Pros and Cons of Staffing Services??

[sarahmertz101]

I currently work as a double weekend CNA in a LTC/skilled nursing facility. I really don't appreciate the corporate, profit-hungry environment plus their pay is low for the area, but they do give me an 8 hr bonus for each 32-hr weekend I work.

On the other hand, the temp service will give me the hours I need with travel time included, plus they have constant acute care shifts and will pay me $2/hr more or better.

I've been trying to get into a hospital setting, but is a temp agency worth it? Please, any advice would be great!

[diane227, LPN, RN]

It just depends on what your goals are. Money is not everything. There is something to be said for job security. In this situation I would consider the following:

1. Your current job may pay you bonus for extra hours but you are having to take care of a lot of patients. I assume that you are getting health insurance.

2. The agency will tell you they can get you hours but don't count on it. It is also a job that will require you to be attached to your cell phone 24/7. You will essentially have to be on call in order to get the hours you need. Also, are they going to provide you with insurance benefits? Are they going to base those benefits on the number of hours worked? I worked for an agency many years ago and it turned out to be a bad experience for me. They would call me in, I would go and then get cancelled. I would go home and then they would call me back. It was very stressful and I could never be sure that I would bring home enough money to make my bills.

3. The hospital usually gives you more security. You will probably not have as many patients to take care of and you will probably not have to be worried about getting cancelled. In most hospitals you can be hired for one floor. Or they may have a float pool where you rotate around to different areas. You will get benefits depending on your FTE. And in most places you will still have a chance for overtime. They like their own people more than agency.

4. And as for my personal opinion: go to work at a not for profit hospital. Avoid the for profit hospitals. The staffing is usually terrible and the pay lower plus they usually don't treat their staff very well.

Good Luck.

[lovepink]

I started with an agency a few months ago... its great.... when I actually work. Its been so slow, I havent worked in 3 weeks... I'll get scheduled and then the day I am supposed to work, I wake up, get ready, and 10 min before I am supposed to leave, I get canceled. Needless to say I started looking for another job. And yay!! I got one :) as a school nurse!! I am going to stay on with the agency tho and hopefully pick up a few shifts on the weekends and holidays. I do know a few nurses who work for multiple agencys. one says she works for 8!!! I didnt want to do that.

good luck with whatever you decide!!