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:

After listening to the Nurse and hearing herfrustrations/concerns, I would be sure to reach out to the AM of the account tosee if we can communicate this concern with the facility. Communication is key.It may be that the one creating the schedule is unaware that she is contractedto only 10 miles and needs to be informed.

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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:

My first step would be to call the Nurseto talk to her about the situation. Make sure that I fully understand herperspective and what is being asked of her. Once I have all the information, Iwould again make sure we speak with the facility about the comfort level of theNurse. If this continues or requires we pull in our DON, I would ask her to talkwith the Nurse and get a second opinion on the seriousness of this. I would besure that our Nurse is comfortable and that her license is NEVER at risk.

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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:

While this is not in my control, I would wantmy Nurse to be comfortable in her living situation. Having a safe andcomfortable place to relax when not working is very important for her to relaxand reset so she can be the best Nurse she can be while on assignment. I wouldlisten to her concerns and see if we can find a solution that will allow her tostay. I would help and guide her as much as possible to ensure she iscomfortable. If this is not a situation that can be ratified, I would be sureto give her all the resources to find a new location.

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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:

After checking in with the Nurse to be sureshe is feeling okay and has everything she needs, I would reach out to ourExperience Specialist to ensure we can provide the best support we can. We willsupport her emotionally and be sure that we help her find any means of finance availabledue to her medical condition. At Stability, we know you are not just a numberbut a person that needs support. We have many support layers at Stabilitybecause we firmly believe the Nurse is the backbone of our business.

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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:

My First call would be to the Nurse to besure we have good communication. I will inform her precisely what happens andthat we are very sorry. I will then push hard to ensure the Nurse is on thenext start date to be sure they have the least amount of downtime. I would thenpush to have the start date expedited. If they will still be starting in thenext year, I would request that we can pay the travel refund ASAP, so the Nursehas a little income while waiting to start. If this position is canceled, I willdo EVERYTHING in my power to help find the Nurse an assignment close to their locationand as fast as possible.

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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:

Travel Nursing can be the adventure of your life! Beingopen-minded can make it even better. It is essential to know what you want andbe ready to listen to other perspectives as they may be able to make theadventure LIFE CHANGING. Working with the right recruiter can make all thedifference. Be sure you choose a recruiter that has time to ensure you get theadventure you deserve!

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