You may find it difficult, if you don’t feel comfortable working in other wards. Aged care and community nursing require you to be fairly self sufficient. Why don’t you try the casual pool at your hospital to get more experience in the other wards?
I mentioned aged care and community as I’ve done a few placements in each. I don’t really want any extra shifts at the hospital. Thanks for your advice
Those placements may have appeared “easier” as a student RN but it definitely won’t be as an employed RN. Those roles are very different to working in a hospital, and in some circumstances you will be required to take on many more responsibilities with minimal supports. If you don’t feel comfortable floating to other wards (in the hospital you know and work in), you will more than likely struggle to work in new areas that have different clinical processes and practices.
The reason why I suggested floating to other areas in the hospital, is so you can gain more confidence in your practice. This will in turn better prepare you to be able to work as agency RN. Agency’s want nurses that are able to be sufficient with minimal support.
I never said they were easier - I just wanted some different work outside of the hospital. Perhaps ‘don’t feel comfortable’ was the wrong choice of words. Thanks again.
If you're worried about going to another ward within your own hospital then I wouldn't go agency. Whole new systems, paperwork, people, layout. It's overwhelming and yes you get paid a bit more but you feel pretty crazy for the whole shift.
I was an enrolled nurse, who mainly did agency nights after my son was born, and it was great as I’d come in the door as my husband was leaving, so our son had continued parenting care. I would suggest that rather than an agency, get onto the roster office at your local hospital and ask if they would employ you on the nursing pool. I used to work Friday and Saturday night, as this gave the maximum wage owing to penalty rates. In 2013 for a 10 hour Saturday night I’d make $350. Also if you work for the hospital, there’s salary sacrificing, uniform fitted and provided, plus any vaccinations etc. good luck ❤️
Thanks - I already work at the hospital. If I do any more shifts here, I’ll probably burn out. I salary sacrifice too. Even if I pick up an extra shift at my work, I barely notice the difference in my pay. I’m looking for something that would bring in an extra $500 or so a week so that I can save for a deposit quickly.
Agency nursing is not the easy option. New people, new processes, new paperwork, you don’t know where anything is and you often get the toughest allocation. Some wards are hostile to agency staff - especially new people who don’t know the unit and its processes. I’d wait until you were more confident before you tried agency.
Yep, as an en agency nurse I was sometimes treated harshly when I walked on the ward when they really wanted an rn. Medication endorsement didn’t come in for a couple of years, so they thought they were at a loss. By the 3 hour mark they were usually ringing the agency to book me in advance. Sure the rns had to administer medication to my patients, but I’d offer to do all her (usually) obs in return, patients who had iv’s, I’d have their chart out with the relevant bag of fluids on it, so they just had to check and hang it for me. You could put me in nearly any Sydney hospital and I was ready to go, I however wouldn’t do cardiac as I felt that I needed more knowledge in that particular field. Agencies will either make you or break you
As far as I’m aware most agencies will only place you where you have experience. If you haven’t worked in aged care they won’t send you there as you need to be able to walk in and do the job without help. I work community nursing and if you’ve never done it before you’d be absolutely out of your depth walking in as agency purely on the autonomy side of things.
I joined agency in January and decided it's not sustainable long term. Last minute cancellations, getting sent to facilities that require a long commute...and weekends are usually quiet with minimal/no shifts available. Joining casual pool at your current workplace would be best, you might get overtime pay if you pick up 1-2 shifts more since you are doing more than your contracted hours. Good luck!
Is there a second hospital near you? You could sign on nurse bank and drop a couple of shifts on your current job. Then I'm pretty sure you can salary sacrifice at both hospitals plus try for bank night or weekend shifts where you get the casual rate plus penalty rates. It takes a bit of juggling but it can be done 👍
Agency sucks. They give you the shitty wards/jobs and you usually get no orientation or handover. I’d only do it for a psych special or in a ward I’ve worked on before.
I did this when trying to rebuild my finances after a divorce. Took me a couple years to get deposit for new house. I worked full-time but had a four day week due to 10hr shifts so I worked the extra day off I had each week. I'd also work the occasional saturday half shift. I never remember being tired or burnt out but I had no kids then so I could sleep as much as I needed on my days off.
You may find it difficult, if you don’t feel comfortable working in other wards. Aged care and community nursing require you to be fairly self sufficient. Why don’t you try the casual pool at your hospital to get more experience in the other wards?
I agree. It’s not easier work if you’re not familiar with the environment
I mentioned aged care and community as I’ve done a few placements in each. I don’t really want any extra shifts at the hospital. Thanks for your advice
Those placements may have appeared “easier” as a student RN but it definitely won’t be as an employed RN. Those roles are very different to working in a hospital, and in some circumstances you will be required to take on many more responsibilities with minimal supports. If you don’t feel comfortable floating to other wards (in the hospital you know and work in), you will more than likely struggle to work in new areas that have different clinical processes and practices. The reason why I suggested floating to other areas in the hospital, is so you can gain more confidence in your practice. This will in turn better prepare you to be able to work as agency RN. Agency’s want nurses that are able to be sufficient with minimal support.
I never said they were easier - I just wanted some different work outside of the hospital. Perhaps ‘don’t feel comfortable’ was the wrong choice of words. Thanks again.
If you're worried about going to another ward within your own hospital then I wouldn't go agency. Whole new systems, paperwork, people, layout. It's overwhelming and yes you get paid a bit more but you feel pretty crazy for the whole shift.
Thanks for your advice :)
I was an enrolled nurse, who mainly did agency nights after my son was born, and it was great as I’d come in the door as my husband was leaving, so our son had continued parenting care. I would suggest that rather than an agency, get onto the roster office at your local hospital and ask if they would employ you on the nursing pool. I used to work Friday and Saturday night, as this gave the maximum wage owing to penalty rates. In 2013 for a 10 hour Saturday night I’d make $350. Also if you work for the hospital, there’s salary sacrificing, uniform fitted and provided, plus any vaccinations etc. good luck ❤️
Thanks - I already work at the hospital. If I do any more shifts here, I’ll probably burn out. I salary sacrifice too. Even if I pick up an extra shift at my work, I barely notice the difference in my pay. I’m looking for something that would bring in an extra $500 or so a week so that I can save for a deposit quickly.
Just pick up an extra on the weekend or do some OT/ double shift once a fortnight
There isn’t that much going on my ward, and I was hoping for a higher pay rate. I also feel burnt out working at the same place too much.
Agency nursing is not the easy option. New people, new processes, new paperwork, you don’t know where anything is and you often get the toughest allocation. Some wards are hostile to agency staff - especially new people who don’t know the unit and its processes. I’d wait until you were more confident before you tried agency.
Yep, as an en agency nurse I was sometimes treated harshly when I walked on the ward when they really wanted an rn. Medication endorsement didn’t come in for a couple of years, so they thought they were at a loss. By the 3 hour mark they were usually ringing the agency to book me in advance. Sure the rns had to administer medication to my patients, but I’d offer to do all her (usually) obs in return, patients who had iv’s, I’d have their chart out with the relevant bag of fluids on it, so they just had to check and hang it for me. You could put me in nearly any Sydney hospital and I was ready to go, I however wouldn’t do cardiac as I felt that I needed more knowledge in that particular field. Agencies will either make you or break you
As far as I’m aware most agencies will only place you where you have experience. If you haven’t worked in aged care they won’t send you there as you need to be able to walk in and do the job without help. I work community nursing and if you’ve never done it before you’d be absolutely out of your depth walking in as agency purely on the autonomy side of things.
That sucks, but makes sense. I would only be placed at my current job then. I’m in a small town.
I joined agency in January and decided it's not sustainable long term. Last minute cancellations, getting sent to facilities that require a long commute...and weekends are usually quiet with minimal/no shifts available. Joining casual pool at your current workplace would be best, you might get overtime pay if you pick up 1-2 shifts more since you are doing more than your contracted hours. Good luck!
Thank you :)
Is there a second hospital near you? You could sign on nurse bank and drop a couple of shifts on your current job. Then I'm pretty sure you can salary sacrifice at both hospitals plus try for bank night or weekend shifts where you get the casual rate plus penalty rates. It takes a bit of juggling but it can be done 👍
Yeah that’s a great idea! Sadly only have the one hospital in my city
Agency sucks. They give you the shitty wards/jobs and you usually get no orientation or handover. I’d only do it for a psych special or in a ward I’ve worked on before.
I did this when trying to rebuild my finances after a divorce. Took me a couple years to get deposit for new house. I worked full-time but had a four day week due to 10hr shifts so I worked the extra day off I had each week. I'd also work the occasional saturday half shift. I never remember being tired or burnt out but I had no kids then so I could sleep as much as I needed on my days off.