Highway Hypodermics

Josh Haney

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:

First I ask the nurse what they would like me to do. Once I have the full understanding of situation I then ask for what solution would help him/her on him/her assignment. After I have a game plan of how to correct this with nurse and hospital I would go to hospital and work it out. Always have the nurses best interest in mind when talking with hospital, but I am also feeling out if the hospital will cancel contract if we won’t go along with the three hospital rotation. This way I can at least let the nurse know that this could cost us the contract however we can work on something different if it does. Since it wasn’t known to the nurse before I would never hold him/her accountable for these changes.

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:

If she can’t work there we wouldn’t want her in that area, could be putting license on the line. Would need proper training if they want her to float, not the same in anyway to MB or PP.

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:

Tell her we will get her a hotel for time being and find her new housing in the next few days. Not making someone live in those conditions!

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:

First off I would of done my research and known this a head of time! Wouldn’t have sent her there. However if it were to happen I would talk with the hospital about the situation and get her out, can’t risk further conditions to come up. I then start looking else where for her next assignment.

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:

Tell her to head to the hotel until we can figure it all out, mean while I will find her something else so we won’t be without pay for weeks. Once we figure out what is going on with facility I would then call her to make her aware of situation. Hope for the best but always have a backup plan!

Question 6:

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

Answer 6:

Honesty is all I really need, I am always upfront and honest and I will go to bat for them at all costs! However some nurses I have come across in my 5 yrs here have been burned by companies with housing, pay, exc…….we all aren’t the same, you have to trust that someone will take care of you! You just haven’t found the right recruiter yet.

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