Is this normal for agency? (long)

nightingale, RN · Nov 3, 2005

I feel your pain :confused: ; similar happenings have come my way.

The Agency messed up and should pay you a minimum amount of time. My Agencies usually pay 4 hours minimum. I would also ask for mileage reimbursement.

As much I hate to remember (and it has been a long time) these things do happen. There a many things you can do along the way to prevent them from happening in the future :idea: (which you did not know at the time). I become very familiar with the scheduler and he/she with me (I have, in the past) brought them gifts like sodas and treats as thank you gifts. Know who the decision maker is, often it is the scheduler when you are working PRN or it may be the "Charge Nurse" or DON.

I now block book with facilities as a PRN Nurse. I also take short term contracts to fill in when there are long term needs (> a couple of weeks and up to four weeks). I also will fill in with a day/night here and there even when I have a contract.

I block book and am "on their normal schedule". This too can get botched up so I copy, put a revision date, make sure the scheduler knows what I am doing, make sure the scheduler has a copy, and make sure my Agency has a copy with the revision date. I have my Agency send me a confirmation and you can make sure the scheduler has a copy.

Most facilities have a call list. I have them put me on it for last minute calls etc (I get paid extra for these). I sometimes will check in with the scheduler before I drive in to confirm there are no last minute changes (till you are breaking in the facility and they are getting accustomed to you and you to them). If you get called in, find out at the time, if it is guaranteed hours etc.

Tis extra work for sure... I do get paid, 25-50% or more then regular staff so I find it well worth it. Lots of other reason why I prefer Agency too; they have little to do with compensation.

I hope this helps you... please let us know how you are doing

babynurselsa, RN · Nov 3, 2005

I might suggest hanging in there. Sometimes stuff happens.

It sounds like an error as far as your contact info. If your agency did not notify you that you were scheduled then they should pay you at least for a couple of hours. With my agency if they do not cancel me withing 2 hours of the shift I get paid for 4. If I show up at a facility and they decide they do not need me then they do have to pay me for 4 hours. They will usually keep you for the 4 since they have to pay for it anyway. Always make the appropriate person sign you time sheet even if they send you home as happened in the first shift. This shows that you arrived as scheduled. I would also make a note of who you spoke to at your agency by name that they infact did not cancel you.

Some facilities will book you way in advance and cancel at the last moment if they can cover the shift in house. I have a couple of hospitals that I work through that are notorious about this. I don't count on those shifts until I am there.

Another point is that since you are new to this facility, they don't know you yet. Get in there a couple of more times and if they decide that they like you they will be far less likely to cancel you. One of the places I just mentioned decided that they loved me and from then on I was rarely cancelled.

IF you find the chaos continues you might need to dtermine whether it is the agency or the facility.

Good luck.

mtnmom · Nov 3, 2005

Thanks for the replies and the suggestions.

I am still puzzled about being sent home halfway through the shift yesterday -there were no problems with my performance or anything like that. I think that bothers me almost more than being cancelled outright. There were definite staffing needs - they were busy!! It doesnt seem fair that someone who would not or could not come in when called in the am could suddenly change her mind and decide she could work the latter half of the shift.

The owner of my agency is who did the bookings and who I spoke with regarding the snafu last week - they are rectifying that , although will only pay me for 2 hrs per their terms. I notified him of what happened yesterday and he did not seem pleased with the facility's action...was going to talk to his contact person there but I ahve not heard back from him.

Guess I just need to learn the ropes a little better. thanks again.

Katnip, RN · Nov 3, 2005

I agree it doesn't seem fair, but the hospital was probably looking at their own bottom line. It was a lot cheaper for them to send you home than to bring in their own staffer at probably a third or less than what they were paying you.

babynurselsa, RN · Nov 3, 2005

Hospitals will always try to minimize their use of agency when possible. Do not look at this as an issue of your performance. They found a core staffer who costs them less than you do to complete the shift.

Remember that you are not core staff so staff always trumps you.

Don't take things like this personally. Just go in and do your best and things will work out. Hospitals tend to remember the good agency nurses as well as the bad.

I am glad to see that your agency is taking care of you for the original snafu.

One of the hazards of agency is that you are not GUARANTEED anything, one of the reasons we make more.

Jolie, BSN · Nov 3, 2005

Hospitals will always try to minimize their use of agency when possible. Do not look at this as an issue of your performance. They found a core staffer who costs them less than you do to complete the shift.
Remember that you are not core staff so staff always trumps you.
Don't take things like this personally. Just go in and do your best and things will work out. Hospitals tend to remember the good agency nurses as well as the bad.
I am glad to see that your agency is taking care of you for the original snafu.
One of the hazards of agency is that you are not GUARANTEED anything, one of the reasons we make more.

I agree with the point made here, but can't imagine that your agency doesn't have a clause in its contract with the facility to prevent this kind of thing from happening.

I used to manage a small Level II NICU, and have some experience with scheduling agency nurses. I HAD to give 24 hours notice of cancellation, and could not REQUIRE an agency nurse to leave part-way thru a shift, regardless of what happened to our census or staffing. On one occasion, our census went from 12 down to 2 in less than 24 hours. Since I hadn't given 24hours notice, I had to allow the agency nurse to come in. (We called and asked if she was willing to be cancelled, but she wasn't.) Our own hospital policy required that at least one of our own staff nurses be on duty at all times, so I had to pay the agency RN and another RN to care for 1 stable baby each. I don't even want to think about how much that cost!

babynurselsa, RN · Nov 3, 2005

Wow Jolie that agency finagled a great deal for them. I have worked with several agencies and the facility has until 2 hours before beginning of shift to cancel and one you show up they are obligated to 4 hours. If you show up and they forgot to cancel they have to pay for 4 hours regardless of whether they keep you or not. Most will find something for you to do for that time since they are gonna pay for it anyway.

Now a contract nurse is an entire other animal. If you are contracted to a facility then there is a clause in the contract usually for a guaranteed number of hours per week. Say I am contracted to work 36 hours a week for you. You can send me home for low staffing but I am still getting paid for 36 hours this week. In this event a core person may get sent home. I have encountered this as a core staff in the past when census got very low.

TinyNurse, RN · Nov 7, 2005

That sucks that the agency didn't cancel you ahead of time, and you showed up at the hospital. You should get paid a few hours minimum just for driving. (I've seen this happen more than once)

Most likely you didn't get sent home because of your preformance or anything like that, because when census drops agency are usually the first ones to get flexed out. or in your case, yes the floor would rather pay their own staff than agency.

I don't know how the pay goes in that instance, because i don't think you are guaranteed hours with local agencies unless you have a contract.

I don't think the agency is bad ( ummmm except for not cancelling you 2 hrs ahead of time on the first day), but it's more than likely the hospital not having their stuff together when it comes to staffing.

webbiedebbie · Nov 8, 2005

With my limited experience as an agency nurse, if I was not cancelled and got there only to find out they didn't need me, I would get 2 hours of pay.

If census goes down, I am the first to be sent home, and I would only be paid for hours worked.

I was given 2 days orientation regardless of census.

My agency screwed up many times, often calling on my days off to say I was confirmed at a hospital. One time they had the wrong hospital confirmed when I was scheduled at another hospital!

I kept on for awhile because of the weekly pay, then I got a PRN position at a hospital where I didn't have to worry about scheduling getting me mixed up.

Hairstylingnurse · Nov 8, 2005

So what exactly does your orientation consist of??? Is it like when you start at a hospital or ltcf and you shadow a nurse? Is it enough for you to feel comfortable? I'm just doing the private duty for a paralyzed peds pt. with trach from cva due to brain tumors. I am happy with it but need a little more work so am thinking of the hospital which I have been out of for a few years. But not really sure if that is the way to go for me. Decisions, decisions.:)

babynurselsa, RN · Nov 8, 2005

In most places it is a quick tour to show you where supplies are and a look at the paperwork. The facilities are not interested in training an agency nurse, they want you to basically be able to function with a minimum of fuss.