Over the years I have written for a huge range of clients, here is a blog from 2018 written for a company who specialised in placing agency nurses in care homes.

How to Feel Part of a Community as an Agency Nurse

One of the unavoidable (and obvious) things about working as an Agency Nurse as opposed to a regular employee is that you will be moving around – sometimes a lot – meaning that it can be very hard to feel you are part of a team.

Some people are not bothered by this, in fact it’s the variety and ‘always being the newbie’ scenario that they enjoy. If on the other hand you perceive yourself as a team player and really want to feel part of a community how can you go about it?

Here’s 10 Tips to Keep in Mind

  1. See if a team member will show you around on your first day in order to orientate yourself and when first arriving at your assignment make sure you allow enough time for a thorough handover, ask LOTS of questions to ensure you have adequate information to run a safe shift.
  • Let the team you are working with get to know you as an individual they can trust, respect and look to for knowledge, this will get you off on a great footing and help you to forge good relationships and always demonstrate kindness and compassion to both your patients/residents and colleagues.
  • Ask about the usual routines and preferences and check in regularly with the team to see if there is anything you can help with outside of your nursing duties. Be helpful, smile (even when you don’t feel like it) and show that you want to be considered as part of the team and not just someone ‘filling in’.
  • If you work mainly in a specialised field (paediatrics or care homes for example) you may naturally find that you will work with the same group of individuals on a regular basis, so get to know these people both on shift and off. See if there are any social occasions you could be included in (and make sure you actually go!).
  • If you are in a leadership role always act in a collaborative fashion, leading by example, asking for opinions and challenging poor practice, if you come across it, by educating the team rather than simply insisting they do things your way.
  • Try and have coffee and meal breaks (if you are able to of course!) in shared areas or in staff canteens etc, rather than sitting by yourself in a break out area. Make the effort to chat to other staff – most people like to share (and have a good moan!).
  • Check out your local RCN branch, they run events and training which will enable you to mingle with lots of other nurses. In fact, why not consider becoming an RCN rep? There are three options – learning rep, safety rep and steward; find out more on the RCN website www.rcn.org.uk/
  • Take advantage of digital technology and have a look online for groups, for example ‘The Diabetes Specialist Nurse Forum UK’ has been launched on Facebook to facilitate support and encourage collaboration. Always be aware however that the privacy of your patients (and fellow workers) is paramount.
  • Check out what your agency offers in terms of personal development, are there any courses you could sign up to for example?
  1. If you work shifts in a care home find out if they have any special activities planned (summer fetes/Christmas fayres etc) and try and pop along to show your support. Likewise, in hospitals – look out for any events you could offer to be a part of.