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.

[starbucksnurse]

IMO...I feel there is nothing wrong with being an agency nurse as your first initial job. My first LPN job was working with an agency. Although I've had some CNA experience, it depends on the agency and YOUR level of skills will sometimes determine what facility you will be sent to. Nursing homes....so they say....are great for new LPN's. But not on 3rd shift. Anyway...if you should run into anything problems where you are not comfortable, there is a "chain of command" you are suppose to follow. Also, if necessary, call or ask another nurse from another unit to assist you. Explain to them that you're new and you have a situation that you are not comfortable with and you need her advise and/or assistance.

It is such ashame that (we) as nursing are too busy (or self centered) that we don't help each other when in need. Yet, we are in a field that helping is our primary goal. It's almost as if one forgot that they were once a new nurse. (Sorry....didn't mean to go so far)

[Keri123]

Hi Megan,

I've worked at nursing agencies for 5 years. I actually made a report sheet that I made that is really helpful. The biggest concern is you need to write down all your diabetics,accuchecks or insulin. I have alot to tell you.It may be easier if you e-mailed me and we could talk on the phone.

Keri123:jester:

[TheNurseMan]

Megan, I am not trying to add to your nerves here, but I must agree with "TraumaRUs". My best advice would be listen to your gut. If you feel over your head, your probably are, and once you accept the assignment you're in it for better or worse. I am not by any means discounting your abilities when I say this, but you are in the very early stages of "critcal thinking" development, and I feel you could be placing yourself (and your patients) in a dangerous situation. Should something happen (God forbid), the board of nursing would hold you accountable not only for the incident, but for your inability to accept an assignment in keeping with your experience and/or skill level. It is your responsibility to know your limitations. I would also like say that LTC is not an environment in which you can develop the CT skills you will need to ensure your success as a nurse, or safety of your patients. You must be able to critical think and give priority where it is needed without hesitation when an emergent situation arises. Don't get me wrong, no one knows it all, but your current skill level is what has you so nervous, and you need to grow more before putting yourself into unknown territory. Not to mention, if your CNA's sense that you're unsure of yourself, they could very well use it against you.

I have been an LPN for 10 years. I worked three months in LTC while actively searching a position in the hospital setting. I have stayed in the hospital since that time, and can tell you, it is easy to recognize the nurses who have remained in LTC. I cannot begin to tell you how much respect I have for the RN's I worked with in the early years, nor can I desribe in words how much I learned from each and every one of them!!

You may not earn as much as you would in LTC, but rest assured you will be thankful in the end. I am now earning more in the hospital that I ever could in LTC, and have the experience and skills to back it up!! It has also made the transition to RN so much easier.

Another concern is with your agency. Most will not even hire you with less than one year experience as an LPN. Even when I have my RN, the agency I have worked with for years will require me to have one year experience before they will convert my status. This tells me that the agency your employed with may be placing their welfare before your own.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to drop me a line.

Deric

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.