Reasons to Work With a Nurse Staffing Agency
Travel nursing is a career path that would always be in demand, as long as people are getting sick, there would always be a job for nurses. There are a few things that you would have to know if you are considering a healthcare staffing agency to find work though. What do hospitals use staffing agencies? Here, you could get advice from a medical staffing agency in Metairie, LA and we could give you a few reasons to work with a nurse staffing agency, especially if you are planning on becoming a travel nurse.
Pros of using a Medical Staffing Agency
- Network of Facilities
An agency can allow you to pick up shifts at different types of facilities to dip your feet in and test if a new environment would be a good fit for you rather than completely changing course in your career, giving you a foot in the door to a facility or role that interests you. When you use an agency, it would make it easier for you to moonlight or switch assignments if a role is not working out.
- Better Pay
Higher pay is something job seekers often find the most important and agencies offers better pay to employees than facilities, and often at a faster rate. Employees do not need to wait long to get paid the money that they have earned because they made a change in the weekly pay schedule last 2018. When you are looking for an agency to work with, you have to look for an agency that is transparent about how much you would earn with your shifts, provide 1099 and W2 documents, and is dependable.
- Find Work Faster
Finding your work fast is something an agency is good at. There is searching and applying and interviewing and all of these other processes when you are looking for a job on your own, but healthcare staffing agencies have fast registration and onboarding for job seekers, and account managers that can work with you to find jobs quicker.
- Flexibility
You have control in choosing your own schedule when you are working with an agency, you could world as much or as little as you want and if you do not want to work on the weekends, earn time-and-a-half working a shift during the holidays, you would be able to choose.
If you are looking to pick up an occasional shift then maybe an agency would not be a good fit for you, but if flexibility is important to you, then you have to be wary that there are some agencies that impose a minimum number of shifts or hours worked during a certain period of time.
How Does a Healthcare Staffing Agency Find and Fill Shifts?
When those facilities have jobs they need to be filled, they will look to their healthcare staffing agency to fill those jobs quickly and effectively with the right people because Healthcare staffing agencies partner with different types of facilities in their respective service areas, such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, correctional facilities, etc.
A nurse staffing agency may email, call or text the applicable professionals in their network to see who is interested once an agency is made aware of an open shift. If the facility is only looking for a CNA within 10 miles, for example, the agency will reach out to that group of individuals.
If you need to pick up more work ASAP, or if you know you’re going to be available on certain days, your account manager should be able to work with you to meet your career goals and find you the shifts that work for you because the employee’s goals and availability are also taken into account.
How Many Staffing Agencies Can I Use?
A nurse staffing agency may employ many professionals who have a full-time position but also supplement with an agency if they want to pick up a few extra shifts here and there or during the holiday, it all generally depends on your schedule and on your career goals. They would also employ those people who are exclusively using agencies to find a long or short-term placement and those people who thrive on the adventure of new assignments and changing environments.
You may not feel the need to register with multiple agencies as long as you are satisfied with the quantity and the quality of shifts that are being sent your way, and there are some facilities or staffing agencies that may impose restrictions to register with multiple agencies so you are going to have to be aware of that. But at the end of the day, it all generally would depend on your personal preference and what you are comfortable taking on.