New agency nurse, please help!!

[megan0321]

I start this next weekend at my first agency assignment. I have been a LPN for 10 months now and have had three jobs. One in a nursing home, one in assisted living, and one in a pediatric office. I will be working 3rd shift in a nursing home for most of my agency assignments. I'm very nervous and can really use some advice.

Anyone who has worked agency, do you have any suggestions about what to do in order to succeed? (I am also 18 years old, which has caused me some problems recently with people treating me as though I'm less of a nurse because of my age) so I know the fact that I look young will probably add some hostility.

What are the typical things that go wrong in nursing homes, and what are the typical solutions? Please, any help that anyone can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much

Megan H.

[gentlegiver, ASN, LPN, RN]

So if someone goes hypoglycemic or if someone falls and then they end up ok, do I still call the doctor or wait until 1st shift comes in?

And if someone does need to be sent out what do I do? Call 911, then the doctor, and then the family?

I'm so scared something bad will happen because if it does I have absolutely no idea what to do.

As a Staff Nurse that worked as Agency for a year and a half, allow me to tell you some sad truths:

1. What every one else said about Staff VS Agency... Saddly is true

2. Make sure the Nurse giving you report at shift start tells you where everything is, knowing where the kitchen, medroom, bathroom, policy books are helps alot.

3. You really should settle down into a Staff position for at least a year before going pool, You really are on your own (unless you manage to fall into a job where your co-worker was Agency at one time and is very understanding ) and that my friend is not a fun place for a new grad to be.

Gool Luck!:heartbeat

[Lexxie, LPN]

:yeahthat:

The 4 LTCF that I went to when working agency required agency staff that hadn't been there before to orientate for a minimum of 2 hours - unless of course there was a dire need, then you could go without.

Like Trauma said, they DO expect you to be able to hit the ground running with minimal help from them. Maybe you could start out on day or evening shift, so there is more staff available, if you need help?

[gt4everpn, BSN, RN]

Great to see another teen nurse here!!, I started as an LPN when I was 18 working nights in LTC, i was so scared of something happening because at night you're the only nurse, I prepared myself and knew where all the 02 tanks and emergency BLS equipment was, but in LTC everyone's pretty much stable, and most of the time the nights is quiet! I'm looking for work outside LTC now through an agency wish me luck, and greatest of luck to you, you'll be fine, you already have 10 mo experience! and P.S when I was 18 I had such a horrible experience at my first job ever in LTC, my preceptor told me i looked like a baby and people questioned me about my age all the time, I don't care if people know I'm 19 because the BON didnt have a problem with my age, if they did they wouldn't have given me a license, lol! dont worry about those jealous people, just keep your head up and ignore them! Greatest of luck to you!!

[megan0321]

Thank you so much gt4everpn! I have have some very bad experiences with people pre-judging me because of my age also. I have now decided that with this new job I am starting I will not so much as whisper any hint to what my age is. I think the fact that you and I are 18 and 19 year old nurse's says a lot about us. And for people to put us down because of our age is just plain mean. Best of luck to you! Your post here really made me feel a million times more confident. I was starting to think I was the only young nurse on this whole website, lol. Tons and tons of luck to you in the future. And thank you again for posting your response. I feel much better now.

megan H.

[gt4everpn, BSN, RN]

Thanks n your welcome it does help to post here at allnurses. if there is anything I learned is to follow my own instinct rather than others comments of course every one of us has to be smart and careful about the decisions we make but when I decided to work night shift as a new grad I was told every reason why it was dangerous for me to do so. I did nights anyway and mostly its a stable shift but things have happened and I along with the help of the nrsg sprvsr plus the full time cna staff helped. your not completely alone at night. I learned how to suction for the first time at night! make sure you get an orientation to the facility and on orientation you will learn to do what and when in a situation. just keep in mind that any new experience is bumpy and scary but it can be done if only you think u can do it. I'm about to work in a clinic through an agency territory I've never been so wish me luck. best of luck to ya and keep us posted!

[megan0321]

Thanks again for your words of wisdom. I will keep in mind what you said this Saturday on my first shift. I have been working the past 4 months in a clinic, and the best advice I can give to you is avoid the drama. Clinics usually have multiple physicians and health care providers. These providers usually have their own nurses assigned to them. The physicians and nurses can grow a strong bond over time and become very protective of each other. Also, the tension between nurse to nurse and doctor to doctor can flood the atmosphere with drama. So many friendships and hatreds and grudges and new people all mixed in together can get crazy. The good news though is the work is usually pretty easy. So if you stay out of the office drama and just concentrate on your work everything should work out really well for you. Clinic work is super easy, just people can be a little crazy sometimes, lol. Good luck!

PS: if it's a pediatric clinic (which is where I worked) get your running shoes on and review IM and SQ injections if you are not comfortable with these. you WILL be giving 20+ vaccines a day in peds.

Best of luck;)

megan H.

[gt4everpn, BSN, RN]

Thanks megan H, the clinic is an internal medicine clinic, and I also had an offer for a pediatric clinic but I'm excited about both offers, good luck to you, just take it one step at a time, thanks for posting!!

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Thanks n your welcome it does help to post here at allnurses. if there is anything I learned is to follow my own instinct rather than others comments of course every one of us has to be smart and careful about the decisions we make but when I decided to work night shift as a new grad I was told every reason why it was dangerous for me to do so. I did nights anyway and mostly its a stable shift but things have happened and I along with the help of the nrsg sprvsr plus the full time cna staff helped. your not completely alone at night. I learned how to suction for the first time at night! make sure you get an orientation to the facility and on orientation you will learn to do what and when in a situation. just keep in mind that any new experience is bumpy and scary but it can be done if only you think u can do it. I'm about to work in a clinic through an agency territory I've never been so wish me luck. best of luck to ya and keep us posted!

Cool! What sort of clinic will you be working in?

[Taxminia0311]

I totally agree with traumRU's. I feel you should learn how to swim before you leap into the pot of doom, but that is my opinion....it's my fiancée who is a CNA for over 10 years and she just inform me tonight that a few months ago a new LPN starting working at her job and already she got fired, due to two CNA who were out to get her from the beginning and they suicided. To top it all, the young girl only had 5 months under her belt before she got fired. Some CNA can be so cruel. but like the saying is said... what comes around goes around and I wouldn't want to be in their shoes when it comes around cause it going to come around hard. But good luck. Take all the advise you can get from here and use it to the best of you ability.

[allergictoNPH]

I'm sorry and I may be way off target here but agency nurses are suposed to be able to hit the ground running and KNOW what is an emergency and what can wait. I think that you are setting yourself up to fail by doing agency so early in your career. By your own admission, you have had 3 jobs in 10 months. That is a lot of jobs for so little time. I doubt you are comfortable with your own skills let is alone supervise and decide what is going on.

True to what you said traumaRUs, it seems you are setting yourself up to fail. Three jobs in 10 months and it seems you are not comfortable with your skills yet. Advice will be that you work at a facility for a long time to fully understand how the system works...

[megan0321]

UPDATE-

I started my agency position and things are working out just fine. I feel I have prepared myself very well for my assignments and all is well. Things are running very smoothly and I'm always prepared just in case things take a turn for the worse. Thanks for the advice.

Megan H.

[Caffeine_IV]

I have to agree with traumaRus..it doesn't seem like you are ready for agency. Not trying to put you down b/c you can do anything you set your mind to but you really need to have gotten your feet really wet in a nursing home before you take on agency. All nursing homes operate differently but you should be comfortable with a large med pass and dealing with common nursing home mishaps and what to do (especially if the staff nurses aren't helpful).

I can't even begin to list the things that can happen at a nursing home. Deaths and falls are the easy bit b/c they should have a policy/procedure book with details.

Good luck! I hope you find your niche.