Highway Hypodermics

Marlyn Miller

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:

With all of my nurses that I work with, I make sure that I instill a trust and good relationship to where the nurse can come to me when she may need to vent or something is wrong.In this event, I would be sure to advocate for my nurse. It is important that the nurse feels supported in this situation. I would reassure the nurse that I would do all that I can to make sure that she is floating only within the 10 mile radius. I would bring this information to my account manager and recruiting manager to discuss this with the facility to find the best resolution.

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:

In the beginning relationship with my nurses, this is something that we all talk about, being floated to units outside of their competency levels. I never want my nurse to be in an uncomfortable situation and floated to a unit outside of their scope of practice. In this situation, my company would be sure to voice this to the facility and advocate for the nurse. We would be sure to have in writing that the nurse will no longer be floated to any units outside of their expertise.

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:

In this unfortunate situation, I would be sure to help in any way that I can to get the nurse out of this terrible environment. I would first involve my housing department tour gently seek a new place for the nurse to reside in. I would also let my recruiting manager know what is happening so she could get involved and be sure that there is urgency on finding a new place to stay. Whatever the nurse would need to help get her to the new place, or to get her out of the awful housing situation, I would be more than willing to find a resolution. Being able to rely on your recruiter during mishaps like this is one of the most important things when traveling.

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:

Before submitting any of my nurses to a position, I do a lot of research on the area that my nurse is interested in going to, that way they know exactly what kind of location they are going to and what they can expect. In this situation, I would be sure to advocate for the nurse and her well being. The nurses health and healing from the asthma attack and pneumonia is the most important thing in this situation.I would approach my account manager to see if we could work something out with the facility to ensure that the nurse has time to heal and can return to work once she is better. We all work together as a team here at Next Travel Nursing so we would be sure to work something out in best interest of the nurse.

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:

Unfortunately things like this do happen in our industry. If my account manager and I were not able to put an urgency on this to be approved by HR at the facility, then I would do my best to help find the nurse an assignment in the same area. That way the nurse could use their housing that they had set up and still be in the location of their dreams. My next plan of action would be to approach all of my account managers to make sure all hands are on deck to find the nurse an assignment in Las Vegas.

Question 6:

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

Answer 6:

I love getting to know each and every one of my nurses on more of a personal level. I always try to develop a relationship with every nurse that I work with and make them feel comfortable with telling me everything. I think in this industry, it is important to work with a recruiter that you can trust and relate to. I just want every nurse that works with me to be honest and transparent with me as I am with them. I just ask that nurses share the same importance with being honest and letting me know things such as if another agency is submitting them places and things of that nature. Having communication and that trust is key with me and my nurses!

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