Pros
To be in control of when I work or IF I work is my dream job! HTWS is the only agency to provide staffing for all HCA facilities nationwide so there's the potential for an abundant opportunities wherever I might go and at any given time. My area in North Texas alone has 12 HCA facilities allowing me a lot of freedom so IN THEORY, would seem to have an abundance of needs. In theory. HTWS is innovative and forward moving with adjusting to ever-growing demands by implementing new strategies and methods of managing the ever-changing needs of a growing industry for providing the best possible service to the facility and protecting the entrusted career of the healthcare provider. The opportunities are available to those who seek them. HealthTrust has NOT been the typical agency prone to making calls for soliciting offers or discussing the abundant opportunities available at any given time. The responsibility of making a phone call to inquire is mine completely.
Cons
1:The responsibility of making a phone call in response to or inquire about a potential opportunity or a rumored opportunity is mine completely. 2: Per-diem shifts are the first to be cancelled and it happens too often. It is not uncommon for my shifts to be cancelled one at a time over an entire month. I work nights (7PM to 7AM). Per policy they have until 5PM to cancel a shift. By this time most gaps are filled and needs are satisfied so the window of opportunity for being "re-routed" to work somewhere else is barely open. Not to mention my day is now gone having dedicated that time to prepare for a shift that requires critical care awareness through the night. 3: To predict which days will be less likely to cancel every week is impossible. Many weeks are spent entirely as if "on call" in preparation to work a (PM)shift. I may have scheduled the shift weeks prior or may have added a shift last minute to supplement one (or 2 or 3 or 4) that have been cancelled earlier the same week. 4: Any house supervisor (understandably so) will agree to have an extra nurse on the books even if the census ( on the unit or specialty a nurse is qualified for) does not call for the addition of another nurse. They typically won't decline a request to be scheduled for any given shift as it makes their staffing job MUCH easier come 5PM with an agency nurse to float. 5: it's no secret that an agency nurse is required to be there come hell or high water and the act of clocking in for a shift is acceptance of an assignment. 6: It's a given to be assigned any floor on any unit with a shortage (below the acuity level of qualifications. I am PCU/step-down so it's wide open) I like to float and always have but even I have limitations... They know the agency nurse (as opposed to a staff nurse) will do it without a word of complaint or objection for fear of being black listed to "DNS" (do not schedule-i think it is). 7: Some facilities are known for abusing DNS in ways unethical and use it as a scare tactic knowing they have full authority and control the system. It can happen at any time for any reason, what might even be an unknown reason, quite possible to be untrue, or at the least the story a decision is based (if provided) is incomplete at best. 8: Agency nurses are like the step-children who have to earn their stay. It's earned every shift with every assignment no matter if it's the same location for 12 weeks solid or the 1st day at a new facility or unit. 9: More times than not I serve as the catch all for what no one else wants or likes. That said, throughout a 17 year career as an RN I am consistently realized as being most capable of taking what others might unnecessarily deem "difficult" or "undesirable" on any given unit or facility. I'm ok with this and take pride in this trait so when I say I am a "catch all" it isn't good!! 10: The idea of having such freedom over my own life has quickly turned into being severely restricted to staying in bed sleeping every day in hopes of catching at least one shift a week and with very little income there is no freedom. Maybe it's different for day shift which is to be my last ditch effort. In addition: COVID mandates and information from trusted sources required a response in the form of preparation for anticipating exponentially more illnesses. Many hospitals were over-prepared and remained empty causing a huge loss in revenue. We now face the first ever nurse hiring freeze in my 46-year lifetime along with a hault in utilization of agency assisted per-diem as well as cancellations of contracts across my entire region and the vast majority of the nation yet to have any substantial affect of illness to support such a shut down preparation. The impossible depletion of nursing jobs is sadly a possible reality. It saddens me to prove such a freedom to control my life will remain too good to be true... Likely it isn't true.
