Nurses in Other Professions

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Nov 4, 2003

Nursing art work...sounds interesting. Do you have a link you could post?

Town & Country · Nov 4, 2003

I was on the net today, looking at agencies.

I'm convinced that's my best bet.

I never had any problems getting along with people; it was always the internal B.S. and backstabbing that drove me insane.

I think I will like agency nursing and I'm licensed in two states, so I should be able to work enough to make ends meet.

WyomingRN · Nov 5, 2003

You need to watch the agencies really close too. They like to screw the nurses just as bad as the hospitals do. The majority of nurses that I know that work agency are getting screwed by them so they are looking at getting away from agencies. I got tired of being screwed by agencies so I have gone independent. So many nurses are doing this that they have set up their own association.

S.N. Visit, BSN, RN · Nov 5, 2003

I know of R.N's who have become:

A realator , Bank Loan officer, An owner of an Ice cream shop,

Time share pusher, and a stay at home mom.

I know of L.P.N's who have decided to work: In a flower shop, daycare center, teacher's aide, and as stay at home mom's.

cannoli · Nov 5, 2003

WyomingRN, in what way are the agencies screwing the nurses?

Paleobug · Nov 5, 2003

In the casino where I used to work, one of the bartenders used to be a nurse years ago in Wyoming. She said she left nursing because she became too emotionally involved with her patients.

WyomingRN · Nov 5, 2003

Cannoli

I didn't expect that question, but here goes --

The very first way agencies screw their nurses is by putting most of the money into their pocket, not giving it to the nurses. Here is an example: An agency charges the facility say, $65.00 / hr as the basic rate. Then they add to this other charges like specialty positions such as acting as charge nurse, night shift, mileage, lodging, etc. They pay the nurses any where from $23 to $25 / hr. and put the rest in their pockets.

The company I was working for said that if you worked as charge that I would get paid more, HA HA HA. That never happened. My contract said that I would work 36 hrs. a week. I later found out that the agency's contract with the hospital said that the agency was guaranteed to be paid for a 40 hr week. So they got paid for 40 hrs whether I worked 40 or not.

Over head was very low for this agency since it was being run out of the basement of their home. I found out that on average, they had 10 - 12 nurses employed at any given time. Another agency was charging the hospital $90.00 / hr and paying the RN $20.00 - $23.00.

Pay checks were supposed to be mailed out on Fridays. Another joke !!!!! You never knew when you would get your check. The excuses were unlimited on why they couldn't be mailed out on time. Also the fax in their office some how always seemed to be down when you tried to fax time cards in, or if it worked, then they would misplace your time card sheet and not find it until after checks had been cut for the week. If you e-mailed time cards in, they would accidentally delete them, saying they thought it was spam, even though it had time card in the subject area. Good way to keep from paying their help on time.

I took a short notice shifts, 450 miles away, after being promised extra money for taking it. When paychecks came out, they never remembered making such an agreement. They then agreed that to keep me happy, it would be on the next check; that day never came, so I wouldn't take any more of their short notice shifts.

Before contracting on, I was told that they had a health insurance plan. After hiring on, I was told that they were just setting it up. Took 4 months to get my AAA sent in after my asking every week about it.

If you had a complaint or needed to talk to them, you could never could get through to the agency when you called. I have no doubt that they had caller I.D. So I would leave a message and 3 - 4- or maybe a week later, they would call back.

While I was told that I would be paid time and a half for holidays, that never happened either. I later found out that the agency did charge the hospital time and a half for the holidays I worked.

Before hiring on, I was told that I would get $250.00 for any referrals that hired on. They hired three of my referrals but I never got a dime.

One of the referrals that worked for them had requested that it be written in her contract that she had 4 - 5 days in a row off every 3 weeks so she could come home to see her daughter, etc. They had her working 400 miles away. Some amazing way, they didn't get that written in the contract. When she questioned about it not being in her contract with them, they told her that they had written it in the contract with the hospital. What a crock of bull, when it didn't happen she checked with the hospital and found out that it wasn't written into their contract with the agency. She kept asking for an assignment closer to home, and kept being told that there wasn't anything closer to home for her. Of course, not, when they could get bigger bucks ( since where she was working was staffed primarily by agency) there then what they could get by working her closer to home. When she told them that she was going to go to another agency, they suddenly found her something closer to home.

Have also found out since I quit, that the agency got paid bonuses for my work and it wasn't passed on to me like the agency said it would be. Lined their pocket again off my work.

I have checked with other agencies around the area. I have talked to others who are more familiar with some of the other agency. After comparing note, the bottom line is same crap different company. Some want a 1 year contract, others want you to only work for them. Agencies never worry after you sign up with them if certifications are kept up to date, etc. They don't worry about the HIPPA ruling or offer HIPPA information. They just leave the nurse out to hang if they aren't current.

One of the worse things about the agency was their constant pushing of overtime. They always wanted us to work over time because while they would have to pay time and a half on my pay of $23.00 hourly rate, they charged the facility time and a half on their $65.00 hourly rate. Obviously they love to push overtime. My husband is a independent businessman. Based upon what they were charging the facilities, and what they were paying the nurses, he calculated the taxes, extra phone line, etc. He figured that this small home office agency was clearing somewhere between $35,000 and $45,000 per month. Even with all the overtime and shift differential, I have never ever even made $40,000 in a single years - much less a month. About a month ago I ran across a the lady that was working in the office of this agency during my contract. I point blank asked her what they were making each month. Between $40,000 and $50,00 per month depending on the number of nurses in a given week was her reply. She then commented on how even that was not enough to maintain them in the life style they were living.

Agencies are just like facilities and the health industry. They are in it for money and more money. They have no interest in health care what-so-ever. That is why I decided enough was enough and went independent. Now I have control of what happens, not somebody lining their pocket off my hard work. I can work out of my home just as well as any agency. When I hire other nurses to cover shifts, I can pay them real money for the efforts.

Look at it this way. An agency charges say $65.00 an hour. If the agency has 12 nurses work an average of 8 hours five days a week that comes to 480 of pay time per week. Now figure that they have to pay say 15% (this is way above Wyoming actual rate) in taxes such as unemployment, workman's comp, FICA, etc. That means that they are paying approximately $10 per hour in taxes. So if the agency is paying a nurse $23.00, that means that they are clearing approximately $32.00 per hour. Assuming a overhead of $10 per hour (again way over anything reasonable in Wyoming) their actual profit is only $23.00; but multiply that by 480 hours per week. That comes to more than ten grand a WEEK - More than $40,000 per month. To me that is as outrageous as the facilities. When I work another nurse, I only keep out a couple dollars an hour to cover overhead and make a small profit.

Bottom line - I got tired of the vultures sucking the blood out of me so I went independent. I only charge the facility $45-$55 per hour and actually put the money in MY pocket - and the facility is saving money. To heck with the vultures.

Gerinurse101 · Nov 5, 2003

I love being a nurse, it's all that other crap that you have to deal with..and I am not talking feces!! Bad attitudes, Working short, Poor management. I am telling ya..I would work at the Animal shelter if it would pay my bills!

I am currently, very actively looking for something away from bedside nursing. One of my favorite jobs was working at a Donut Shop! Yes the pay was crappy, the hours were crappy, and most people were grumpy, but the crew I worked with everyday were the best! And just that made all the difference!

cannoli · Nov 5, 2003

WyomingRN, that's an eyeopener. I knew they were making money off our backs and our license but not the extent.

NurseBenz · Nov 5, 2003

Nursing agency owner here....don't know about Wyoming but I guess I should move my agency there because my bill rates for the midwest are around $35-37. Wow, I don't even know anyone who bills $65, not even in California.

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Nov 5, 2003

Wyoming, if I applied for a job and saw the agency was being run from the basement of a home, that would be my first red flag!!

Secondly, they would have only screwed me ONE time. After that, I would have them put in writing any agreement such as the 450 mile one, and fax it to me. Then I would make a copy of it and submit it along w my payroll form, keeping the opriginal for myself.

I don't mess around with my money. I probably wouldn't have even given them a second chance truthfully. You are brave to stick with it.

Azdream'nRN · Nov 5, 2003

By the way, I forgot to add that I know a nurse who now owns a pet shop that seems to specialize in selling little fish, and another one who owns a specialty shoe store. She sells some NICE nursing shoes and Birkenstocks, those really down to earth comfortable shoes. I also know one who recently trained as a beauty operator...and know yet another one who owns a little sandwich shop. I think it is a GOOD IDEA that if you are considering nursing today, to be cross trained in something else for that day that you have had enough, and for that day that you just can't take it anymore....I love nursing and love my patients. It's just the politics that I hate, the unit meetings, and the high nurse-patient ratio and the way they make you work SO HARD day in and day out.