Highway Hypodermics

Isaiah Battel

Question 1:

In a large metropolitan area, Nurse Floating Flo contracts to float between three hospitals within a 10 mile radius of her housing. Starting in the 6th week, the company ask her to float to a hospital 15 miles away, the 7th week she goes to one on the other side of the city, that is 30 miles away, plus one that is 17 miles away. The nurse is willing to take the first few, but after the behavior continues, she has had enough and voices this to her recruiter.

Answer 1:

Iwould advise her that per her contract, she is not obligated to float to facilities greater than 10 miles away from her housing. For her to ascend the chain of command, reminding them of the terms of her contract and us pushing back from our side if necessary.

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Question 2:

Baby Nurse Betty is a skilled labor and delivery nurse, who also can float to post-pardum care after the delivery as well as the well-newborn nursery. At 7:30pm, the staffing company hotline gets a call stating that they want her to float to the NICU, which is beyond her competency level. What is your company’s response?

Answer 2:

Just calmly assure her that for the sake of “patient safety,” this is not a safe assignment. Remind the house supervisor or charge nurse of this and refuse to take a team over there. See if she would be willing to be agreeable to being a general floor resource nurse, not taking an actual patient “assignment” but instead being a free floating resource for NICU nurses.

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Question 3:

Nurse Roach is all excited about her first travel nursing assignment. She drives 750 miles to her new assignment housing. After getting the keys from management, she opens the door and three cockroaches scurry across the floor. After further investigation, she also finds a ring of mold in the shower. She can’t stand it and immediately texts you with pictures. How do you respond?

Answer 3:

Unacceptable. We will reach out immediately to secure better, cleaner, alternative housing.

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Question 4:

You have worked with Nurse Asthmatic for 3 years now and she has done a great job for you, when she takes an assignment in Southeast Colorado. She envisions magic mountains that reach to the sky, only to find that she has landed in wheat country. Not wanting to cause problems she continues to work and everything is fine, until harvest. She has an asthma attack, ends up in the hospital, and is told that she is going to miss at least 2 weeks of work related to asthma induced pneumonia. How do you work things out?

Answer 4:

Send her a get-well card or gift card, and assure her that anything on our end as far as relying on the hospital about her being unable to continue to work there safely. See if we can assist with anything further on our end.

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Question 5:

You have worked hard to find Nurse Roulette a job in Las Vegas. You send the nurse a contract that she readily accepts, signs, and sends back. The next morning the bags are packed and Nurse Roulette is on the way to the assignment of her dreams. At 0800 she is out the door and to the hospital. Checking in with HR, they inform her that there is no contract between the hospital and the company, related to the fact that it has not been approved by HR. About the same time, the recruiting manager comes to you and tells you not to send Nurse Roulette on the assignment. This shouldn’t have happened, but unfortunately it does happen. What do you do?

Answer 5:

Let me get back to you on this one.

Question 6:

What would you like travel nurses to know about being a great traveling nurse and making your job easier?

Answer 6:

Be flexible. Life happens, and what we do from this moment forward is what really matters. How we respond to adversity is so vital to living a full life. Efficiency is key. I want to earn your loyalty and trust. If you can be timely with compliance, turn in timecards on time, and be responsive to my texts, we will get along just fine!

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