[patadney]

When I first started traveling,I expected that the regular staff would think I was making a lot of money and be resentful. I have mostly worked in the midwest and have noticed that they generally thank me for helping at the end of each day. It's been very rewarding.

[MollyMo]

I'm a traveler. My very first contract I worked a med/surg telemetry unit which left me and an agency nurse to take care of 21 patients. They told use that if they gave us patient 22 then they would close the unit to admissions. I was scheduled to work 2 days before Thanksgiving, the day before, Thanksgiving day and the day after. I was scheduled to work Christmas eve, day and the day after. I told them I was going home for New Year's and I would let them know after the holiday if I was going to finish my contract. This was in Washington,DC. Another fun assignment was in Virginia. One night I got 7 patients and the rest of the staff got 4 or 5 each, the explanation being that they would take all the admits. We didn't have a single admit. And they sat on their butts all night and watched me run. Was I dumped on? OH YEAH!!

[Enabled]

I have worked in all kinds of situations from floor nurse to home health, and yes to agency. With agency, I did make more money but I ended up paying for it. I felt dumped on quite frequently. I worked 11-7 and I would get the larger and harder team as well as the admission that comes up at 6:15 am It goes to the day shift if it is after 6:30 am. That means the others got out in time to go for coffee or breakfast and I would still be there charting and completing the admission. It was a med/surg unit and at night there was one tech for 38 patients with 3 nurses.
When I graduated 18 years ago there wasn't any talk of shortage other than someone calling in at the last minute and everyone knew they had asked for the day off. I did think that was unfair on the part of the staff member as well as the scheduler as they really also knew this person would do it. I applied for a job in Texas as a GN and they wanted me just out of school to be head nurse on a floor of over 30 patients and just 2 LPNs. Were they really crazy enough to put a GN in that position. I believe the reasons were that I was a warm body and had GN and shortly to have RN after my name and that way they could also save on salary.:confused: :confused:

[Enabled]

Nurse Nancy absolutely do I agree with you. I ended up leaving agency and went back to the hospital as I was beginning to need benefits and a "lighter load"