Intelistaff nurses...did you notice....(other agencies as well)

I don't do travel nursing but I think that eliminating benefits is a sign of the economic times. I'm in home care and home health agencies cut or threaten to cut wages when their reimbursement sources decrease. One agency cut wages by 5% when the medicaid rates were cut; but then reinstated the previous wage when the proposed decrease did not take place. But this didn't occur until an irate employee contacted the medicaid people and complained. Personally, I would be willing to take cuts in benefits as long as I'm working at a reasonable wage. I went for a long time without work so I know what it is like to be thankful to have a job.

I started working for MSN just before they merged with Intellistaff. Once they merged, everything went down hill. Did some per diem work for them and one local contract in Minneapolis, but won't work for them again. Talked with their staff many times after the assignment was over about why I won't go back and she was very nice and helpful and agreed that they had a lot of issues to resolve. Just can't get myself to deal with them again - and the benefits they are getting rid of can be found at most other companies. Run while you can!!!

MSN SUXXXXXX, Intelli Staff SUX, fellow nurses really need to be cautious when interacting w/ this company.

Interesting, 8 months between messages and things haven't changed a bit. Intelistaff/MSN is still not the place to go. And, honestly, the more I travel the more I realize recruiters are like car salesmen - they are your best buddy until you get signed and then they kind of fall by the wayside. Once they get their commission they're happy. I've learned, the hard way, not to put so much faith in them and to watch out for myself more. If I had more ambition I'd try doing the traveling on my own without using a company, but I don't feel like going down that road so I just try to do the best for me. I have noticed, that the housing benefits are not as good as they used to - my first travel assignment gave me an furnished apartment, including the housewares package and utilities paid, but these days I'm finding more of a stipend for utilities and no houseware package - you either have to have your own or "rent" it like I'm doing now. Anyway, I'm rambling. Even after everything I said, I'm happy to have a job right now - been traveling since Dec '08 and hoping to continue through the end of next year - just a matter of which agency I put my "trust" in next.