How does "the registry" work?

JR816, BSN, RN · Jun 13, 2006

I am curious too. I never heard of a registry. Is it similar to a PRN position??

TazziRN, RN · Jun 13, 2006

Registry is agency work. Kind of like working as a temp. You go to whatever facility needs a nurse for a shift.

KatCal · Jun 13, 2006

Ok... So how do you find an agency? Is there one? More than one? Names of them??

TazziRN, RN · Jun 13, 2006

Word of mouth.....find out who your facility uses.......look it up in the phone book if you're in a big town/city......look on line......

Midwest4me · Jun 13, 2006

Ok... So how do you find an agency? Is there one? More than one? Names of them??

Look in the phone book under "Nursing"; agencies are listed there--at least in my city. There will usually be a number of them--especially if you're in a large city.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Jun 13, 2006

In most places, there is a difference between registry and agency nurses.

Agency nurses work for an outside company and are hired as temp workers in various hospitals.

Registry nurses are in-house, like float pool. They only work at one hospital (or sometimes more if they are sister hospitals run by the same people). Sometimes they only work on one particular floor or unit, other times they go throughout the hospital wherever help is needed. They usually have to have a good amount of previous nursing experience in these areas before they are allowed to be part of the float pool or in-house registry.

Altra, BSN, RN · Jun 14, 2006

In most places, there is a difference between registry and agency nurses.
Agency nurses work for an outside company and are hired as temp workers in various hospitals.
Registry nurses are in-house, like float pool. They only work at one hospital (or sometimes more if they are sister hospitals run by the same people). Sometimes they only work on one particular floor or unit, other times they go throughout the hospital wherever help is needed. They usually have to have a good amount of previous nursing experience in these areas before they are allowed to be part of the float pool or in-house registry.

Agree.

Haunted · Jun 14, 2006

You can also access the specialty nurse forum here titled "Agency" nursing and review some different registries. I have been with Kforce forever and am real happy with the facilities I go to. It's nice to able to work the shifts you want, where you want.

The pay is higher and you get to keep your skills sharp in many areas of nursing.

catlady, BSN, RN · Jun 14, 2006

In most places, there is a difference between registry and agency nurses.
Agency nurses work for an outside company and are hired as temp workers in various hospitals.
Registry nurses are in-house, like float pool. They only work at one hospital (or sometimes more if they are sister hospitals run by the same people). Sometimes they only work on one particular floor or unit, other times they go throughout the hospital wherever help is needed. They usually have to have a good amount of previous nursing experience in these areas before they are allowed to be part of the float pool or in-house registry.

In my last state, registry was a specific organization that nurses had to *pay* to join. As opposed to agency, which most facilities usually referred to as "pool," even though I think of pool as in-house nurses.

In my current state, they use the term "registry" to mean agency.

There is no "most places," methinks.

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Jun 14, 2006

For me, being agency...a registry is someone that works PRN position in a hospital or is on-call...

Agency is just that..agency. We work with outside companies that contact workers to work PRN at facilities. But it is possible for some people to work at a facility exclusively like I do considered 'registry'...because I have worked there long enough, know that hospital like the other nurses...but they still have to contract out with me with my agency...so the term can mean more than one thing at times.