Agency nursing

Graduates working as agency nurses register with an agency who provide them with shift or contract work. The nurses tell the agency their personal work requirements – whether they want part-time or full-time employment, what hours they can work and any other specifications, and are then contracted accordingly. Agency nursing can involve working in a variety of environments and, as each position is temporary, can allow nurses the flexibility to chop and change jobs.As an agency nurse you will be required to work in a variety of roles with little training when you arrive at each new assignment; as such, a certain amount of experience would almost certainly be necessary prior to joining an agency.

Skills required

An agency nurse must be able to walk into any environment and regardless of unfamiliarity, integrate immediately and perform effectively in numerous tasks. This means that agency nurses need to be extremely skilled and confident in what they do and be able to work independently, not asking their colleagues questions at every turn. Flexibility and adaptability are crucial, as is being friendly, outgoing and having the ability to meet and get on with new people.

Best and worst

Agency work offers flexibility in terms of personal control over free time and avoidance of working mandatory weekends. It provides first-hand exposure to new protocols, techniques and work environments, and the opportunity to develop experience, knowledge and self confidence in many areas. The increased rate of pay that the majority of agency work provides also motivates many nurses to join agencies. On the down side, thenature of being a serial temporary employee means you often won’t develop work relationships or friendship groups within the workplace; it demands the ability to cope with being the constant new person which may not be everyone’s cup of tea.