Has anyone worked at any of the Sutter Hospitals as a traveler or contingent staff

NedRN · Jan 10, 2014

Contingent staff are simply agency nurses including travelers. I've never heard of contingent travelers as a group - you may be thinking of rapid response staffing such as Fastaff which does pay higher when there are needs. I've worked at a couple of Bay Area Sutter hospitals, CPMC and Marin (which is no longer managed by Sutter). I thought they were fine hospitals to work at, but I can't say that I thought one thing or another specifically about Sutter as management.

I don't recommend working strikes, typically you will lose money versus working steadily as a regular traveler. And of course you are working against fellow nurses when you do so.

positivethinker · Jan 10, 2014

At some hospitals contingent staff is the hospitals own in-house float staff. The thread asked if anyone has worked as either a traveler, strike nurse or contingent. I do know of some nurses who have worked strikes at Sutters and have done very well with it.

Those nurses who choose to work strikes have a right to do so, I know their are people who oppose doing strikes and look negatively on those that do. Everyone is entitled to do what to their own opinion. I do not know the circumstances of why someone may do a strike but its not for me to say, I have not walked in this persons shoes. Regardless, this is always a subject that is blown way out of proportion in my opinion. If you want to do a strike then do it, for whatever reason you see fit, its your decision. If you dont want to do strikes, thats fine too.

To smoke or not to smoke...To do "A" or not to do "B". Who cares.

I just wanted to hear the experiences of those who have worked at Sutters. I thank you for sharing your Sutter experience.

NedRN · Jan 10, 2014

Positive thinker eh? Both travelers and strike workers are contingent labor. I don't see anything I said that said you shouldn't work strikes, I merely stated I did not recommend it and gave two factual reasons. Why so defensive?

If you are a healthcare professional, you should care if someone smokes.

positivethinker · Jan 10, 2014

Ned..the question is simple. Has anyone worked at Sutters as a traveler, strike nurse or contigent?

Here , let me rephrase it , I am looking for those who would like to share their work experience as a contracted traveler, someone who has worked a strike or someone who has worked as staff float pool for Sutter...

I have read some of your threads from the past that you have responded to, Ned you have a habit of extending and adding to topics that are being discussed..in other words stick to the topic. Or for THIS topic just stick to what is being asked. The additional response after your experience with working at Sutters was unnecessary.

No where in the original question was asked/indicated that advice was needed regarding working a strike. Your quote "I don't recommend working strikes, typically you will lose money versus working steadily as a regular traveler. And of course you are working against fellow nurses when you do so." If you gathered that it was , then sorry that you read into that. But once again thank you for sharing your experience with working in the Bay Area.

NedRN · Jan 11, 2014

Thanks for the advice on how to post. I do notice you have zero likes for your posts. So I think I will stay on my current posting methodology for the benefit of everyone else.

You included working strikes in your original post and then followed up showing further interest in working strikes. Seems simple to me.

If you want to be simple, all you have to do is ask for feedback on Sutter. You can even try doing that in the California Allnurses forum. I might suggest not mentioning strike nursing if you don't want an earful.

For you, the simple answer is I liked Sutter. Try to ignore anything else you don't care about.

If you want to make up new meanings for contingent staffing, feel free. Do look up the correct spelling before you send an expanded definition to Webster's. I've been in the contingent staffing industry in a number of roles for the last two decades and I still cannot porifice your usage.

positivethinker · Jan 11, 2014

You are welcomed on the posting advice. You expanded on what you thought you read regarding the post. You read what you wanted to read. I did ask for feedback on Sutter, from those who have worked as a traveler, as a strike nurse or contingent. You recommended not to work strikes etc and how you are working against fellow nurses when you do so. The question was simple, share your experience. But you had to add your comment about working against your fellow nurse if you choose to work a strike.

Other hospitals have their definitions of what they refer to as their contingent nurses. So maybe by your third decade you will come across some other usage for the word.

Enough is enough with this conversation...do as you will with it. Im moving on now. There are other great posts to read from others who share their journeys.

Im sure you will have the last word on this conversation...have fun with that. While you continue to enlighten others with your beneficial methodology. Stick to the questions that is being asked. Bye

wanderlust99 · Jan 11, 2014

I've always wanted to go to CPMC but have been hesitant due to rumors they float ICU travelers to the floors daily sometimes every 4 hours. I love that area of SF though.

I worked at Marin. At the time I didn't like it, but looking back it was a pretty good gig. Nice area.

positivethinker · Jan 11, 2014

I definately understand your hesitation. I have passed up on offers to go to certain hospitals because they have a reputation of floating every 4 hours. It doesnt seem safe. Im also ICU and I know we can get up to 2 pts and if your short staffed I have seen nurses get 3 pts. So getting floated every 4 hours, is a nightmare. Ive had friends who have had this experience and have since left those hospitals. Because of the confusion that it can cause between patients. Or establishing relationships between pts and families then having to leave and start all over. It was frustrating.

But on a good note, I hear alot of nice stories about the views and sites in SF, Im hoping to go there one day. Would you ever consider returning to Marin?

NedRN · Jan 11, 2014

I should point out that getting floated every four hours is a breeze compared to working a strike, and far better for patient safety that the dramatically worse staffing ratios during strikes. I'm not sure that opinions from strike workers would be valuable to you in seeking a travel assignment. Nor do I see that working a strike at a Sutter would be different than any other hospital. The key factors in a strike are the hospital's experience previously with strikes, and which strike company they use. If you are really interested in info about strike nursing, the forum for that is MobileRN (formerly scab.org).

In fact, I'm not sure you are really looking for feedback on Sutter at all. It is Kaiser that is notorious for floating (and some East Bay hospitals), not Sutter hospitals. The problem with Kaiser is structural: Staff works 8 hours, travelers work 12 hours. If you do the math, you can get floated every four hours every day.

I've not heard of a floating issue with CPMC but it is certainly possible. The surplus of nurses during the economic downturn meant that some hospitals selected only the highest trained nurses such as ICU when their needs were actually medsurg. I think such policies are shortsighted as the organizational skills and skillsets for those areas are quite different but presumably the bean counters believed they were getting more for the buck. If the ACA dramatically increases the needs for nurses and hospitals come back up to 2007 staffing levels or higher, that sort of abuse should diminish.

Congrats on spelling of contingent. I will say that even if you use the word correctly, it is not a word used by ordinary travelers so it will cause confusion even if used correctly. It is industry slang often used by executive with other terms never heard on the street such as fall off rates. I hear it at industry conventions, and by strike agencies marketing to hospitals attempting to put lipstick on a pig. Words used by nurses for common jobs include traveler, local agency (called registry in some cities), and in-house per diem. Other than the derisive term scab, there is no real word for strike workers and most nurses just rather clumsily say working a strike. As in, what is it like to work a strike, I've worked at three strikes now.

jks_05 · Jan 11, 2014

positivethinker, there's no need to be so defensive and argumentative over something so juvenile. You asked a question, and Ned answered it. He just added an afterthought. Not a big deal. I, for one, appreciate the added opinions and as much information as possible from anyone, as I am a new traveler and am looking to expand my knowledge base as much as possible.

I have also (recently) heard bad reviews of Sutter hospitals, but no one has told me specifically why they are so horrible.

BD-RN, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2014

I only have 2 contracts under my belt, but I do have four hospitals now on my resume; my experience thus far has shown me that every hospital you go to will have something you don't like about it, or you will find at least one traveller that will tell you to steer clear. I just try to approach each place with an open mind and always remember what a former pt/former travel RN told me; "you can do ANYTHING for just thirteen weeks" Plus, I'm there for the first word in my job title anyway, travel :)

Really no need to get so offensive toward Ned. You did mention strike nursing in your post. Whether it was part of your question or not was hard to tell since it wasn't even really a complete sentence. Why mention it at all if you didn't want it commented on? I read what he wrote and he did as you asked, he shared his personal experience. Personally I look forward to reading Ned's posts and usually pray when I post that he will respond as he usually has very insightful and honest information. This is an open forum to which you posted and asked for information, no need to attack someone for posting an answer you perhaps did not want to hear.