Need Advice

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Specializes in LTC, Private Duty.

Hi, I'm struggling with a dilemma and I'm hoping for some advice. I work for a popular home care agency. They don't pay well at all, but I enjoy private duty, so I never complained. I'm on a case that I really like and the family is so nice, which makes work life pleasant for me. The case I'm on uses two different agencies, because of staffing issues. I got friendly with the nurses from the other agency. And I found out their pay rate. Which is significantly better than what my agency pays, doing the same job. So, I really want to jump on board with the other agency, but I'm worried about how that would effect a future reference from my current agency, etc. Also, I want to stay on the same case. My desired outcome is to move to dayshift with the other agency (I'm currently on evenings). And just quit the current agency all together. But right now, there's no dayshift openings with the other agency. I was thinking of calling the other agency and telling them that I'd like to pick up dayshift with them, if or when it opens up. What do you think? Is that risky? What would you do?

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I would contact the new agency and see what they can offer you.  I have done PRN home health as a second job for years now and have changed agencies a few times to stay with my current patient. I have never had any issues of leaving an agency, getting references etc. 

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Specializes in LTC, Private Duty.

Hi, thanks for your response! It gave me the courage to call the other agency today. And they do have dayshift with my client! I'm just curious, what were the circumstances that had you moving to another agency on the same client?

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17 hours ago, MTRNlove said:

Hi, thanks for your response! It gave me the courage to call the other agency today. And they do have dayshift with my client! I'm just curious, what were the circumstances that had you moving to another agency on the same client?

Parents decided to change agencies because the new agency could handle most of the care for their child from PT, RT, supplies etc.  When they decided to change agencies the parents asked me if I would be willing to change and I agreed as long as my pay wasn't affected and I could continue as PRN making my own schedule - it all worked out for both of us. 

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Specializes in LTC, Private Duty.

Thank you, was the old agency understanding about that?

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Yes, very understanding. My experience with Home health is that there always seems to be a high turnover of staff - from nurses to the office staff.  No hard feelings from the old agency - I still get the occasional call/text to see if I am interested in picking up extra shifts with them. 

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Specializes in Home Health,Peds.

I am pretty sure it isn’t allowed, esp if you signed a contract in the beginning prior to working for this agency.

My agency does not allow this, but some nurses were able to get away with it in the past. 
 

You can still see what the other agency would offer you first. Because to be honest, just because they pay the other nurse well does not  mean they will pay you the same rate. Agencies or notorious for offering nurses different rates. Years ago I was speaking with another RN from my agency during shift change and she was making $4 less than I was. I was glad to help her out.

In the past , I talked to a few agencies but there was always something. Either they did not want to pay me the same rate as the other nurses, or the benefits and time off were so crappy that I stayed with the lower paying but excellent benefits and PTO with my current agency. 

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Specializes in LTC, Private Duty.

Oh no, I guess I'll find out if my agency allows this. But I won't know until I give my current agency notice, which is gonna be a little nerve wracking.

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4 hours ago, Googlenurse said:

I am pretty sure it isn’t allowed, esp if you signed a contract in the beginning prior to working for this agency.

My agency does not allow this, but some nurses were able to get away with it in the past. 
 

 

Yes, you are correct, If there is a contract involved you may have a problem.

But in all my years (15+ years) working Home Health I have never had to sign a contract to work, so this has never been an issue.  I guess I have been lucky.  

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Specializes in LTC, Private Duty.

I don't recall signing a contract. There's a lot of paperwork when I first got hired, so I may have signed something and forgot about it. Don't know what I'm gonna do from here...

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

When we signed our timeslips, there was a little blurb on the back that said essentially,  you understand, if you leave the agency, you can not work with the same patient for 90 days. And signing that timeslip made it legally binding. But that was years ago, so, I dunno. Just my two cents.

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Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.

I had an agency just add that contract to their policies. I happened to ask for a copy of the policies because I hadn't seen it in years. (They just kept the policies in the office - before widespread computer use - and told us we could come in any time to read them . . .)

Yeah, I found out that I couldn't work on my client for another agency unless I first went 6 months without being assigned to him.

Read your contract and your agency's policies.

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