New Grads and Temp Agencies

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Any new grads having any luck with temp agencies???

I agree with morte, any agency who would take in and place a new grad on a floor is one that you should NOT work for. Nobody is saying that new grads are useless, and we aren't having an attitude with you. What I am saying, at least, is that as a charge nurse, when I have an agency nurse come in and work, he/she needs to hit the ground running. I will show you the supply room, the bathroom, the break room, where your meds are, and get you temp access to the pyxis. That's about it. You need to be able to go from there. And frankly, even if you were #1 in your class, there is no way that you are going to be able to get through the whole day solo, because you just don't have the experience. Inevitably there will be multiple situations that you are going to feel you need back up, because you haven't experienced them before. And when I have an agency nurse, that means staffing sucks that day. Which means that I will be very busy. So I don't have time to hold your hand and guide you through the day. Thats why you need to be experienced, it's not that we don't want you, it's just the nature of the situation. I feel for all you new grads who can't find jobs, and I don't have the answer. But you do NOT want to do that to yourself.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in l.p.n.

New grade can do certain skills we are not that bad! so we will not put our PT in risk if the agency will match us with what will fit our skills such as G-tube PT. Please If you have ajob and the economy never affected you or your spouce don't say " Oh , I know how is the economy, cause you don't". New grade are looked at as something bad to the healthcare know. Do you know how long it takes to get a new job now. What do you wants us to do? I was thinking about going back to work as a C.N.A just to pay my bills or at least my student loan. If you have some thing nice to say it your are more than welcome if not please keep it to your self. THIs web site is my escape now don't ruin it for me or others. yesterday I went to look for ajob from 11-4 pm filling applications and taking tests. I was so tierd when I came home. this morning I started again after I dropped my daughter to school. I am afraid I can't do this any longer cause I have no money for gas !!! At the store I had to choose between buying "pull ups " to my 2 years or Milk and bread!!!! GIVE US A BREAK PLEASE.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in m/s ortho.

i'm a new grad RN and i've been looking for jobs long before i graduated... hungry for knowledge and experience, and in very desperate need for money. i understand that some new grads feel confident enough with minimal orientation to jump into agency and home health nursing, however i am not one of those. i realize that desperation warrants some drastic actions, but i will not risk my license for experience (agency & home health) and money...

registered with two flu clinics, spent countless hours online to get shifts, and even did home health aide/cna work... it'll just be a dang shame if i should lose my newly acquired license over some careless mistake d/t my not having seen or learned a certain condition/procedure.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
i'm a new grad RN and i've been looking for jobs long before i graduated... hungry for knowledge and experience, and in very desperate need for money. i understand that some new grads feel confident enough with minimal orientation to jump into agency and home health nursing, however i am not one of those. i realize that desperation warrants some drastic actions, but i will not risk my license for experience (agency & home health) and money...

registered with two flu clinics, spent countless hours online to get shifts, and even did home health aide/cna work... it'll just be a dang shame if i should lose my newly acquired license over some careless mistake d/t my not having seen or learned a certain condition/procedure.

now! here is someone who has a clue!!!! thank you

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Not all agencies are the same.

A couple of my classmates went through an agency and have found temporary work as a RN at a Psych facility. They were never offered anything else. My classmates said their shifts only involved paperwork. I was going apply at the same agency, but it seems they have too many new grads for that type of work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I suggest that everyone start in LTC,,,those jobs are easy to get and the pay is usually good. You will learn the basics of a lot of things. While doing this you can work PRN in the hospital float pool. After a year you will be ready for agency.....remember to put on your thick skin.

Ive been an agency nurse for 6 years...an LPN.My Best friend has been a traveling agency nurse, RN, for 5 years... I can tell you that most places we both have went, we had to know very little other than being a glorified med pusher.

I think a better answer to you would have been "Congrats, if you have any questions let me know.Make sure you ask questions when you get there and try to team up with someone that is seasoned from the facility." Agency will hire anyone because these places need a body on the floor....may not be safe...but its reality....Dont do anything your not sure of....but no other way to learn than to hit the ground running...

Oh and most agencies will give you orientation time when going into hosptials for the first time. Even if you have to do a couple hours here and there unpaid or for less pay. In Florida I took half the salary the first two days on a med- surg floor to get use to the place.

Best of luck

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in l.p.n.
now! here is someone who has a clue!!!! thank you

I understand what ou saying but beleive me" you are not in need yet" you might have some savings here or there orany type of help some wher maybe . first of all , I didn't apply for any agency yet allthough I was looking for job over 5 months. It is not about me more than about the pt safety what do I know?. I'm just saying Ther is few agencies who can match your skills with a case. My causin lives in TX,he is a new grade too when he went to work for an agency they sent him to work in "prison" . All what he had to do is to give medications now HOW HARD IS THAT? don't tell me anew grade can't give meds. You have your MAR and meds. So do you still think this is not safe as well?:banghead:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in m/s ortho.
I understand what ou saying but beleive me" you are not in need yet" you might have some savings here or there orany type of help some wher maybe . first of all , I didn't apply for any agency yet allthough I was looking for job over 5 months. It is not about me more than about the pt safety what do I know?. I'm just saying Ther is few agencies who can match your skills with a case. My causin lives in TX,he is a new grade too when he went to work for an agency they sent him to work in "prison" . All what he had to do is to give medications now HOW HARD IS THAT? don't tell me anew grade can't give meds. You have your MAR and meds. So do you still think this is not safe as well?:banghead:

is it safe to say that you are addressing morte and not my post? thanks in advance for the clarification.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Thanks everyone for posting. I have been getting a lot of calls from temp agencies. They get my resume off of a major job site.

and there it is! are you telling the agencies when they call that you have less than 1 year of experience? they blanket all the applicants they can find on career sites b/c they make money off each and every one of them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
New grade can do certain skills we are not that bad! so we will not put our PT in risk if the agency will match us with what will fit our skills such as G-tube PT.

nursing is far from procedural, and frankly its another responsibility that a charge nurse does not want.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I understand what ou saying but beleive me" you are not in need yet" you might have some savings here or there orany type of help some wher maybe . first of all , I didn't apply for any agency yet allthough I was looking for job over 5 months. It is not about me more than about the pt safety what do I know?. I'm just saying Ther is few agencies who can match your skills with a case. My causin lives in TX,he is a new grade too when he went to work for an agency they sent him to work in "prison" . All what he had to do is to give medications now HOW HARD IS THAT? don't tell me anew grade can't give meds. You have your MAR and meds. So do you still think this is not safe as well?:banghead:

Medication administration is just as much about knowing the drug, what it does, potential side effects and interactions as much as it is about following the five rights. We can train any monkey to pick up certain pills and hand them to someone. True nurses aren't procedural, they are hired for their brains.

Oh, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, but is English your first language? Your spelling, grammar, and punctuation leads me to ask.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC/Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

Then hopefully you can find something with the upcoming flu shot clinics, or something similar. I think that whoever posted that they are a charge nurse has it dead on...it's not about "oh no, the new grad can't handle it", it's about protecting the new grad's license as well as the pts.

I'm a new grad myself in my first year of nursing as an RN and was an LPN for the year prior. All told, less than two years of experience as a nurse. Now that I've been at the same job (LTC/TCU) for going on two years, I'm charge on my shift, as well as responsible for doing new nurse orientation. There IS a learning curve. At the same time I just went through orientation at a local hospital. Very, very, very different experiences.

At my LTC/TCU job, I'm confident and capable. It was very hard going into the hospital. While we do IVs at my first job, we don't do them routinely, and this was a skill I needed to brush up on. On the other hand, I'm very comfortable with wound care. The cardiac pts. at the hospital are a challenge for me; I had no experience with telemetry and EKG's. There are heparin protocols to learn, cardiac protocols to learn, and new meds to learn.

I hope you get the point--that if you step right into a job without proper orientation, as a brand new grad, you will be putting that hard earned license in jeopardy.

New grade can do certain skills we are not that bad! so we will not put our PT in risk if the agency will match us with what will fit our skills such as G-tube PT. Please If you have ajob and the economy never affected you or your spouce don't say " Oh , I know how is the economy, cause you don't". New grade are looked at as something bad to the healthcare know. Do you know how long it takes to get a new job now. What do you wants us to do? I was thinking about going back to work as a C.N.A just to pay my bills or at least my student loan. If you have some thing nice to say it your are more than welcome if not please keep it to your self. THIs web site is my escape now don't ruin it for me or others. yesterday I went to look for ajob from 11-4 pm filling applications and taking tests. I was so tierd when I came home. this morning I started again after I dropped my daughter to school. I am afraid I can't do this any longer cause I have no money for gas !!! At the store I had to choose between buying "pull ups " to my 2 years or Milk and bread!!!! GIVE US A BREAK PLEASE.
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment