I'm sick to my eyeballs of incompetent agency nurses.

[bulletproofbarb]

:angryfire

I am sick and tired of having to work with incompetent agency nurses. Ones that have no clue what to do but take the shift anyway because it's money.

I'm sick of having to teach them stuff, I am not there to teach them, I am happy to teach our own nurses but not agency nurses. If they feel they are suitable enough for agency, then it is their responsibility to make sure they have the skills not mine.

I'm sick of having to pick up the pieces and listen to complaints from relatives about them. I have had a gutful.

I'd rather work shortstaffed that watch someone do the bear minimum or nothing yet getting paid better. It really irritates me.

I hate it.I have had a gutful. I am ready to crack up.

I think that standards to become an agency nurse need to be raised. I've recently bumped into someone who has been out of the hospital system for 7 years and has come back through agency. She ended up on our ward and couldn't cope. Tonights idiot didn't know he had to empty the catheter bag of the bladderwashout and it burst. Considering they hold 4 litres, you can imagine the mess. He didn't know how to get a patient ready for theatre and a patient who was in pain was told by him to wait for another 2 hours until the medication was due again. Didn't know how to do a NJJ feed. It's appauling.

So I spoke to the manager who said he'd make a note to say he wasn't suitable, but I know from past experience it won't happen.

Then the agency nurse got offended when I told him he shouldn't take placements on a surgical ward if he doesn't normally work surgical. He said he worked medical. I don't bloody care if he is offended, that is his problem not mine.

[kcatwoman22]

That agency they worked for should have known her experience level. We are constantly being tested on competency for a unit. Obviously she never was tested or she lied about her experience level. No agency nurse should work in an area that they are not familiar. I completely understand this situation.

[NoCrumping]

I am ALWAYS assigned the most difficult patient, the PITA call light jockey with the annoying family members etc. and rarely get a CNA. Mostly I see looks of sympathy on the staffers faces!

I am not an angency nurse, nor have I had to deal with any because my facility refuses to utulize them (union). But, the fact that agency nurses are given the least desirable assignments seems acceptable to me... for one, they are getting paid much much more then staff, and two, they are NOT staff, they are agency, there to pick the times when it is convenient to work, and ASSIST that unit/facility with their current patient load. Would it be fair for an agency nurse to float into a facility she is not on staff at, pick the cream of the crop of assignments, get paid sometimes double the regular staff, and besides all this be given the opportunity to hand pick her shiftS and ASSIGNMENTS? That doesnt seem right to me......Pros and cons to agency like everything else... they have flexibilty about when/where to work, get much higher pay rates, but they take tougher/annoying pt loads while doing this. Most are willing to make this trade off, or we wouldnt have agency nurses to begin with. However, of course I dont agree with giving ANY nurse, agency or not, an UNSAFE assignment.

[bloviate]

the fact that agency nurses are given the least desirable assignments seems acceptable to me... for one, they are getting paid much much more then staff, and two, they are NOT staff, they are agency, there to pick the times when it is convenient to work, and ASSIST that unit/facility with their current patient load. Would it be fair for an agency nurse to float into a facility she is not on staff at, pick the cream of the crop of assignments, get paid sometimes double the regular staff, and besides all this be given the opportunity to hand pick her shiftS and ASSIGNMENTS? That doesnt seem right to me......

I read your post.

It seems to me that you're looking for reasons to justify the abuse of temporary help. As far as I know there's no justification for abusing people. That's the way I was taught anyhow.

[nicholrwalker]

I am ALWAYS assigned the most difficult patient, the PITA call light jockey with the annoying family members etc. and rarely get a CNA. Mostly I see looks of sympathy on the staffers faces!

I am not an angency nurse, nor have I had to deal with any because my facility refuses to utulize them (union). But, the fact that agency nurses are given the least desirable assignments seems acceptable to me... for one, they are getting paid much much more then staff, and two, they are NOT staff, they are agency, there to pick the times when it is convenient to work, and ASSIST that unit/facility with their current patient load. Would it be fair for an agency nurse to float into a facility she is not on staff at, pick the cream of the crop of assignments, get paid sometimes double the regular staff, and besides all this be given the opportunity to hand pick her shiftS and ASSIGNMENTS? That doesnt seem right to me......Pros and cons to agency like everything else... they have flexibilty about when/where to work, get much higher pay rates, but they take tougher/annoying pt loads while doing this. Most are willing to make this trade off, or we wouldnt have agency nurses to begin with. However, of course I dont agree with giving ANY nurse, agency or not, an UNSAFE assignment.

What type of nut are you? I do not think agency nurses should get the "cream of the crop" assignments but why make an assignment that would make a nurse not come back? I have been places where the floors have been understaffed, and they offer more money to go there, and I see why. If you do not treat people properly they will not come back and help...and do not forget they are there to HELP...not be abused, agency has the choice not to go back and they wont, leaving the floors understaffed, which is dangerous as well.:angryfire :angryfire

[grammyr]

I am sick of incompetent staff nurses. The ones who are lazy, and how dare you ask a question about her or his patient. The luxury of an agency nurse from a supervisor point of view is that you can send them home and tell the agency not to send them back. Our facility uses very little agency, but my experience with them has been 99% positive. We are usually so grateful to have the help that we give them the better patients especially if it is their first time at our facility. We usually have the same nurses ask to come back.

In the past 5 years as relief supervisor I have sent two packing before the shift got started good. One was for inappropriate dress(street clothes) and the other was about 2 hours late.

[Haunted]

I am sick of incompetent staff nurses. The ones who are lazy, and how dare you ask a question about her or his patient. The luxury of an agency nurse from a supervisor point of view is that you can send them home and tell the agency not to send them back. Our facility uses very little agency, but my experience with them has been 99% positive. We are usually so grateful to have the help that we give them the better patients especially if it is their first time at our facility. We usually have the same nurses ask to come back.

In the past 5 years as relief supervisor I have sent two packing before the shift got started good. One was for inappropriate dress(street clothes) and the other was about 2 hours late.

The "luxury" of agency? Wow! I don't have a regular paycheck or benefits that I can count on when census is low. I don't have the comraderie that goes with being on staff. No one throws me a pot luck when it's my birthday.

I'm not on a pity party for those issues, it's the choice I made to work agency and believe me it has it's very specific drawbacks. We may go weeks without picking up a shift. We get up, shower, drive to the facility and upon signing in, are told to go home, they are staffed OK Thank-You-Very-Much!

As far as the "how dare we comment on a staffers care of a patient", believe me we are not bashing you professionally. We see things much more onjectively and do bring the benefit of experience to you. If you knew us personally would it soften the blow if we questioned your delay in medicating your patient for pain?

Many staff nurses I have worked with, MANY by the way, all complain that they feel stuck in a rut, express frustration over administration tactics, schedules, feel out of touch with new technology that would benefit the unit, make things easier for nurses to do their jobs, etc. I can sympathize and understand. I have also recruited a lot of staffers to my registry and they can't THANK ME ENOUGH!!!! I would not have recruited them if I didn't think they were COMPETENT!!!!

Another point, if I may... lot's of nurses enjoy the transition from one dynamic of nursing to another. Let's say you work ICU and want to try ER. Your qualified. All we ask is that you give us a little "house tour" when we get there, point out some charting "bullets" and show a little human kindness. You provide that to your patients or you wouldn't be a nurse right? So why treat your fellow nurse any differently?

[nicholrwalker]

Haunted...you were right on the money.

[fergus51]

Haunted, I think that she is saying from a supervisor's point of view agency are nice because it is easier to only take competent agency nurses than to get rid of incompetent staff nurses. That didn't sound like an insult to agency nurses at all.

[thorRN]

To the original poster - you say that you'ld rather go home without pay than work with an agency nurse. Perhpas you should go home with a sick headache, or leposy attack or something or other--you'ld be less likely to blow an aneurysm.

It sounds like the problem is with the staffing "powers that be." I have worked as an agency nurse in the past also, and have had not problems except for the attitudes of some of the nurses such as you have voiced. I tend to be quite flexible, so have always had a "can-do" attitude.

Some nurses are great, some not so great. I'm sure that nurse you had to deal with won't be back any time soon. And, if he is, you too have an option...

[grammyr]

Haunted,

My post was NOT intended to be a slap at agency nurses. Of the agency nurses I have worked with only one was sent packing. The rest I really enjoyed. You all do have a different perspective and that is much needed at times. I have gotten valuable information from agency nurses, some of which made my job a little easier.

If I offended you, I am truly sorry. That was not my intention.

[70sCat]

Agency nurses have to complete competencies that are far more rigorous and involved than the NCLEX, yearly. I also am drug tested and must submit a physical clearance from my physician. Every new facility or unit I am assigned I must also pass competencies and have them signed off by the charge nurse.

My charting is scrutinized regularly by medical records, in fact at most facilities all registry charts are reviewed . I am required to wear a badge that identifies me as registry, along with my skill level (RN). Being registry by choice takes a special kind of person, as well as nurse. We have to smile more, have no one to complain to in regards to rude treatment by staff, are frequently left to our own devices when we enter a new unit. We must locate equipment, supplies and fly by the seat of our pants with little or no support from the staffers.

Because I maintain a cheerful and helpful attitude I feel I am well received by many staffers. If I ask for help it is because it is in the patients best interest, moving them in bed, a complicated dressing change, filling out some documentation that is specific to this facility etc. If a staff nurse is downright rude to me or condecending, or has me in their sights out of some preconceived resentment over the money I make or the freedom I have to work my own shifts and locations I must work doubly hard to get along with them, thus taking time away from patient care.

Overall, I agree with many sentiments expressed in this thread and must add that as nurses, we are on a mission to look out for our patients, but also support each other in doing our jobs. We are the "new kids" in class and it can be an isolating and overwhelming experience. Still, we are willing to put ourselves out there in your line of fire and it's with the very best intentions.

I would ask on behalf of all my agency partners that you, as a staff nurse familiar with equipment, it's location, charting and local policies offer a helping hand when we ask, we aren't there to make your jobs harder, only hoping to be accepted as the professionals that we are.

Amen to that. Agency nurses are called in to fill for a staffing shortage, yet it surprises me how poorly agency nurses are often treated by hospital staff. Speaking as a former agency nurse, we were often 'dumped on', given the worst and most difficult patients on the floor. The staff were often resentful for whatever reason and hesitant to help when requested.

It's very difficult and unnerving for agency nurses going into an unfamiliar facility, not knowing where anything is located, unfamiliar with the rounding docs, unfamiliar with the staff nurses and floor routines. Also, it's a given that no matter how long you've been a nurse, there are still some things/procedures that you've never done or haven't done often and need some assistance with. I believe I'd much rather an unsure nurse ask how to do something than for her to just go and do it anyway because she's met with resistance from the staff when asking for help. After all, isn't working together in the patient's best interest?

The pay isn't always better than staff pay either. I had to work per diem for a variety of reasons and my agency would, without fail, cancel me enough during the month to prevent me from getting health insurance and other benefits through them. Not good when you have SLE and are trying to support a family.

Things aren't always as they appear from the outside.

[70sCat]

I have no problem helping agency nurses with finding things, charting, etc. I do have a problem when we get a GERIATRIC nurse working in the NICU!!! Yes, this happened at my hospital. Those rigorous yearly testing and competency evaluations are apparently not all that impossible to bypass if a geriatrics nurse can wind up in the NICU. Those people drive me insane and they give a bad name to others. We have also had several agency nurses claim to have NICU experience only to find out they were really newborn nursery nurses.

I think this has more to do with who's assigning the nurses to their work areas than who's qualified to do the job. Aren't the agency assignments done by someone within your hospital like the Nursing Supervisor or Administrator? My agency never did our floor/unit assignments. The hospital's Nursing Supervisor or Administrator on Duty did.