snoozie

Unfortunately, the hospital I was speaking of was union...it didn't seem to help.

Things like this make me sooo angry. This is the Number 1 reason I left the first ER I started at! I worked 11a-11p. Never got a break, would have if the day staff would have actually gone to break when it was offered to them, but they were all too stuffed from eating breakfast at 9 am (when it was slow) to go to lunch at 11 or 12 and I couldn't go until all those who came in before me went. Then it would just get too busy and breaks were waysided. The worst was when the night staff came in. I always had to ask at 11:15 who my relief was because they woldn't just assign someone. They always rolled their eyes and purposefully loked over there shoulders at the clock, turn back around to glare at me and responded "I haven't assigned someone yet" which left me hanging until 1130 when I had to ask again and then track down several people to disperse my patients to and I never left there earlier than midnight. After not eating all day you tend to get really really cranky when you can't leave on time. And no, I don't smoke and didn't take "fresh air" breaks!! I went to the nurse mananger and the nurse educator and nothing ever got resolved. I was labeled as being too "food oriented" and always wanting to leave early. Taking a break and signing out to your relief by your scheduled time to leave shouldn't be criticized. I was miserable. I feel your pain. I left that ER and never looked back. Now I work somewhere that I always get a break and leave on time unless I decide to stay and help out (which is always compensated and appreciated, not expected) During interviews I told them the specfic reasons I decided to leave and asked what the break policy is. I tried to speak to the nurse educator and other staff members about the work environment. I also tried to schedule interviews and walk through the dept during busy times, observing if anyone was on break and observe if the general feeling of the dept was one bad chaotic negative energy or if people seemed to be working together (I know, hard to observe from a 10 minute walk through). Good Luck!!!!

I have been traveling for about 2 years and in my expirience it all depends on the faility. So far you have been submitted by company A and have not interviewed with the facilty yet, correct? I would suggest interviewing with the facilty, if it sounds like somewhere you want to work, tell them your situation. "Your hospital sounds great, I would really like to work with you, but the company that submitted me isn't meeting my needs. Company B is. Would it be a problem if I came to work for you under Company B?" See what they say. I had so many problems with one company that while I was on assignment the Nurse Manager told me if I were to extend that I should do it through another company (which was the only way I was going to be able to stay) another facilty threatened to throw out my file if my travel partners name wasn't placed on your file at the time of submission....I'm sure they would have tossed my file if it were submitted by another company. Whatever happens, keep it on the down low while you are on assignment, don't go announcing to people you switched or attempted to switch companies...you never know who is listening. Good Luck.