Agency Nurse

What Are The Advantages Of Agency Nursing: Hear It From An Agency Nurse

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Week 3 and we are still emphasizing why all nurses should by all means be in charge of their schedules.

Over the years here are some ways nurses in the UK have been augmenting their income:

  1. Have a full-time job elsewhere, when you get a chance pick an extra shift assigned or found at the agency.
  2. Work overtime, i.e long days and double shifts etc to make sure the salary is higher when the calender hits the last day of the month.

This week we had an opportunity to speak to one nurse who is transitioning to become a full-time agency nurse and she had this to say

… I work 4 nights a week, from Sunday to Wednesday and the other 3 nights and days, I’m with my family. I went to a church outing for the first in a decade last week and I didn’t have to work the Sunday I got back because there was no pressure for me to unlike last time.

I have managed to pay back my small loan I’m working towards building my second home in another country I really can’t complain. And to think three months ago I was depressed after our family holiday when things were not going well for me financially……

This lady was advised by her friend an agency nurse, to do agency nursing full time and she was forced by circumstances to do it. She is the happiest person around because she is seeing the benefits.

She has more time with her family, her finances are not in a quandary and she has more time for social events because she can manage her schedule.

When I asked her if she misses the security of her old job she said she doesn’t, especially the double shifts.

Just like her, sometimes there is absolutely no reason for you to pick those double shifts when you can have a flexible schedule. To get started on your agency nursing journey call us on 03300300031 or email us at info@myshifts.works alternatively fill in this form and we will contact you.

Agency Shift

How To Leverage Social Media To Get More Agency Shifts

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A few weeks ago, we were telling you about agency shifts and how to become an agency nurse. Agency nursing has helped a lot of healthcare professionals be in control of their time, their schedule and their finances.

Over the last few years, agency nursing has gained popularity. 54.53% of the nurses in the NMC register do not work in the NHS. There is a huge possibility that a huge chunk of the registered nurses outside the NHS is in Agency Nursing while the rest are employed in private facilities.

The availability of agency shifts at one’s fingertips has exacerbated the need for some to switch from working in an institution permanently to being an agency nurse.

We have received enquiries about agency nursing and the availability of agency shifts should one decide to take on agency nursing full-time. In case you are wondering how to find shifts on social media here are a few tips on how to leverage social media to find agency shifts.

  1. Open a LinkedIn account and list your qualifications and most importantly your location. Also indicate that you are open to work and be specific that you are interested in temporary or part-time placements only. Make sure you are active on LinkedIn and check your messages regularly. Find agencies in your area that are hiring and apply. Be sure to keep your updated CV handy so you can easily apply for any job.
  2. Search for jobs hashtags on Twitter and Instagram for example use the following hashtags #birminghamjob, #extrashiftsdudley #agencynursing #agencynurse.
  3. Join Nurses’ recruitment groups on LinkedIn and Facebook and regularly check if agencies are not posting part-time vacancies and shifts.

We can help you get started on your agency nursing journey. If you need more information about becoming an agency nurse, call us on 03300300031 or email us info@myshifts.work

Toxic Work Environment

Nurses, Is Your Work Environment Toxic?

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Toxic Work Environments, one of the topics less discussed on the web, no employer would ever want their workplace to be described as toxic right? Research has cited that over the years, a toxic work culture is one of the most cited reasons why people quit their jobs. A lot of us do not even realise that the environment is not ideal, because of various reasons, however a survey on the internet by Conductor discovered that web searches for “toxic work environment quiz “increased by over 500% this year.

What is a Toxic Work environment?

According to Forbes:

..toxic means “poisonous” and/or “causing unpleasant feelings; harmful or malicious. ClearForce CEO Tom Miller says it can be anything from bullying or harassment to a company that engages in unethical practices and is dishonest with its employees

Forbes

There are many reasons why many will stay in a not-so-ideal workplace. Some are not really aware that the traits exuded by their superiors or co-workers are toxic until they leave that environment and start working elsewhere. Not to mention the fact that some employers have adopted the “take it or leave it phenomenon” of letting employees know in one way or the other that if they think this environment is not ideal, they are free to leave.

In the African country of Zimbabwe, a woman shared her toxic work environment story and she said she stayed because she was afraid she would not get another job. Unemployment is rife in that country and a lot of people are qualified to do most jobs. For every vacancy, there are thousands if not tens of thousands of applicants. In Scotland, a lady endured in a toxic work environment for years because she needed to gain expereience in her field.

What Can Be Done About Toxic Work Environment?

A week ago, The Guardian published a story that said, the Royal College of Nursing was marred with allegations of:

..bullying, misogyny and a sex_ual culture where women are at risk of “alcohol and power-related exploitation

The Guardian

Given the fact that the Royal College of Nursing is one of the biggest Nurses Union in the world, this further alludes to the fact that, many envrionemnts are probably toxic to many people and the superiors are probaly not aware of it.

Now that we know, its possible to be in a toxic enveronment and not know it, or endure because of various reasons, what can we as nurses do?

  1. Take the toxic work envronment quiz on the web and see if you are working in an toxic environment
  2. Stand up against any toxic traits you do not like
  3. In some cases, switch to agency nursing, you will be working in different work stations and envrionments, you have a chance to cherry pick which place you can go to and which ones to avoid.

In case you need help transitioning to agency nursing, call us on 03300300031 or email info@myshifts.work and we will help you.

Technology In Nursing: Dos And Donts

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Must Have Technoloy In Healthcare

It’s high time we talk about technology in nursing, for the simple reason that, tech has taken over the world. The world has evolved immensely from the era when community nurses used bicycles to make home visits to this day of smart medical devices and remote patient monitoring.

In the early 30s, nurses never thought it would be possible to have pacemakers let alone think intelligent devices would become an integral part of their jobs, they took pride in their work as community health officers and ensured the community’s health needs were well taken care of.

In some African countries, a visit to the clinic would see you and other patients combined, singing a jingle about health, cleanliness and anti-littering among other topics before the clinic opened for that particular day.

Enter technology in nursing, and smart medical devices are now being used to monitor patients. Remote patient monitoring has even been exacerbated by the availability of the internet in most parts of the world. Patient management has also been made easy by different software that can take and process appointments. Not forgetting that sometimes nurses have to access some medical databases when they need help managing a patient exuding certain symptoms, helping them to efficiently carry out their duties.

Technology has become an epicentre of what we do as nurses as it had enabled us in more ways than one to carry out our nursing duties be it administrative or actual nursing duties efficiently and productively. However, technology comes with its own drawbacks and we cannot ignore them. Whenever you as a nurse decide to use technology in its infinite vastness in your field, remember the following:

Dos.

  1. Get as much information as you can on the piece of tech you are going to use be it software or a medical device. Remembering a small error can have fatal results.
  2. Remember to educate your patients about some of the benefits of using the technology you are trying to get them to adopt. (i.e if a patient is supposed to have a heart rate monitor or any other wearable medical device, take your time to explain it fully to the patient so they will understand its benefits and how to take care of it.)
  3. Remember that technology can have glitches that can interfere with or interrupt a patient’s results, thereby increasing the chances of them being misdiagnosed or having any other adverse effects. As a nurse do not leave remote monitoring (and other duties) entirely to technology. Set up a checkup routine to check on your patients physically or by calling them.

Donts.

  1. Don’t over-rely on technology sometimes conduct a psychical check.
  2. Don’t use systems or devices you do not fully understand to manage or treat patients.
  3. Don’t rule out the powerful technology in favour of human intelligence, technology in some cases can complete tasks we can’t.

If you want to be an agency nurse, call us on 03300300031 or send us an email with the subject “I want to be an agency nurse” and we will contact you.

How To Become An Agency Nurse In The UK

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Agency Nurse Pause +`5\6-\
Confident nurse having crossed arms and looking at camera.

How To Become An Agency Nurse In The UK? Some nurses found themselves in considerable difficulty in 2022 when they discovered there is so much month at the end of money and their paycheques were not going to change anytime soon. Given the ongoing economic downturn, a lot of nurses are considering shifting entirely to agency nursing because they need to rearrange one or two things in their lives to make ends meet.

The video below details some of the reasons why it will be beneficial for you to become an agency nurse:

According to Randstad, There are many pros than cons to being an agency nurse which include but are not limited to:

  1. Greater diversity of patients and co-workers
  2. There is less management in agency nursing
  3. You don’t have to deal with office politics.
  4. You will be doing actual nursing work (not spend some time embroiled in admin work)

Others have often wondered how they can become agency nurses and if it is advisable to flip to agency nursing full-time. The short answer to both these questions is, it’s easy and worthwhile.

To become an agency nurse you first have to meet the following criterion:

  1. Have Professional Nursing Qualifications
  2. Be eligible to work in the UK
  3. You have to be registered with the NMC
  4. You should have proof of vaccinations and immunisation.

If you have these then you can start looking for agency work from different agencies in your area. You can be paid in three different ways.

  1. The agencies can pay you after deducting National Insurance(NI) and income tax
  2. You can open a limited company and the agencies can pay the proceeds into the company account and you will pay NI and other taxes on your own. (This is usually considered the best option)
  3. The agencies may pay an umbrella company which then does admin work for you and make payments directly to you.

If you ever want to become an agency nurse, we can help you get started. In case you have any questions, about becoming an agency nurse, reach out to us by calling us at 03300300031 or sending us an email at info@myshifts.work. Check out our other blogs on staffing and placement here.