need a CRUCIAL advise..HELP!!!!!!

[ladybabylyn]

im going to take my exam for the nclex rn soon, an agency offer me to work with them with the rate of $20/hr here in illinois even without my cgfns..is the offer ok? anyway im a foreign nurse i dnt have a cgfns yet and thats why i applied for california for the exam. what do u think? thanks for a legal advice...GOD BLESS US ALL

[Jolie, BSN]

Are you a new or experienced RN? I would not recommend agency work for anyone without at least 2 years of RN experience, as agency nurses are expected to function independently with very little orientation to the facility or the unit. If you are a new RN, there are plenty of reputable hospitals and long-term care facilities that would consider hiring you and would then provide you with orientation specific to the unit where you choose to work.

Secondly, most new graduate RN's are starting out at $20 or more per hour in the Chicago area and surrounding suburbs. So a salary of $20/hr. for agency work seems very low. Agencies typically pay substantially more per hour than regular staff nurse jobs, because of the expectation that agency nurses will be experienced, capable of independent practice without orientation, and in some cases, willing to work on a different unit or in a different hospital at any given time.

Please investigate this offer very thoroughly. It sounds questionable to me.

Good luck!