[webbiedebbie]

Cheerfuldoer...I have thought the same thing!

A misconception with travel nursing is that you "travel". Well, you can be a travel nurse and work in the hospital in your own town! That would show 'em!

Just think! ALL nurses would have the benefits and flexibility that "traveling" offers. The hospitals would be left holding the bag.

Personally, I think it is a wonderful idea! Not to mention the amount of extra bonus we would make referring another nurse to the agency that we contract with!

I don't see travel nursing being phased out as long as hospitals play games with us. It's a shame that nurses leave nursing, when they could "travel" and reap the rewards we so justly deserve. Travel nursing offers this to us. We are fools not to take it!!!!!

I have worked with many travel nurses and I would rather work with them than my own coworkers!

[caroladybelle]

A few for profits are trying to eliminate "local" travelers. Columbia HCA hospitals in FL caught on that they were "raiding their own supply of nurses, and supposedly will not take travelers that have a legal residence within 100 miles of the facility.

But when they get desparate enough and you have the skills, they some how ignore that rule.....

[carcha]

its amazing isent it?. those nurses who decide to work on staff full time get crap wages, long hours, too many weekends, and generally treated like "your lucky to have a job". these same nurses are members of the same community which the hospital serves, as well as their family so staff nurses put that little bit extra into their rapport, and delivery of care, yet they get little in return from their bosses for their loyality. now we have travellers as u call them, where we come from their agency. while their skills and dedication may be exactly the same as those nurses on staff one cannot but agree that when u dont have roots in a community, u dont have the same loyality towards it. u know your going to move on so why bother. so my point is who gets the greater award from the adminstration?. who gets a higher hourly wage?, free accomodation?, travel expense?, less hassle because they dont work their all the time. the lesson my friends is, we the nurses are to blame, only until we get up off our fat asses and demand equal wages and conditions with the travellers will we get what we deserve, until then just suck it up

[fergus51]

I can't believe the way nurses complain about travellers' wages, benes, etc. If you aren't getting enough where you are then go elsewhere! Travel nurses have a lot of crap to deal with that staff nurses don't and they are paid accordingly. If staff nurses think travellers have it so easy, then why aren't they travel nurses too?

[bagladyrn]

At the hospital at which I just completed a contract, an interesting memo was posted to the staff. It stated that since the hospital was overbudget for their contract nurses, money for contracts would be taken from funding that would otherwise be alloted for staff raises!!! Talk about causing resentment and division. Being the outspoken sort that I am, I pointed this out to the higher ups, reminded them that THEY had contacted ME for this contract (had been there before) to ask if I would consider coming back, and let them know that with this sort of attitude it was unlikely I would say yes the next time.

[cheerfuldoer]

Now that's calling the shots bagladyrn! (thumbs up for not being afraid to let your voice be heard as a nurse).

Another thing, we can all move to a foreign country where we know our hospitals are recruiting and contracting nurses, and return to the USA as a contract nurse for the same hospitals in our home towns or wherever we want to travel to.

Nurses........we must stand up and demand we be noticed if we are going to change things in nursing.

[pickledpepperRN]

Originally posted by bagladyrn
At the hospital at which I just completed a contract, an interesting memo was posted to the staff. It stated that since the hospital was overbudget for their contract nurses, money for contracts would be taken from funding that would otherwise be alloted for staff raises!!! Talk about causing resentment and division. Being the outspoken sort that I am, I pointed this out to the higher ups, reminded them that THEY had contacted ME for this contract (had been there before) to ask if I would consider coming back, and let them know that with this sort of attitude it was unlikely I would say yes the next time.

That hospital administration was trying to create bad feelings among nurses. I would not go back either.

[teeituptom]

Hi Yalll

There are times I wish my wife would just kick me out. So I could become a travaler nurse and wander around the country.. Just me and my stethoscope and of course my Golf clubs

[ainz]

I worked as a critical care contract nurse (gypsy) in the late 80's. I absolutely loved it!! Back then in my state, staff RNs with my experience were getting around $7/hr and contracting I got $18/hr in 1987. Of course it was nights, weekends, and getting the sickest patients. At that time everyone was really freaked about AIDS and HIV. One hospital I used to work in fairly regularly always had several AIDS patient in the unit. Of course I was ALWAYS assigned. It did not bother me at all but an example of getting the hardest patients. I found that travelling nursing required me to be very competent and confident of my skills. I could not count on much help from the regular staff and I did not want to not "fit in." The basic concepts of nursing care are the same anywhere you go. Sick people are sick people, an aspirin in Texas is an aspirin in California, there is somewhere to document med administration, clinical interventions, and so on. Many similarities. One thing I did find interesting was the variance in staff attitudes, the "atmosphere" of the hospital, motivation of staff, and the general culture of the hospital. I attributed this to different management styles and it intrigued me so much I decided to go into administration. Now---a word about the negative comments towards management and administration!! imenid37, you made some very strong statements along with others about the stupid, short-sighted, greedy, evil, oppressive, administration that has created all of nursings' problems. I also see where many have referred to "the hospital" as the creator of issues that require "them" to use travelling nurses. A question for my fellow nurses--who do you think "the hospital" is? Nursing staff make up the majority of a hospital's employees. As the majority, nursing plays a HUGE role in creating and shaping the culture of the hospital. Nursing plays a HUGE role in influencing the attitudes of patients, doctors, all the other employees, and, yes, the evil and greedy ADMINISTRATION. So if your hospital is a negative and oppressive place to work and you don't like it and wonder why it is the way it is--start out by taking a look in the mirror. What has been your contribution to the culture of your hospital? What have you done to make it better? What have you done to improve your own working conditions? It is very easy to blame management and administration for nursings' woes but ladies and gentlemen--over the years, we have brought it on ourselves. Yes there are greedy, short-sighted administration types that would love to get rid of their "expensive" nurses, but, if nurses don't take the crap they dish out, they will stop dishing it out. You are not powerless, you are not vicitms, you are not helpless. I would seriously question a hospital administration that was purposefully trying to create bad feelings among nurses. Think about this logically--in order for the evil and greedy CEO to be successful, keep their high paying job and get their bonus--the hospital has to meet its goals and be successful--in order for that to happen the nursing care has to be good so the nurses have to be successful. It is (excuse my strong word here) idiotic to think that an administration would purposefully and deliberately go about the business of trying to make nurses' lives and working conditions as terrible as they possibly could, the administration would be signing their own pink slip and certain failure would follow such a thing. The accountants, MBAs, MHAs, attorneys, and God knows what other people with non-clinical backgrounds, that generally work in administration have no clue what it is like at the point of service. They do not understand what it takes to give good patient care. IT IS ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF NURSING TO TEACH THEM. Please get rid of your "us versus them" mentality. Take the first step to mend relations. Educate yourself on the financial side of healthcare because that is what drives the people who have the money to open and run a hospital in the first place. In order to deal with these people you must understand their point of view and be able to communicate with them effectively. And if nurses are tired of the way administration is now--then go back to school, get the education, and become a CEO yourself, then you are in position to bring about some real change.

[pickledpepperRN]

So are you saying it is the fault of the NURSES whose job is NURSING when a for profit buys up all the hospitals in town?

Are you saying it was the nurses attitude that made management decide to punish long term nurses who are dedicated to the health of the community because travelers who have no desire to fit in get the top $$$?
I hope not. I hope you have been fortunate to work for a decent facility.
Why would a nurse who is helping people cope with illness, saving lives, and easing suffering choose to be a CEO?

Oh, CEOs have been fired and some arrested for their illegal deeds. I doubt nurses could teach those who have no interest in learning.