Growing number of care home nurses look to agency work

A growing number of care home nurses are turning to agency work because of greater flexibility and better pay, according to a nursing recruitment specialist, Randstad.

Randstad believes that more and more nurses will look to agency roles as they contemplate their futures. The shift comes at the same time as a growing staff crisis within the nursing profession across the NHS, with care homes and NHS trusts increasingly reliant on agency staff to fill the gaps. 

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has estimated there to be 25,000 nursing vacancies across the UK and believes the country could be hit by a shortage of more than 40,000 nurses by 2026 in the wake of Brexit.

Randstad’s own figures paint an even bleaker picture with the UK needing 61,300 more nurses than are projected to be employed by 2050, while the BBC claims one in ten nursing posts remain unfilled. 

In addition to the ongoing shortage, there is an ever-rising demand for access to care services due to an ageing population and rise in chronic conditions. This has led to an urgent requirement of nursing staff.

However, the increase in nurses resorting to agency work could help combat shortages in the care home sector, according to managing director of Randstad Care, Victoria Short. 

She states: “We know that the services are under strain from the increasing requests we get every day for same day emergency cover.

“Agency staff are trained to the same high standards as nurses in permanent roles and can be available at short notice for shifts. From the nursing point of view, agency work can offer greater control over where and when you work, better pay and more variation.”

Agency nursing offers several advantages over a full-time nursing role – better pay per hour, flexibility over shifts and more variety. On average, a Band 5 nurse can expect to earn around £20-£23 an hour, with an opportunity for more when working night and bank holiday shifts. Band 6 nurses or those with a specialism can expect even more.

Despite changes to IR35 legislation, the way agency nurses are paid has remained flexible with PAYE or into a limited company. Some agencies, including Randstad, will also offer holiday and sick pay.

Utilising agency nurses can also appeal to employers – if they recruit staff from a reputable agency, they can expect a high standard of care to be upheld.

Mary Holden, a registered general nurse and current agency nurse, said: “It was very hard for me to leave the NHS and go into agency nursing, because it went against everything I ‘believed’ in. There was snobbery against agency nurses. I didn’t go into nursing for the money, but I got to the point where I had to put myself first and I didn’t want to work ridiculous hours any more with little thanks or praise. 

“I love the flexibility, I decide what kind of shifts I want to work and I call the agency each week to see what is available. It’s usually within an NHS hospital, sometimes in charge of an entire ward. In more than two years, there have been only three occasions when work hasn’t been available.”

Agency nurses do not have minimum or maximum hour requirements so it is up to the individual nurse as to whether they work just a few hours or a full-time contract. 

It is particularly suited to those with children – high childcare costs, inflexible shift patterns and a lack of nurseries providing out-of-hours cover, means agency work can be the answer for those who require a part-time position and need to fit their nursing role in with family commitments.

The sheer number of nursing and care homes across the UK means there is a constant demand for agency nurses. There are currently more than 20,000 care homes registered with the Care Quality Commission with the average home providing around 20 beds. Only 10% have 50 beds or more with 3,000 homes having five or less, offering specialist care services in areas such as terminal illness or dementia.

Agency nursing can also provide opportunities for working in different settings with new people. If a nurse has worked in a rehabilitation centre or nursing home for a long time, moving to a care home for children with life limiting illnesses, for example, can offer further experience and skills.

Ms Short says: “Sometimes working within the same setting for a long time can take its toll and affect the standard of care you provide. 

“We can suggest roles suited to you and as we work with many clients in different settings, we can always set up a trial shift or shadow shift to enable you to test the waters before you commit.”

Agency nursing jobs also give nurses the chance to acquire new skills, working with different disciplines. It can help nurses to fill any skills gaps within their CV and can open the door to a permanent role if that is something they are interested in.