[NRSKarenRN]

By Jeff Ostrowski, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 8, 2003
http://www.gopbi.com/partners/pbpost...a8135009b.html


BOCA RATON -- Nurse staffing company Cross Country Inc. plans to add 125 workers at its headquarters here, affirming the health-care sector's position as the brightest spot in the job market.

The Palm Beach County Commission on Tuesday approved a $62,500 job-growth incentive grant to Cross Country in exchange for its promise to add the new positions over the next three years. The company stands to land $250,000 in tax refunds from Enterprise Florida, the state's economic-development agency.

Many of the new workers will be recruiters who will persuade nurses to sign up for 13-week assignments at hospitals throughout the country, said Cross Country Treasurer Richard Ives. Other new employees will fill administrative positions.

Cross Country promised an average salary of $35,000. The placement firm will expand its headquarters at 6551 Park of Commerce Blvd. N.W. by 35,000 square feet to accommodate the new workers, Ives said.

Cross Country's expansion bucks an otherwise lackluster economy. The health sector has added some 20,000 jobs statewide in the past year, buoying Florida's job market. Area hospitals aggressively recruit workers, although that effort is hampered by a shortage of nurses and other skilled health-care workers.

"There's just more demand out there than supply, and we're trying to take advantage of that," Ives said.

Cross Country (Nasdaq: CCRN, $14.52) reported revenue of $469 million in the first nine months of 2002, up from $356 million in the same period in 2001. It has 290 employees at its Boca Raton headquarters.

jeff_ostrowski@pbpost.com

[-jt]

<reported revenue of $469 million in the first nine months of 2002, up from $356 million in the same period in 2001.>

And then they pay a travel nurse $18-20/hr to work in Florida.... and thats actually an improvement from where some nurses come from. Whats wrong with that picture?

These companies are raking in the dough off the backs of RNs, & give the RN peanuts compared to the amount the RN is making for them. They pay an RN just $27/hr to work in L.A. even with its high cost of living. Ontop of that, the RN has to pay Cross Country at least $300/mth out of that if she wants a private apt, and the RN has to pay to rent a TV, computer, or anything else she doesnt want to carry across from state to state. You should hear some of the stories these travel nurses tell. I wonder if they know how rich the companies are getting off them, while they themselves get comparatively nothing but the "experience of travel".

[azgirl]

When my facility calls for a caregiver or CNA they pay $17 to $20 an hour. Turns out the caregivers get $9. That is outrageous for the staffing company to make as much per hour on the person as they are paid for working.

Now I see why the office staff at the registry I worked for spoke down to the nurses. She was probably making more than the nurses who were doing all the work.

[oramar]

The county commissioners voted to give a grant to an agency? Why is it necessary to give more money to these highly profitable agencies?

[-jt]

Cause THERE IS A NURSING SHORTAGE and the agencies are NEEDED...... or so the county commissioners have been told..... and they arent hearing from nurses in their community telling them any different. If they knew that nurses WERE out there & just dont want to work in the current conditions offered with hospital staff jobs, they might just tell the hospitals to clean up their act.

[caroladybelle]

And the Nursing shortage is severe in Florida. The pay there is lousy, the Board is difficult to deal with, the patient population is elderly w/many heavy care patients, and medicare routinely underpays for the care.

Been there - done that - and should have a Tshirt to prove it.