Highway Hypodermics

Trista Jones

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:

Afterlistening to the nurse, and hearing her frustrations/concerns I would be sureto reach out to the Account Manager in order to communicate this concern withthe facility. Communication is key. It may be that the one creating theschedule is not aware that she is contracted to only 10 miles and just needs tobe informed.

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:

Myfirst step would be to call the nurse to talk to her about the situation. Makesure that I fully understand her perspective and what is being asked of her.Once I have all the information I would again make sure we speak with thefacility about the comfort level of the nurse. If this is something thatcontinues or would require we pull in our Director of Nursing I would ask herto speak with the nurse and get a second opinion on the seriousness of this. Iwould be sure that our nurse is comfortable where she is and her license isNEVER at risk.

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:

Whilethis is not something that is in my control I would want my nurse to becomfortable in her living situation. Being able to have a safe and comfortableplace to relax when not working is very important for her to relax and reset soshe can be the best Nurse she can be while on assignment. I would listen to herconcerns and see if we can find a solution that will allow her to stay. I wouldhelp and guide her as much as I can to be sure she is comfortable. If this isnot a situation that can be rectified, I would be sure to give her all theresources to find a new location

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:

Afterchecking in with the nurse to be sure she is feeling ok and has everything sheneeds, I would reach out to our Experience Specialist to ensure we are able toprovide the best support we can. We will support her emotionally and be surethat we help her find any means of finance that are available for her due toher medical condition. At Stability, we know you are not just a number but aperson that needs support. We have many layers of support at stability becausewe firmly believe the nurse is the backbone of our business

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:

MyFirst call would be to the nurse to be sure we have good communication. I wouldbe sure to inform her exactly what happen and that we are very sorry. I willthen push hard to make sure the nurse is on the next start date to be sure theyhave the least amount of downtime. I would then push to have the start dateexpedited. If they will still be starting in the next year I would request thatwe are able to pay the travel refund ASAP so the nurse has a little incomewhile waiting to start. If this position is canceled I would then be sure to doEVERYTHING in my power to help find the nurse an assignment close to theirlocation and as fast as possible.

Question 6:

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

Answer 6:

TravelNursing can be the adventure of your life! Being open-minded can make it evenbetter. It is important to know what you want but also be ready to listen toother perspectives as they may be able to make the adventure LIFE CHANGING aswell. Working with the right recruiter can make all the difference. Be sure youchose a recruiter that has time to ensure you are getting the adventure youdeserve!

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