AGENCY NURSING 25/04/16 Hi there another week has passed and hope you all had a great week Well to continue with my blog on Agency nursing. Usually when you arrive at your destination you will be picked up by a member of the staff and taken to the Hospital where you pick up your key to your Accomodation. In the outback you may have to travel a couple of hours to get to the Hospital so the driver will stop and let you by food from one of the supermarkets as it a lot cheaper. Always be cordial to them when being picked up as it makes it easier for them and creates a relaxed atmosphere and travel more comfortable. I know you will probable be feeling tired and just wanting to have a shower and a rest. On arrival at the Hospital once again be friendly and you will be greeted with positivity and friendliness. I have seen many Agency Nurses arriving and have been very stand offish this does not make for a good first impression. Most places will have saved you a meal to prevent you from having to cook on that long day. Accomodation is one of the biggest issues in Agency Nursing as some places still have the old Nurses Quarters from the 60s where your room is big enough to hold one small single bed and a table with a chest of drawers. The bathrooms were all together and had showers with such gaps in the doors that you could see into them. The bathrooms were so cold that you didn’t linger long in the showers. No heaters I hated these as it did remind me of old staunch nursing days. We had a communal kitchen that had an old oven in it and it didn’t always work and lounge that usually had the oldest of furniture ever. I know of many Nurses who didn’t even unpack their bags over the state of the places. They would ring the Agency and get taken out of the place and put up in a Motel or leave the Hospital entirely and anull the contract. It was easier to go if you had your own transport. Then we had Accomodation that was the exact opposite where we had double beds own ensuite and shared lounge and kitchen that were the best. We paid to live in these places which was not a problem as the comfort was amazing. On arrival you were told what duties you were working. You had a day of orientation where you got the rundown of the place and introduced to all the staff but you never remembered everything. It always takes a couple of days to get used to the environment and people. One of the biggest things I was told by permanent staff was that many Agency nurses would say “we didn’t do it like that where I came from” and that immediately upsets the staff. It is best just to do it their way as it is their Hospital procedure and we are only there for a few weeks or months. Being adaptable is a plus or if you can’t perhaps you are not cut out for Agency nursing. Some Hospitals make you wear their Uniforms. Now for your duties you will find that you may have to work around permanent staff, that is one of the reasons we are there to assist them. I know that many places I did a lot of night duties and have not really liked these but that is the way it goes. Another complaint often made by permanent staff is that some Agency nurses are quite lazy and I have to say that this is true. I witnessed it on more than one occasion and felt they didn’t want to work as a team member worked only to please themselves. I think a few were deaf also as they didn’t hear call bells or that their legs were not working at that time. Have a great week and I will catch you all next week Check out these bargains and many more at http://nursefactory.com

This blog saved to Facebook but not my website at nursefactory.com my appologies 21/04/2016 Agency Nursing Hi there hope you all have had a great week. Over the next couple of weeks my blog will be a little different as I am going to talk about Agency nursing after having collegues say that I have the experience to give you the information required, so I can let you know the important things before you start. In 2008 I decided to become an Agency nurse and work in Australia (even though I love in New Zealand) doing Rural and Remote Nursing. I worked for a Nursing Agency who would get me the contract and away I would go. I decided to do this work after my husband wanted to retire from his work and I was past wanting to work permanently also. He would retire and renovate our home up and I would continue working , it was a great arrangement and worked well for us. This gave me the freedom of working three to four months and having two months off after each contract. This didn’t always work out as I often only had a month off but I didn’t mind as I love the work. He was always there to take me to the airport in the early hours of the morning which was two hours away from where we lived, or we would stay the night with a great sister in law who didn’t object to being woken in the early hours of the morning with me getting ready to go to the airport. All travel arrangements were usually made by the Nursing Agency and at the odd time I would do it myself. At the end of contracts that I extended on Gary would come over and we would get a rental car and explore the area. We love it and saw a lot of Australias great outback. There are many Nursing Agencies to choose from and all offer something different.. I researched Nursing Agencies I was interested in and read all comments from Nurses. Once I started working and wanting to join more Agencies it was great meeting up with more agency nurses who had experience to help, and I was able to make informed choices. Agency nursing is exciting and rewarding if you are aware of what is ahead of you. Don’t get carried away with the though of seeing new places, think of you abilities and make sure your skills are what is required Tips on starting The downside of Agency nursing is that you may have to wait for work so I think it is also a good idea to join up with more than one Nursing Agency as if there is no work with one there often is with another Agency. Some Hospitals have their favourite Agencies and use these ones only. Other Agencies will only work in certain areas. Have a current Passport Make sure your Nursing Registration is up to date. There is always a lot of forms to fill out and it is important that you have Health cards up to date for Hospital requirements eg drug screening and inoculations. Make sure you have copies of all paper work as mishaps do occur and when you get to your Hospital and they inform you that there are forms missing, and having certified copies helps. Keep then in a separate file When you get your contract it is important that you read it and understand what it says. If you are not happy with anything contact your Agency and get them to explain it to you. I have worked with Midwives who do not like working in Emergency Departments and have made sure it is their contracts. Remember that the choice of work is yours and if you feel apprehensive about it don’t do it. Learn bout the hospital, how big is it and what facitlies are available. Is there a Doctor on site does it have an Ambulance service as this helps with knowing what you are getting into. Find out about staff accommodation. I found in the more remote areas we did not pay for accommodation but nearer the bigger towns we did, so find out the cost before you get there. I remember one contract I did and was sleeping in the closest as there were not enough beds for Nurses. My Agency soon sorted that one out for me. You have the choice of how long the contract you want to work and many places give you the option of extending. Find out about the area. What is the population and what facilities are available. Check out the transport availability as if you are like me and have no car it is a good idea to know about the transport. As I say this I have worked in a few places where there is no transport in or out. I would have been picked up at the nearest airport and have often traveled more than two hours in a car to reach my destination. If you have you own car check out the garage repair places if needed. Another thing that is important check out the climate as if you are flying you can only have so much weight. Take clothing to suit the climate. I always like to take some personal things like my little blender and paring knife. I also pack small bathroom products to last a few days til I get settled and able to get food etc in. Check tickets before you depart for correct time and date. I have had wrong dates on tickets before. Contact the hospital to ensure that there will be someone there to pick you up at the airport or bus station. Have a good flight So you have arrived at your destination now I will tell you how to adapt to working in different Hospitals as an Agency nurse Everything you need as an Agency Nurse is available from ht://nurse factory.com See you next week . Stay safe and well Lynne Check out these passport covers at http://nursefactory.com

Stethoscopes

Sunday 09/04/2016 Hi all STETHOSCOPES I remember when I first started training and only the Doctors had Stethoscopes that they hung round their neck like a badge of honour and all Nurses had to use the one in the ward. One of the things I hate is when I am on a Doctors round and they ask if they can use my Stethoscope. I am very fussy about keeping the earplugs clean. The easiest thing to lose or have stolen. Stolen not by choice but because Heath Professionals forget who they borrowed it from and we forget who borrowed it in our busy duties. One of the things that I find hard to understand is that there are many in the wards for use by all and have seen many Health Professionals just pick one up to use and not clean it before or after. I had a bit of a reputation on night duty that all Stethoscopes got cleaned and hung up. Its not hard to work out that they should be cleaned between each patient with an alcohol swab, to prevent cross infection. As I say that it is recommended that the tubing should be cleaned with soap and water. I have cleaned some of my stethoscopes with alcohol swabs and it made the tubing go dull and one set go sticky.



There are two types of Stethoscopes one for Pulmonary and one for Cardiac Patients. The Diaphragm is used for Pulmonary patients as it picks up high pitched noises and the Bell for Cardiac Patients as it picks up low pitched sounds. A good quality Stethoscope gives better hearing. Stethoscopes come in a varied price range and you need to ascertain how much you can afford. In some Hospitals I have worked in they Purchase cheaper ones for the Isolation Units so they can be disposed of on discharge of the Patients.



The next thing you have to think about is are you going to use it for Paediatric or Neo-natals. The small chest pieces provide a more narrowing sound which makes better diagnosis for the babe or infant. You will find most Paedricians have these, but as we get more Nurse Clinicians we are getting a more variety on cost on these also.



There are many Brands of stethoscope and are all of great value. I use a Littmans and it seems to be one of the more popular brands. There are Stethoscopes with duel heads for teaching purposes and attachments for eg hanging tape, stethoscope name tags, children's novelty tags. There is also jewelery available with stethoscope lapel pins, charms for bracelets and embroidery squares.



Even way down here I watched the television show called "The View" and listened to the comments made about the Colorado Nurse who was ridiculed for wearing a Stethoscope. What a sad indictment on Society when we have so called Celebrities making fun of someone who is so proud of her profession. Come the Day when they need medical assistance. Shame on "The View". That is why we as Health Professionals need to support each other. Check these and many more great buys from Lynnes Nurse factory @ http://nursefactory.com/ See you all next week Stay safe and well Lynne