Highway Hypodermics

Kristina Lulgjuraj

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 advocate for my nurse and reassure my nurse that we will resolve the situation and stand by the written and agreed terms of his/her contract. If the facility would like the nurse to continue floating to hospital outside of his/her agreed contract, I would first discuss this with my nurse and ensure that this is something he/she will agree to. If that is the case, I would I would ensure there is a revised contract that clearly states where he/she will float to so we do not run into the same issue again. I would also ensure that he/she is compensated for their travels outside of their original agreement.

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 the NICU is in fact beyond my nurses competency level, I would make sure it is extremely clear that he/she is absolutely not to float to the NICU and jeopardize patient care or his/her nursing license.

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:

The first thing I would do is make sure she is immediately moved out of her housing and temporarily put into a hotel or an alternate housing option while finding something else for her that is going to be clean, safe, and what she would expect it to be to ensure this is a great experience for her moving forward.

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:

After speaking with my nurse and ensuring that she is doing well, as her well-being is priority, I would immediately get in touch with the facility and/or account manager and explain it detail what the situation is and continue to stay in constant communication with the facility until we're able to confirm a definitive date that the nurse will be able to return to work. Once we are able to confirm a return date, I would work with the facility to either add that time that was missed to her contract, if approved, or continue the rest of her contract until complete.

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:

Health Providers Choice will not move forward with a contract unless there is a written and signed contract that has been agreed upon between the facility and agency. There is usually a two week period during that on-boarding phase of constant communication between the agency and the facility clearly confirming that there is no room for errors like this to occur.

Question 6:

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

Answer 6:

As long as there is always clear communication between myself and my nurses, we'll both always be happy.

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