What do you think of agency LPNs?

BigB · Jun 6, 2007

I am an LPN in LTC with 8 months experience. I am seriously considering quitting my job - my first job as a nurse - and going to work for an agency. I am frustrated with work, but I would stay if there wasn't so much politics going on among the staff. I am beginning to feel out of place.
I wonder what it is like to work as registry - is it tough to go to a different place every shift? How well received would I be by an agency, when I only have 8 months experience?
At my job, registry are kind of looked down on because they are "outsiders" - even tho everyone is so happy to see them at shift change... anyway... I want to hear from registry nurses.. share your experiences!!

I am not registry but many of my freinds are and I have seen what registry goes through. Registry nurses would ALWAYS get the hardest floors to work, the heaviest med passes, etc when working in LTC. They seemed to get dumped on, but that is to be expected since they are coming into an unfamilar enviornment. They also have it rough with pateints families. These families will call and ask about the status of their parents. These registry LVN's have just started working at a new facility and they would BS the family telling that thier loved one was doing great!! If I had $10 for everytime I heard a new registry LVN use that line when they didn't even know who the resident was that they were describing...I would be rich.

Registry seems like a hard way to make a living. You get canceled at the last minute and have to live next to a phone for work. You usually have to take out your own taxes, so tax time at the end of the year is stressful, you work without health benfits, you have no retirment, and you need to carry malpractice insurance. I would never do registy but some people love it. I need stabilty, benefits and a retirment. I don't do well with lots of change all the time (registry).

feisty_lpn, LPN · Jun 6, 2007

I'm an agency LPN through Maxim. The hardest part is the lack of stable work in my area. I haven't had a paycheck for 4 weeks. I accept 36-48hrs/week and every single shift in May was cancelled... often 90 minutes before the shift was to begin and I live 2 hours away. So I had to pay a sitter and eat the gas cost for those shifts.

Agency does get dumped on. We get the most patients, the hardest med passes, etc... because the facility is paying big bucks for us to be there, I think is the reason.

Other than that, I love agency. I don't have to deal with facility politics. Every assignment is something new. Maxim does take taxes out of my wages, I have insurance paid for by them, and I'm getting CEUs through them.

If you don't need your income, go for it. But if your household depends on what you bring in to survive, pass on by. I wish I had. I'm having a hard time finding a permanent position because I'm agency. Its taboo here, apparently.

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Jun 6, 2007

i am a agency nurse and have been for a while. i had to get a full time job on the weekends cause my shifts were getting cancelled. if you are going to have to depend on the shifts you schedule to make ends meet you need to reconsider. i have worked the worst of the worst and any time i go to any nursing home , even if i get the worst assignment there.. it's just not all that bad. cause i have seen bad...my cancellation rate is highest for the hospital they seem to overbook their nurses then cancel them at the last minute. my advise is if you want to start with agency keep your full time job and do this on the side or go prn several places that use agency. that way you will have first dibs on the shifts over the agency nurse.

SouthernPeach3 · Jun 12, 2007

I am an Agency nurse LPN and have been agency for the past 4 years. I love it. Many agency workers have bad reputations of being lazing, not following policy, and leaving work undone. But you have to go in there and let them know you know what you are doing and that you are a good nurse and can work as good or if not better than their nurses, that is how you get good assignments. Otherwise they will give you crappy assignments.

I do not have problems with being cancelled because if a facility cancels me more than 2 times in a week or too frequently then I refuse to work for them. I also do mostly contract assignments. That way I set the # of weeks and hours I will work for them and i will not be cancelled.

Agency nurses are higher payed and contracted agency nurses are very well payed. I also stay away from LTC facilities.

Also I think most agencies require you have at least 1 year experience. Try it as a second job for a while and see if you like it.

Good luck in your ventures.

Conqueror+, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2007

!! wow !!

that sounds like real crap that you guys are going through. i could not survive like that. i work for an "internal agency" which means i go to one of about 10 facilities in the nursing network. its nice because i punch in and out (no time slips !!) and the paperwork and procedures are the same. i also get the benefits of floating and not being tied down anywhere unless i want to. for the next 12 weeks i contracted to work at one facility for 40 hrs a week. i have my schedule through july and i dont get cancelled. i even work overtime. obviously im more blessed than i thought. the nurses treat you great because everyone has gone to work with the agency at one time or another and we all work for the same company. if you find a facility you like you just jump into an available position without having to apply again. $32.00/hr all shifts lpn $42.00/hr all shifts rn and on staff at these facilities is 24-28 depending on shift and years of experience. you guys hang in there. i live for travel nursing, contracts and agency. im a great nurse and a lousy politician.

!!!! viva la registry !!!!!

charebec65 · Jun 12, 2007

Wow pageantnurse..... wish I had your job. I do agency and up until recently had a pretty steady, predictable schedule. Now I haven't worked in a couple of weeks. Fortunately I won't starve as my hubby has a good job but I would like to work. What state are you in that you can find an LPN job for $32 an hour?

Conqueror+, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2007

Philadelphia PA

MsLady06 · Jun 13, 2007

I am not registry but many of my freinds are and I have seen what registry goes through. Registry nurses would ALWAYS get the hardest floors to work, the heaviest med passes, etc when working in LTC. They seemed to get dumped on, but that is to be expected since they are coming into an unfamilar enviornment. They also have it rough with pateints families. These families will call and ask about the status of their parents. These registry LVN's have just started working at a new facility and they would BS the family telling that thier loved one was doing great!! If I had $10 for everytime I heard a new registry LVN use that line when they didn't even know who the resident was that they were describing...I would be rich.
Registry seems like a hard way to make a living. You get canceled at the last minute and have to live next to a phone for work. You usually have to take out your own taxes, so tax time at the end of the year is stressful, you work without health benfits, you have no retirment, and you need to carry malpractice insurance. I would never do registy but some people love it. I need stabilty, benefits and a retirment. I don't do well with lots of change all the time (registry).

BIGB is 100% right....but agency do make good money when you work...i would never do it FT...you always need to be staffed some place and do agency work on the side. or you can work for 2 agencies or maybe poole.

MsLady06 · Jun 13, 2007

Philadelphia PA

lol i tried to tell them before that LPN can make $32 an hr and everyone thought i was crazy.

Brownms46 · Jun 16, 2007

Registry seems like a hard way to make a living. You get canceled at the last minute and have to live next to a phone for work. You usually have to take out your own taxes, so tax time at the end of the year is stressful, you work without health benfits, you have no retirment, and you need to carry malpractice insurance. I would never do registy but some people love it. I need stabilty, benefits and a retirment. I don't do well with lots of change all the time (registry).

First, I worked agency for over twenty years, starting in 1981. I have never worked for an agency that I had to take out my own taxes. At one time some agencies were using lpns as sub contractors, and the agencies and the nurses got into trouble with the IRS.

There was a time when agencies did not have health benefits, but many do now, and some even have vacation pay plans. And you would need to carry your own malpractice even if you work in a hospital. The facility's malpractice insurance only covers you, if you are not at fault and your actions followed the facility's P&P to the letter.

As an agency nurse I worked with several agencies, and quickly learned which facilities canceled at the last min. If I was scheduled to come back the next night, I would find out how many surgeries were scheduled, and how many were going home the next night, and let the agency know they were probably going to cancel.

I will admit the cancellation policy for agency/hospitals used to be 4hrs before the shift, but because of competition agencies are allowing hospitals to cancel with less call in time.

As for assignments, I would refuse an unfair assignment, and give them a chance to either fix the issue or send me home! I gave a CN that choice once on my first shift there, and I never had a problem working with them again! I worked for them on a regular basis, doing double shifts for over a year after that.

I once walk in on a late call to a hospital unit, and arrived 2hrs behind and no one had did anything for the patients I was assigned. So I started the shift running. Well when I got finished with my vs, and assessments, I went over and checked the census, and found out I had at least 4 or 5 more patients than everyone else. I made them re-do the assignments!

Agency work is not for everyone, and the good thing about nursing, is that there is a wide variety of opportunities for everyone.

Crueltiming · Jun 21, 2007

I worked agency for 2 years and loved it....just missed the benefits...like sick time...vacation pay...our agency didnt give squat. But...I did have to turn down alot of shifts..had too many...not sure how things are now tho...(Phoenix area)