Question about agency and travel

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Jul 20, 2006

I am agency for a local company, however I typically only work for one hospital that I rather enjoy. Just this week the charge nurses for two floors came and asked me to PLEASE apply! My flexibility will suffer greatly, but I will get benifits (my agency does benifits, but only with a 38 hour work week consistant for 3 months to start..and continued...if you fall behind...you pay for benifits), have stablity of schedule, and most importantly to me...a super awesome group of staff I could ever ask for!

The probelm with my current situation is that we had some low census, and I am not making enough money to even make our house payment...EEEEKKKK! So I am glad to have had the awesome experience, but I need a more stable schedule obviously. So that is one of the largest risks!

As far as disiplinary...I have never had a probelm with it, so I don't know...

I am so glad that I got the opportunity to do agency! I had applied at this one hospital several times and they wouldn't give me the time of day at all! Then when I was agency I was top requested agency nurse for two floors in less than a month! It got me in the door, and I got the experience I wanted in order to make a good choice of whether that facility was what I wanted or not! That is priceless to me!

Good luck with your choices!

barbie90210 · Jul 20, 2006

that's awsome. i wonder what the working conditions are like in your state.

nightingale, RN · Jul 20, 2006

As far as what to do if you are a

Do Not use

, I would recommend trying to talk with the House Supervisor at the facility to see if you could make arrangements to explain yourself and make amends. If it does not work, move on to another facility. Are you saying they are sharing that info with the other facilities in the area? Or is it just to their affiliated Hospitals?

I do wish you well.

barbie90210 · Jul 20, 2006

[color=#00bfff]actually i am not working registry. i was wondering about the experiences some have had. my perception is that it's a good bet hospitals don't want nurses thinking that registry work is secure. it gives the nurse way too much autonomy. however, i believe that it only adds to the nursing shortage to persecute or harass any nurse - part time, per diem, full time, or registry.

nightingale, RN · Jul 20, 2006

barbie:

I agree.

I think the hospitals definitely do not want nurses thinking they can work registry. It gives the nurse WAY too much autonomy. However, in the future it will only add to the nursing shortage to persecute the registry nurse. There is no way around this - what goes around comes back.

Yeah, war is war. I do think there is more covert activity that goes on then most Nurses know about. It is, plain and simple, McCarthyism.

Another thing is that they are mostly targeting local nurses. If local nurses are unavailable then nurses must be imported. Some nurses that are imported are in just as vulnerable as the registry nurse. I don't know the details, but I do know that one nurse told me that they really "enslaved" them during the probationary period

Slavery is another term tht come to mind.

On a more positive note, the impowerment of Nurses is knowledge and Entrepreneurship. We can gain knowledge by speaking honestly and carefully on this BB. Please come by and visit the Agency and Travel Forum. Entrepreneurship takes more planning and savvy; please do come visit the Nurse Entrepreneurship Forum here on AllNurses.

Thank you for your frank posts barb... hang in there!

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jul 20, 2006

Please review the many threads on Group One.

Group One a "credit reporting agency" that keeps files on many health care workers. While it supposedly keeps track of disciplinary actions, its records have been known to be "incorrect" at times.

Group One is connected to many hospitals, many of them Columbia/HCA forprofit facilities, and mostly in Texas.

Columbia/HCA facilities also have their own "agency" for agency nurses (don't recall its name). They rarely are able to supply their needs and sometimes seek outside travelers. However, the pay rates are generally poorer than at other hospitals.

southern_rn99 · Jul 20, 2006

Please review the many threads on Group One.
Group One a "credit reporting agency" that keeps files on many health care workers. While it supposedly keeps track of disciplinary actions, its records have been known to be "incorrect" at times.
Group One is connected to many hospitals, many of them Columbia/HCA forprofit facilities, and mostly in Texas.
Columbia/HCA facilities also have their own "agency" for agency nurses (don't recall its name). They rarely are able to supply their needs and sometimes seek outside travelers. However, the pay rates are generally poorer than at other hospitals.

I believe you may be talking about All About Staffing. I know that is one agency out here in Dallas and I work at a HCA hospital. Lewisville, TX.

southern_rn99 · Jul 20, 2006

Please review the many threads on Group One.
Group One a "credit reporting agency" that keeps files on many health care workers. While it supposedly keeps track of disciplinary actions, its records have been known to be "incorrect" at times.
Group One is connected to many hospitals, many of them Columbia/HCA forprofit facilities, and mostly in Texas.
Columbia/HCA facilities also have their own "agency" for agency nurses (don't recall its name). They rarely are able to supply their needs and sometimes seek outside travelers. However, the pay rates are generally poorer than at other hospitals.

I am a traveler at this hospital. Texas pay nurses dirt cheap. It is not worth it. As a traveler, I mean.

nightingale, RN · Jul 20, 2006

HCA has lost a lawsuit forMedicare / Medicaid Fraud, fact. HCA now has a lawsuit for underpaying or price fixing of Nurses, fact.

Please do a search on the BB to read those articles. Knowledge IS power.

HCA's "Agency" is called All About Staffing.

I am careful what I say on the BB and do my best to not antagonize. I rarely recommend PM'ing as I prefer to "keep it on the BB" for all posters to gain information. There are times when PMing is appropriate for private information that is shared amongst us.

lands1980 · Aug 1, 2006

AAS is All About Staffing which is HCA nursing staff company and vendor management.

lands1980 · Aug 1, 2006

There is always time limit for temp work and always the pressure to be staff.

Have a Plan B and rotate your jobs.