Per diem nurses getting the shaft

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Hi all. I know that as a per diem nurse, I get what I get when it comes to assignments, but wanted to know if you all find that when it comes to tripling an ICU nurse, it is always the agency nurse who gets tripled regardless of the patients acuity? I also notice that even when I don't get tripled my patients are the irritating ones that have been there for days, which I kind of understand giving their staff a break, but the assignments where I am working are not done by each unit, but one person over the ICU's. What are your experiences?

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This has happened to me at a large hospital that I have been assigned to. At a smaller hospital, where I have gotten to know the staff well - they don't. I think it depends on the place.

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That's why you make the big bucks, is the comment I hear from staff. If our unit has agency staff, IT IS BECAUSE WE NEED THEM. I want them to come back again. Therefore , I try to assist them as much as possible.

So, thank you ALL AGENCY NURSES. Your hardwork is noticed!

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ditto to the above post. I have heard the same - as a staff nurse and the per deim, (per deim staff, agency per deim, and the staff weekender- who if it wasn't for me they would have still be doing every other wend instead of every 3 or 4) I'm now back to staff per deim and on a cardiac med/surg/tele unit- I always get the cardiac/psych, the bipolar that barrels down the hall out of isolation, gown flapping open in the front screaming for medication in front of the nursing supervisor, or the cardiac/psych who has the triple threat- bipolar, schiz, and OCD- out to the desk or on the call bell every 2 sec.- I just tell the staf and show it how much I really enjoy taking care of this type of complicated patient and never let them see me sweat. at times it works- nurses don't like to see other nurses enjoying their assignments- especially if your a per deim.

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Specializes in Med-surg, ER, agency, rehab, oc health..

This is why as an agency nurse I work agency per diem. I expect the hardest of a FAIR team...a team they would normally give to one of their own. If I get the shaft from a hospital I will go back one time to make sure that it wasn't just a bad night. After that I will not be coming to their facility to help them out when they need a nurse.

Cheers!

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