Agency Work

EdgarAllenPoo

I'm looking at going back working as a care assistant for the summer (agency work).

I'm looking at two agencies, Nurse on Call and Alliance.

I know what hospitals Alliance cover but don't know what ones Nurse on Call have contracts with and they don't seem too eager to tell me (St. James was all they would tell me).

Can someone tell me what hospitals Nurse on Call cover as transport is an issue for me so I'll partly be basing which agency I sign up with on what hospitals I can get to.

Also as a general question if anyone has worked for either agency would share your experience of it?

Vorsprung

I worked with Nurse on Call a few years ago in Vincent's and Leopardstown Park.

Chunky Monkey

I'm with Alliance, they're very good. Apparently the pay they offer is better than nurse on call.

Plus I've heard it's not very nice working in St James- 13 hour shift and they're very strict about breaks (15 mins breakfast, 30 mins lunch and tea). They're more relaxed on the majority of wards in Beaumont and the Mater. Oh and if you're a smoker you don't want to go to Vincent's. I heard recently that they've banned patients and staff from smoking anywhere on the hospital grounds :eek:

I always get work. Only a couple of weeks I didn't but that was the fault of one particular employee who I made a complaint against and thankfully I haven't had to deal with them since. The rest are lovely and very pleasant on the phone. You get paid weekly (on Fridays) with alliance, not sure what it's like with NOC. The majority of people I bump into at the hospitals that use both agencies are with alliance so possibly you would get more work with them, I don't know. My mum always rings alliance for staff first before the others anyway.

Here's the hospitals NOC sends to: http://www.nurseoncall.ie/dublin_hospitals.php

EdgarAllenPoo

I saw that map on the site, is it not just a list of all the hospitals in Dublin, I don't think Nurse on Call cover Blanchardstown or the Mater. Thought those hospitals did business with Alliance.

Chunky Monkey

I don't know about Blanch but NOC send people to the Maters as well as Alliance. There isn't much work in Blanchardstown, they have plenty of their own staff apparently. Probably internal agency or something.

misschatty

Chunky Monkey wrote: »

I'm with Alliance, they're very good. Apparently the pay they offer is better than nurse on call.

Plus I've heard it's not very nice working in St James- 13 hour shift and they're very strict about breaks (15 mins breakfast, 30 mins lunch and tea). They're more relaxed on the majority of wards in Beaumont and the Mater. Oh and if you're a smoker you don't want to go to Vincent's. I heard recently that they've banned patients and staff from smoking anywhere on the hospital grounds :eek:

I always get work. Only a couple of weeks I didn't but that was the fault of one particular employee who I made a complaint against and thankfully I haven't had to deal with them since. The rest are lovely and very pleasant on the phone. You get paid weekly (on Fridays) with alliance, not sure what it's like with NOC. The majority of people I bump into at the hospitals that use both agencies are with alliance so possibly you would get more work with them, I don't know. My mum always rings alliance for staff first before the others anyway.

Here's the hospitals NOC sends to: http://www.nurseoncall.ie/dublin_hospitals.php

Can i ask did you have much experience starting with alliance now cpl i think, i am interested with registering with them i am a student doing nursing studies and hope to go on to do my degree next year, but i dont currenlty have much experience

wheresthebeef

Nurse on Call is not a great agency. Alliance (CPL) are more professional and pay better. NOC have two benefits, it's easier to get a job there, and they pay you within 48 hours of sending in a time sheet. Thats just my opinion.