Highway Hypodermics

Joe Meis

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:

I would clearly outline the information so that I can take the grievance to the company (typically would be a Hospital or staffing office/vendor manager I would be dealing with). I would point out what was clearly outlined in our contract with the company regarding staffing these professionals. If they are breaking contract, they do not have a right to do this and we can cancel the contract and bill out the remainder of the contract and pay the nurse. I would calmly point this out and let them know that our nurse will not accommodate what is not in her contract regarding the assignment, and if it happens again he or she will have to cancel prematurely.

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:

This is absolutely not allowed, and this would 99% of the time NEVER HAPPEN. BUT, let’s say it did…..because we are JCAHO certified we have to step in and tell the Nurse that she absolutely can not float to a unit in which she is not experienced / or trained in. If they want her to float they will have to fully orient her to that unit, at which point it still may be deemed that due to inexperience it is unsafe. Bottom line though, all floating units are specified in our contract with the nurse, and likewise our confirmation with the Hospital, and the nurse will not float to a unit that is not confirmed in the contract first.

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:

Immediately start researching new housing options. In the meantime, put the nurse in a Hotel that is close to the Hospital until you have accommodations lined up for her to move in to the new unit.

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:

I would pay the nurse and work things out through future contracts.

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:

This would NEVER HAPPEN with me and I don’t even want to think about how to handle this because I would NEVER send a contract to a nurse that wasn’t a confirmed offer sent to us the agency from a Hospital’s HR Department or Unit (however this hospital’s staffing is centralized). IF it did though….god forbid, I would call the nurse immediately and tell her what happened and not to report. The only other thing I could do at that point is to find another assignment IMMEDIATELY and offer to pay the nurse for the mistake.

Question 6:

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

Answer 6:

I will always do everything in my power to make it as easy as possible in the credentialing process, housing lineup, etc. but I really appreciate when Nurses step up to diligently get any testing done, bloodwork, re-certification, etc. I also really appreciate open communication, if there’s an issue I need to know so I can do my best to help fix it. I would say as far as other tips go, always be a little early to your shift, be polite to others at work and try to ignore problem co-workers if applicable….also always get your timesheet signed and turned in early so that payroll can correct any issues prior to pay day if they arise, and make a copy of your hours to send directly to us so that we have YOUR COPY and what the Hospital sends.

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