Mae Said:

As a RN with a staffing agency do you cancelled a lot?

We Answered:

Yes that happens quite alot with some agencies, and usually is not their fault, but the fault of the place they are staffing. Some nursing homes are notorious for this as it costs them alot to use a staffing agency. Not great for you and it can get frustrating.

Debbie Said:

Anyone out there is a CNA or RN that is doing Home Health?

We Answered:

I worked in home health as a nurse (LPN) for 4 months. It was an okay job, mostly M-F during regular business hours unless someone had an emergency (which didn't happen very often because we were not considered emergency responders.)
We had anywhere between 5-8 scheduled visits per day. I would probably still be working that job because it is very flexible. What I mean by that is if you got done early you could stop and do some of your own errands before the next visit, I would run home sometimes during the day. (Why I got out of it is a long story and nothing to do with the job itself.)
But here is the downfall. You are going into other people's homes. The patients themselves are wonderful for the most part, but the families can be a little insane. If you live in a city, it might be a dangerous job.
Remember if something does not seem safe to you, leave immediately. I had a creepy family member try to do something really weird to me and I had another patients family member show up drunk during my visit and start yelling at his mother. So, it can be a little un-nerving. Good luck with your decision.
Oh, the aides got paid pretty well, more than at a nursing home. I only made $14.50 per hour.

Pearl Said:

How soon can a new grad RN work for a staffing agency as a travel nurse after graduating?

We Answered:

You must be a graduate of an accredited health care professional program in the United States or Canada. You also need to provide a valid license or certification and proof of the right to work in the United States.

It is preferred that you have a minimum of 18 months to two years experience working in an specialty/acute care setting.

Also most of the travel nursing positions offered are for nursing specialty areas, not general medical/surgical units. The hospitals normally are paying a significantly higher price for the traveling RN then they pay for RNs from the local area. Given this, when they request an ICU nurse, they normally want a nurse with ICU experience.

The most common travel RN positions are ICU, OR, NICU, L&D and ER/Trauma.

To enhance your abilities as a travel RN, you should try to work for a year or two locally in one of these areas. For further information contact the travel nurse agencies for their individual needs and requirements.

Ray Said:

I need 3 letters of recommendation?

We Answered:

It would be acceptable for you to get recommendations from two of your teachers. As a licensed practical nurse you already have much to recommend you for continuing your education.

Good luck with your chosen career - we need as many qualified and compassionate nurses as we can get!

Bryan Said:

Can I deduct the cost of college not covered by hope/lifetime learning credits?

We Answered:

Even though your school does not participagte in federal financial aid, is is eligible to participate? Virtually all accredited postsecondary schools (public, private, proprietary) are eligible.

You are a nursing tech at a staffing agency and a nursing student. This is a common situation. You are not improving existing job skills, you are entering a new profession. If you were working as an LPN and enrolled in an RN program it would be different.

Look again at the tuition and fees deduction or LLC and see if you can't take one of those.

Joan Said:

I am a Private duty RN. The company I work for gets many referrals from another company who provides ?

We Answered:

It's certainly questionable if you got a "Do Not Return" and they are not giving a reason. If it was something related to job performance, then your agency should have done some kind of counseling or something to go over the issue with you.

Can you go up higher in the chain-of-command in your own agency? I would not go to the mental health facility itself, but stick with your own employer.

Best of luck