Highway Hypodermics

Mary Springer

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 chat with her and see if she has spoken with the manager about if this behavior were likely to continue. If they were expecting her to float more than the 10-mile radius, I would review her contract and have my Client Manager reach out to see if we can keep her to the 10-mile radius or get her compensated for traveling so far. I feel it is essential to support my travelers and assist them in any way possible.

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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:

Betty would feel comfortable reaching out to me to let me know what is happening. I would tell her not to worry about it and not float to the NICU since it is not in her scope. I would reach out to my Client Manager and have them reach out and let them know she cannot work outside of her scope for patient and nurse protection. That makes her uncomfortable, and we value our relationship with Joint Commission.

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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:

She cannot live in that housing, so I would immediately help her to figure out where else we can put her. I would see if we could find new housing that day, and if we needed to help her get a hotel, I would do that. I would work with my payroll and accounting team to ensure that Nurse Roach is taken care of in a clean and safe environment.

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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:

First, I would send her a get-well care package; then, I would talk to her and see if the doctor thinks this will continuously affect her. If it is going to, I will work to see if we can get her to a new assignment where her asthma attacks will be lessened. If it is a temporary thing, then see if she would like to continue with the assignment, I would then see if we could get two weeks tacked onto the end of her assignment to make up for the two she had to miss. I would get with my Client Manager and see how best to approach it with the facility, but I need to ensure that my traveler is taken care of and not put in a situation that may endanger her life.

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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:

I walk her through the situation and let her know what is happening. I would reach out to my Client Manager to see if HR will approve this contract. If it is not, I will work to get her into her next assignment, so I would look at facilities I know would interview and move quickly. Let her know if we cannot get her into Las Vegas this time. Let’s get her working this way, and we will return to Las Vegas.

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Question 6:

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

Answer 6:

You are asking lots of questions to your recruiter and your interview with the facility. That 30-minute conversation can let you know what the facility is like and if you are comfortable stepping into all the facility’s needs. Communication is also very important, so if an issue arises, I am confident about the solution.

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