Highway Hypodermics

Megan Pecoraro

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:

As a recruiter, originally, looking at details within the contract is a crucial part to explain to your Nurse. Travel reimbursements should be offered to ensure the Nurse is fully taken care of but also, as a recruiter, I will support this Nurse and empathize with this situation. In order to take the best action, the Nurse should remain in contact with the recruiter, and then the recruiter should speak to the account manager to explain the situation and try to change the current state of the consistent travel. If this cannot be changed by the account manager, then the 24/7 nurse liaison, who is also the CEO of Health Providers Choice, will be contacted to make sure this Nurse is supported and the situation is changed and taken care of properly.

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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:

If you do not have the knowledge or ability to float to a new unit, then speaking up is the correct action to take. Stating your concerns to the charge nurse/manager can help the situation. If they are uncomfortable or forced to switch, we have a nurse liaison who is a registered nurse as well as the CEO of our company. She will proceed with the next steps as she is available for discrepancies 24/7. We also have an on-call line for nurses to contact if they are experiencing any situation like this, as a recruiter. I will help and guide you in any way that I can.

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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:

The first plan of action is to help find her a safe place to stay immediately and cover the costs. The second is to ensure she is there safely and in better condition than before. The third is to write to the housing unit and explain how we will not be working with them in the future to ensure that no other nurse will have that experience.

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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:

I would sincerely apologize and make sure to send a package from the HPC as an acknowledgment of her troubles and a get well. I will also make sure to have an assignment that is in the correct location after doing extensive research to ensure this will not occur again. I will work with this Nurse throughout this entire process to ensure the best quality of care she gives her patients. Her health is a priority and should be treated as one. It will be my job to work with the hospital and account manager on the state of her contract and plan accordingly to accommodate. It is imperative that we support and assist in any way that we can.

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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:

From the beginning, every area should be covered before sending a nurse on an assignment. If this were to ever happen, I would ensure that I have an immediate follow-up position so the Nurse can redirect their travels and still have a secured position for their travel assignment. During this process, I will follow up with the account manager constantly to ensure all is taken care of, as well as the HR department and other associated departments. Health Providers Choice covers the contract from start to finish and will not send a nurse without full compliance from both the hospital and us. I work diligently to make sure all will be in place by the time of the nurses’ arrival. We also have an amazing talent support department and credentialing department that supports me as the recruiter and the Nurse throughout this entire process to ensure this process runs smoothly. All travel expenses will be taken care of during this process as well. I want to make sure the Nurse is a priority and will be taken care of.

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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:

Staying in constant contact with your recruiter makes for a successful contract. Always make sure to update your recruiter with any information that involves your contract. Allow your recruiter to educate you on the best practices of travel nursing and finding the best positions!

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