Are you an international nurse coming to Australia? Maybe you’ve just arrived. Want to know what to expect? Or you’re just looking for a few tips on what being an agency nurse in Australia is like.
Let me help put your pre-shift jitters aside. I’ve worked as an agency nurse for over 5 years in many facilities and specialties all across Sydney.
I’ve come up with a few tips that would’ve really helped me before I started. If you find this useful, then share with another nurse making the move.
I really recommend Network Nursing Agency. They are a great agency with many shifts across Sydney in public and private hospitals. They also have nurses in the office for support who have been in your position if you need help.
You can earn a 500 dollar bonus when you work 20 shifts!
Google the facility beforehand
Before your first shift you’ll want to have some idea of what you’re walking into. Find out if you’re working in a private or public hospital. What kind of surgeries or treatments do they offer/ specialise in.
If you know anyone that has worked there before, reach out to them for some tips. You can also ask for feedback in a Nursing Facebook Group, like Working Holiday Nurses Down Under.
Don’t do a night shift or weekend shift for your first agency nurse shift
I’m sure you’re already aware from working in your home country, that weekends and nights are always more short staffed. There is less support available.
When you’re working in a new place you want as much support as possible.
You need the managers and educators on shift to ask a million questions. You need to lean on them when you’re unsure of a particular process.
There’s also less AIN’s (assistants in nursing) the equivalent of healthcare assistants.
They are so helpful as a new agency nurse.
You can delegate some of your tasks to them when you’re busy. I highly recommend making life a little easier for yourself. Do a weekday shift first in any new facility you work at. Then after you find your feet by all means crack on!
Pack your bag the night before
Get your ID badge, pens, lunch and snacks already to go so that when you wake up you can just focus on getting yourself ready. Make sure to print your time sheet and have a few on standby ready to go.
Don’t bring any valuables or money to your shifts. Often as agency nurses we don’t have a secure locker to store our bag in.
Always bring your own lunch as an agency nurse
You don’t know how far the cafe is from your unit, you don’t want to waste your valuable lunch time on finding and queuing for food. It will also save you some dollars too!
Check with the nursing agency if the facility need to create a computer log in for you
It has happened to me that I’ve rocked up for a night shift and didn’t have a computer log in, to administer medications, write down vital signs or access patient’s notes. It was an absolute nightmare.
I had to contact the IT person out of hours to make a computer log in for me. I was running around like a headless chicken trying to document things on scraps of paper while they sorted out a log in for me.
This is also another reminder of why a day shift is much better for your first shift. These things can be sorted by the NUM (nursing unit manager) before your arrival and make your day go a lot smoother.
The agency will have so many nurses going to so many different places. It’s your responsibility to check with them. Ask them if they can contact the facility on your behalf and ensure your best prepared with all the log ins you’ll need ahead of time.
Familiarize yourself with the Aussie codes and medication names
In Australia they abbreviate everything. The longer I’m here the more I find myself picking up their lingo. “Arvo”- afternoon, and “bluie” for an “inco” sheet or “chux” pad.
They also mostly refer to medications here with the brand names instead of the generic names. To be honest even 5 years later some still catch me off guard.
If you know you’re going to be working on a cardiology ward look up the common cardiology medications and their brand names. You can jot them down on your phone notes for reference.
They also have a colour coded system here for all types of emergencies.
Code blue: medical emergency
Code red:- fire
Code yellow: internal emergency
Code orange: evacuation
Code brown: external emergency
Code purple: bomb threat
Code black: personal threat
Look at their vital signs chart before your first agency nurse shift
In Australia, they say “between the flags” when a patient’s vital signs are within normal limits.
This is because in Australia, its safe to swim between the red and yellow flags at the beach. Same for the patients they’re “safe” if they’re between the flags.
Patients can also have an Altered Calling Criteria, where the doctor can change the parameters of when they need to be notified. Just an FYI the Altered Calling Criteria do expire so check the hospital’s policy.
This is a really useful resource written by NSW health for information on recording and checking vital signs. I highly recommend you read it. https://www1.health.nsw.gov.au/pds/ActivePDSDocuments/PD2020_018.pdf
Arrive early
This one is a no brainer. Look up the route and public transport the night before.
Some hospitals require you to see security, before your shift starts to provide you with a temporary access card. This can take some time. Don’t stress and get there at least a half hour before your shift starts.
Some places will ask you to meet with the site nurse manager on arrival, before they allocate the area you’ll be working in. They sometimes ask, what area you specialise in and try to facilitate that.
They want you to work in an area you feel confident in.
Don’t be shy in letting them know if you’re uncomfortable working in a specific area. If you’re a medical/surgical nurse it obviously wouldn’t be appropriate to put you in ICU looking after a ventilated patient.
Introduce yourself as a new agency nurse
I know sometimes it can be embarrassing to feel like the new kid on the block and you’re worried what people will think of you. But honestly, who cares?
You need to tell everyone you’re new and that it’s your first time there. You need to give people the opportunity to support you and they can’t do that if you don’t tell them.
Lean into that feeling and ask as many questions as you need to. Ask if there is an educator on the unit. Can they come and support you.
It is literally someone’s job to educate and support new staff so don’t feel bad or like a hindrance. When you learn how to do things properly it will allow you to be more efficient the next time you’re there.
As an agency nurse its important to find out who the NUM and Team Leader are
You will be communicating with these people a lot throughout your shift and co-ordinating patient care.
Get orientated
You need to be oriented every single time you work in a new facility. Where are the fire exits? Where is the crash cart?
Most importantly you need to find out where the tea room is!
Top tip for an agency nurse on orientation
When the nurse in charge is showing you around, they may give you codes to enter on the doors for the break room, med room etc. Write these down on your phone notes. You will lose that piece of paper and it means you’ll also have it the next time you’re back there.
I’ve worked in the same places countless times, but couldn’t tell you any of the codes. I still refer back to my notes every time 5 years on.
It will honestly save you so much time going and looking for a permanent staff member to let you in.
Carry your phone everywhere
In Australia many hospitals provide work phones. This is super convenient for getting in touch with dr’s. Take it with you when transferring patients from one area to another in case of emergency.
It also saves the ward clerk from scaling the ward every 5 minutes looking for you, to talk to a family member. They can just transfer the call directly to you.
Please please take your breaks!
Be kind to yourself. No matter how busy you are, you deserve to take a rest and grab a cuppa.
Don’t wait for the manager to tell you to take a break. Its your job to ask at the start of the shift, what time they take their breaks? and when you can go or who will cover you.
If you work an 8 hour shift, most places will take a 20 minute tea break and a 30 minute lunch break. If you work more than 10 hours you’re entitled to a second tea break.
As an Irish gal who loves her tea, I really recommend bringing your own tea bags. The tea here is so weak! You can’t beat a nice cuppa Barrys tea!
Let them know you’re a keen agency nurse and want to come back
If you got on well and really enjoyed your shift whether that was due to the people or the convenience of location. Speak up and tell the manager.
Tell them your availability and offer them your number if you’re comfortable with that.
This will help you with securing future shifts.
Its so nice to go back to the same place. You get to understand the place better and how they do things.
The new uneasy feeling will fade
I promise you, it will happen. You won’t always feel anxious or nervous going to work. You won’t even notice it happen, just one day you’ll know the names of the medications or where to find things.
Settling in takes time. Be patient with yourself. You deserve to be there. You’re a capable nurse whose just moved your life across the world.
If ever in doubt, ask for help. Agency nursing will give you the freedom and flexibility to explore the beautiful Australia i’ve come to know and love.
If you need help with registering with AHPRA check out my post and if you would like to see the pros and cons of agency nursing be sure to have a look.
