How to quit an agency?

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I have been working for them for several months. The only place they send me is a women's prison which I absolutely hate. I am suppose to work tonight and am scheduled the rest of the month 1 day a week per my availability I turned in a month or so ago. I applied for hospice and asked about mens prisons and other areas but I feel they are so money drive by each office they refuse to give me info and shrug my questions off.

I can not take it another night, I dread the thought of having to go back to this place. It's not that it's that bad as a job per say, but several reasons why I dread it:

Being locked in a "Pill Room" for 12 hours. You finish your work in a matter of 2 hours, sit there for 8 hours, pass pills for an hour then wait for the next shift.

Unairconditioned 99% of the time. This is a killer for me. Sitting there sweating my ass off, trying to find relief.

I am a male nurse and as such do not feel it appropriate nor safe to work the infirmory/ER or any area where I am in direct contact with the female inmates. They (Jailers) do a great job ensuring we are never alone, but still inherent danger of accusations flying and unneeded stress.

I am used to a busy medical/surgical floor at a hospital. As I said I am scheduled to work tonight, and I truely feel bad for doing this but I need to know how I should go about telling them I quit. I think I want to leave this agency as a whole as they have not been doing a good job at staffing us lately (saying we are confirmed for a shift then getting to the site and being told we are not on schedule happening a LOT lately).

Any info or knowledge greatly appreciated, thank you.

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Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.

I don't have much experience in this but I would think that as long as you didn't sign some type of contract you can just give your two weeks and get it over with.

Just my .02. :D

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

While two weeks would be professional I am looking more short term of...todays notice lol ;)

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Specializes in ED, LTC, ICU.

Just call them up today and say u are resigning effectively NOW!!! Hey.. good thing is that it is an agency so as long as u are SURE you will not need them again...just quit now! Just make sure u dont use them as a reference. END OF STORY!

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Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.

If that is the case, then I say just dash it all and say adios. I did that with a part time job they were seriously getting on my nerves. It was a Friday and I told them they could shove it, and don't call me because I was NEVER coming back. And I haven't.

I never put them on my resume though. When asked, I say that period I was taking an extended vacation. :D

But you might want to be nicer than that.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I just got the agency job PRN for some extra cash, and it did pay very well. But I work full time at a hospital now for 5 years and it is secure work. Pay sucks but secure and it doesn't bother me like the prison does ;) Thank yuo for the advice!

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Specializes in med/surg, ER, camp nursing.

Giving your notice before your shift today would be very frowned upon, even for agency. Will you be using them as a reference in the future? A 2 week notice is the most professional way to go. But if you are truly that miserable I would talk to them and see if you can get out of this assignment after tonight's shift. Agree to work somewhere else during the next 2 weeks, but that you don't want to work a the prison anymore.

Good Luck

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

About to call and talk to them, will post the end results. I have tried to find other assignments with them but as I said they just shrug questions off.

Only thing I can come up with is each office controls certain assignments in the area and they get profits from it, so they don't want to lose any nurses to other offices.

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Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.

Have fun with that! :D

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If you want to quit the agency, give them two weeks notice then work your notice out.

If you want to be assigned to someplace other than the prison, tell them the things about the assignment that bother you. Why are you locked in a room? Why can't you have any freedom of movement, at least around the medical unit? Further, it is unhealthy and unsafe to be locked in an unventilated room for hours on end, sweating your buns off, grossly uncomfortable and sending your lytes off kilter. Do the people in your agency know that the conditions are like that? Make sure that they do. You don't work for the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, for crying out loud!

If they still don't want to reassign you or tell you they can't do it, tell 'em adios in two weeks. And don't look back.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

They were actually cool about it. Didn't want me to quit the agency but took me off the assignment at the prison. The office manager in another city was suppose to call but didn't, but I am not going to make anything of it.

We will see if they find another assignment. If not o well.

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