First Day At Work - Tips For Agency Nurses
/Your studies would have exposed you to many different learning opportunities, and your theory would have imprinted your role into your mind permanently... but what else can you do in the workplace to make your first day of working on a new assignment so much easier.
Starting A New Job Can Be Daunting
No matter the amount of preparation you have invested into your career, knowledge is only one part of your newfound career or position in Medical Nursing and patient care. So, we will be sharing a few invaluable insights to make your first day a swimming success. As well as a few key qualities that will serve you well, no matter the seniority of your position or length of your career.
3 Key Tips to use every day as an Agency Nurse
Kindness
Always treat your fellow colleagues and staff with respect and kindness. You have no idea what challenges they face on a daily basis, and your kindness could bring them so much more than just a pleasant work engagement.
Stay Curious
Ask questions. You need to be brave and bold enough to ask when you need to know something. Afterall, there is no thing as a bad question – especially when it comes down to practice processes, systems and procedures.
Enthusiasm for the Mundane
We all have these beautiful hopes and dreams of finding the perfect job. The reality is that with all great roles, there are repetitive admin duties and responsibilities. The attention to detail you give to these tasks may very well define you in the workplace, so always keep your standards high.
What Can You Expect On Your First Day Of Agency Nursing?
Agency Nurses are exposed to numerous assignments at multiple facilities and are highly skilled to best support patients and clients.
Working at new facilities on new assignments requires agency nurses to adapt to different procedures, facility layouts, and workplace cultures. This can make the first day of work as an agency nurse very challenging. But by ensuring you have assessed all communication relating to your new assignment, you can alleviate a lot of the stress.
Nurses who have registered to work with Nursing Services of South Africa, benefit from 24-hour support, 7 days a week. The Staffshift app or your booking consultant will tell you everything you need to know about your assignment, every time.
5 First day at work tips for agency nurses
Adequate Handover
The transition an agency nurse must go through at each facility requires an adequate handover that provides detailed information about the shift, assignments, and how the procedure works. It is important that agency nurses feel comfortable after the handover, thus if they have any questions- they should ask. Remember that we do have 24/7 assistance, so please do log a call on your Staffshift app should you need any information. Save our WhatsApp number 060 070 2436 and chat with us to get help now. Our friendly team is available 24/7.
Exceptional Communication Skills
Agency nurses work at multiple facilities and do not work on one site permanently. Thus it is important to always introduce themselves to staff nurses on duty. Forming part of having exceptional communication skills is the ability to ask as many questions as needed to do the assignment correctly.
Utilise all skills
Agency nurses learn a lot of skills and the correct process of completing them. It is important to make notes to remember what new lessons and skills were learned. Take pride in the execution of your tasks, these skills could build a strong reputation for you within the workforce.
Don’t forget your training. Remember that you have qualifications and you have been formally trained on many tasks. Remember this training, and do your duties with pride, asking questions if you are unsure, or if the facility process differs slightly to your training. You would most likely find a very good reason for the system to be in place on site.
Always be prepared
It is important that agency nurses should always remember the fundamentals of basic nursing. When working at a new facility:
Pre-plan transport method and route
Arrive earlier than the starting time to ask for a proper induction and get familiarised with the facility, storage, duties and requirements.
Having an open mind, and being optimistic and approaching all challenges with a friendly demeanour can certainly help you along the way.
Understand the Assignment
When you are assigned a post, you will receive 3 vital parts of information from us, which would give you guidance on the job description.
Family – this would give you the type of ward or facility which you will be working in
Profile – this would be the role which you would fill for the duration of your assignment
Location - and then of course the location, or place of work for the course of the assignment
You would need to refer to your training to ensure you recall all duties associated to your assignment profile.
How can we help you to become an agency nurse?
Join Nursing Services of South Africa, part of the A24Group today. Find out about the Benefits of Becoming an Agency Nurse at A24Group.
