Most agencies will not touch new grads. Agencies expect their nurses to be proficient in their area of practice. Orientation is often only a shift or two and is more the "here's where everything is located” type of orientation than Nursing 101. Most agencies don't have the desire or resources to teach a new grad their first year of nursing because doing that won't make them money.

A nurse ready to hit the ground running after a shift of orientation is a money-maker for an agency; their having to hold the hand of a new grad as they learn their first year of nursing is not. The goal of the agency is to make money, so guess who they're going to go with?

That being said, there are a few agencies--mostly home health--that may take on a new grad. If you find one, ask about the type, quality and length of orientation and training that you will receive. The reality is that you are NOT going to get the same caliber of orientation and training that you would in a hospital’s new grad program, and you will be expected to function independently very quickly. Also, keep in mind that should something happen while you are on assignment, YOU and not your agency will be held accountable. So if you decide to do this as a new grad, you do so at your own risk.

Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear. Best of luck in the job hunt.

SDALPN · Mar 8, 2014

I feel like I am posting this a lot lately...
Most agencies will not touch new grads. Agencies expect their nurses to be proficient in their area of practice. Orientation is often only a shift or two and is more the "here's where everything is located” type of orientation than Nursing 101. Most agencies don't have the desire or resources to teach a new grad their first year of nursing because doing that won't make them money.
A nurse ready to hit the ground running after a shift of orientation is a money-maker for an agency; their having to hold the hand of a new grad as they learn their first year of nursing is not. The goal of the agency is to make money, so guess who they're going to go with?
That being said, there are a few agencies--mostly home health--that may take on a new grad. If you find one, ask about the type, quality and length of orientation and training that you will receive. The reality is that you are NOT going to get the same caliber of orientation and training that you would in a hospital’s new grad program, and you will be expected to function independently very quickly. Also, keep in mind that should something happen while you are on assignment, YOU and not your agency will be held accountable. So if you decide to do this as a new grad, you do so at your own risk.
Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear. Best of luck in the job hunt.

Very well said. I agree 100%. PDN agency can't hire new grads either because medicare/medicaid require a year of experience to do the job. Reason being, you are alone on the case with no safety net. So you need experience to do the job. Keep trying and you'll find something.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 8, 2014

I remember when I was a new grad and applied at an agency (I didn't know then what I do now). I submitted my resume online. A woman from the agency called me back and asked about my experience. When I told her I was a new grad, she GROANED into the phone. I was like, "well, you have my resume, you know I'm a new grad, why are you surprised?" Still, that reaction pretty much killed my spirits for the rest of that day.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Mar 9, 2014

Medicare/Medicaid can NOT dictate who a company can hire. Reputable agencies require at least a year of experience simply because you are out on your own. Most new grads are ill equipped to work without supervision and/or training.

SDALPN · Mar 9, 2014

Medicare/Medicaid can NOT dictate who a company can hire. Reputable agencies require at least a year of experience simply because you are out on your own. Most new grads are ill equipped to work without supervision and/or training.

Wrong! They can and do require the nurses to have a year of experience to do PDN. Look it up. I have read it for myself. A good, reputable agency will require a year of experience. Make sure you are informed. It is fraud if medicare/medicaid thinks they are paying for an experienced nurse when they are not. It can land the nurse in big trouble.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Mar 10, 2014

SDALPN....you are not only incorrect, you are incredibly rude.

I worked for an agency as a new grad but that was when new grads actually were prepared to hit the floor running.

NedRN · Mar 10, 2014

Be nice guys. This is a disagreement on facts, and it doesn't sound like either of you are conversant with current Medicare rules. Just because an agency does or does not hire you doesn't prove anything about rules, especially if it is non Medicare patients involved.

I admit I don't know what such rules are either, the only impact I've ever felt is a warning to hold my documents for three years due to possible Medicare review. If I were to just guess, I would say that Medicare wouldn't care about private duty but the nursing board might be concerned if a nurse accepts an assignment they are not qualified for. In any case, I think this is a strictly academic argument for all concerned here. Currently I doubt any reputable agency would care to hire a new grad as there is a decent supply of experienced nurses in most places.

SDALPN · Mar 10, 2014

SDALPN....you are not only incorrect, you are incredibly rude.
I worked for an agency as a new grad but that was when new grads actually were prepared to hit the floor running.

I'm not rude, I'm blunt and say it like it is. That's my personality. Like it or don't. This is not about me, but about the facts. As I stated earlier, I have read it. It's in writing from medicare/medicaid which makes it fact. It's just the way it is.

SDALPN · Mar 10, 2014

I'm looking for the other link. But this one shows where they require 2 years of experience for the PDN supervisor.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncdhhs.gov%2Fdma%2Fservices%2FPrivate_Duty_Nursing%2520(2).ppt&ei=iUAdU-fTA5D7kQeJ1oGQCw&usg=AFQjCNG-FMIQYImhIN1SdYOM5QOAIt6dcw

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Mar 10, 2014

To answer the OP: as stated, agencies do not hire new grads; cast your net wide and keep looking; once you get 1-2 years of experience, then you can work with an agency.

Best wishes.