SHould I?? PLEASE HELP

anichols · Jun 7, 2006

if you can handle the responsibility of planning your own schedule and stay aware that there will be "dry" periods, then i say go agency. but as i've been agency-only for a while now, i'm prejudiced! some can't handle not having a set schedule and either don't schedule themselves enough or wig out when a week goes with no work (of course, if you wait another week you can probably get overtime!). cna's with my agencies (register for more than one...betters your chance for hours) make 5-10$ more than staff. you will have the option of not going back to places you don't like--and you *will* get sent to some real h*@#-holes--, and may even get to be a "routine" agency at somewhere you like and go almost nowhere else if you so choose. you may have to drive a fair distance if you're not near a big city. i use indy agencies although i live in s. indiana...and they have assignments for me ranging from next to cincinnati to north of indy (my preferred driving limits), so there's a lot of facilities to choose from if you are willing to drive. i now work exclusively at a place in indy although it's 1 1/2 hours away, just because i like it there so much...and 3 shifts at agency pay makes up for 40 hour's worth of staff pay, so i have more free time! if you agree to a shift, you must show. but you do not have to agree to any shifts...if you want a week or so off, just say so and voila! but it does take budgeting (summer hours are always handy--everyone else wants to go on vacation--but hours dry up around christmas when staff wants overtime to pay for presents) and self-discipline. you'll be expected to go into a strange place and be able to keep up as if you've always worked there, and every place has someone who *hates* agency because of the pay difference...and will let you know their opinion! i use medical staffing network (msn), atc, and acessible staffing.