Agency nurses are qualified professionals who work in different positions and shifts that are offered to them through an agency. Depending on the shifts they have signed up for, they may work at different hospitals on different days. Agency nursing jobs are increasingly becoming more relevant and for all the right reasons. Below we are sharing some of the reasons why you should consider becoming an agency nurse.

Work that Complements Your Family Commitment

Shift work often gets in the way of your family commitment, particularly night shifts. But, when you work as an agency nurse, you no longer have to worry about working on shifts that are not suitable for you. When you register with an agency, you decide the shifts that work best for you. Therefore, you can manage your shifts around different family commitments. You can also choose hospitals that are located near your home or school, thereby allowing you to maintain a proper work-life balance.

High Flexibility

In addition to your family commitments, working as an agency nurse provides more flexibility in different aspects of your life. For instance, if you want to study to advance your career, being an agency nurse provides you with the flexibility to do the same. You can manage the shifts around your class schedules and even take time off during exams.

When you are in a permanent position, you have to apply for leaves and constantly calculate the leaves you have before planning a holiday. But when you are an agency nurse, you can plan your holidays whenever you like.

Higher Pay

Agency nurses have more earning potentials than nurses working in permanent positions. The former is paid on an hourly basis based on their shifts, settings, and specialty. And, depending on your experience, agency, and medical centre, you can acquire higher pay, penalty rates, and holiday pay.

Experience

Contrary to working in the same position for years, an agency nurse gets to try different aspects of their work in a lesser time period. You can apply for different shifts in various departments, thereby enhancing your experience across different areas. This exposes you to new working approaches and technologies that you can use in your practice and enhance your credibility. The versatility of skills is among the prominent reasons why hospitals choose agency nurses.

Qualities of a Successful Agency Nurse

If you want to become a successful agency nurse, the following are some qualities that you must possess-

Impeccable Communication Skills

As an agency nurse, you will constantly be moving from one place to another, meeting new people, and introduced to unfamiliar working scenarios.

Therefore, it is vital that you have excellent communication skills to survive. Whether in writing or face-to-face interactions, you should be able to interact with people of different seniority levels with utmost assurance and confidence.

The Capability of Working as a Team and Independently

You are likely to spend the majority of your time working independently, so you have to exhibit confidence in your skills and abilities to be treated as a reliable source.

And, in some cases, you have to work with a team, which means you have to determine your position in the hierarchy and act accordingly. Irrespective of what your working situation is, you should be able to get the work done in the most efficient manner.

Empathy and Compassion

All nursing jobs require professionals to show empathy and compassion to people they are taking care of. But being an agency nurse, you will be treating unfamiliar patients every day; hence you are not likely to generate an enduring bond with them.

Therefore, you have to use your empathy and compassion skills to make the patients feel comfortable around you and assure them that they are being taken care of properly.

Professionalism

As an agency nurse, you will be seen at a high level of professionalism, so you need to be an expert in your area. You should be updated with the latest practices and procedures and able to deal with different situations within your scope of work while showing utmost professionalism.

Adaptability

Agency nurses work in a different environment every day. Consequently, adaptability is among the most important skills that they should imbibe. This skill helps them cope with change easily, accept a new challenge, and develop the right mindset.

Problem Solving Ability

Agency nurses spend a lot of time working by themselves without being familiar with their surroundings or patients. This is where your problem-solving skills will play a pivotal role. You will have to use different approaches to tackle various situations while ensuring the safety of your patients.

Being an agency nurse, provides you with a lot of benefits. But your work as a nurse will not be less challenging and you need the right skills to become successful in this field.